Excellent Advice for Living
by Kevin Kelly · 2023
450 one-line pieces of advice from the founding editor of Wired, written for his own kids, with zero padding between them.
Worth reading? Excellent Advice for Living is the best one-liner wisdom book since Poor Charlie's Almanack, because Kelly wrote it for his own kids, not for a market, so almost nothing here is filler. Compared to a book like The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, it's broader and less philosophical, more like a life-manual you can open to any page. Skip it if you want one idea explored deeply; this is 450 different ideas, none explained past a sentence.
| Full Title | Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I'd Known Earlier |
|---|---|
| Author | Kevin Kelly |
| Published | 2023 |
| Publisher | Viking |
| Category | Self-Improvement & Psychology |
| Favorite quote | “Don't be the best. Be the only.” |
The Verdict
Kelly wrote these lines for his own kids over years, testing them online before compiling the book, which is why so little of it reads like filler. Most one-liner wisdom books pad out a handful of good ideas to book length. This one just keeps giving you another good line.
The best comparison on the shelf is The Almanack of Naval Ravikant, but the two do different jobs. Naval’s book builds toward a philosophy of wealth and happiness. Kelly’s book doesn’t build toward anything, it’s a manual you flip open to whatever page matches your current problem, whether that’s parenting, creative work, or how to apologize.
Skip it if you want one big idea argued well over 300 pages, that’s not what this is. But if you want a book you can actually reread in five-minute chunks for years and keep finding something new, this belongs on the shelf.
you want dense, quotable wisdom you can act on today, not a 300-page argument for one idea
you want depth and narrative on a single topic -- this is aphorisms, not an argument
Book Summary
Most good advice fits in one sentence. Kelly spent years posting these lines online before compiling them, testing which ones actually stuck with people rather than which ones sounded profound on first read.
Character and process matter more than talent or outcome. Recurring threads throughout: separate creating from editing, be kind over being right, be curious rather than defensive with people who disagree with you.
Small, specific behaviors compound into a life philosophy. There's no single "big idea" holding the book together on purpose, it's a life manual meant to be revisited a line at a time, not read straight through for an argument.
Top 9 Lessons from Excellent Advice for Living
- Don't be the best at something, be the only one doing that specific thing.
- To be interesting, be interested -- genuine curiosity about others is more magnetic than trying to impress them.
- Separate creating from editing; writing and revising in the same pass makes the editor kill the creator.
- When choosing between being right and being kind, choose kind, with no exceptions.
- Trust is earned in drops and lost in buckets -- protect it accordingly.
- Ask a child who they helped today instead of what they learned -- it reframes the goal of the day.
- Learn to find the truth in what someone you disagree with believes before dismissing them.
- Treat people as good as you are, not as bad as they've been to you.
- Revisit advice like this periodically -- a line that means nothing at 25 can be exactly what you need at 40.
Top 6 Quotes from Excellent Advice for Living
"Don't be the best. Be the only."
Kevin Kelly, Excellent Advice for Living
"To be interesting, be interested."
Kevin Kelly, Excellent Advice for Living
"Trust is earned in drops and lost in buckets. Unwavering honesty will help seal in trust."
Kevin Kelly, Excellent Advice for Living
"Separate the processes of creating from improving. You can't write and edit or sculpt and polish or make and analyze at the same time. If you do, the editor stops the creator."
Kevin Kelly, Excellent Advice for Living
"Whenever you have a choice between being right or being kind be kind. No exceptions."
Kevin Kelly, Excellent Advice for Living
"Instead of asking your child what they learned today, ask them who they helped today."
Kevin Kelly, Excellent Advice for Living
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Excellent Advice for Living worth reading?
Yes, if you like dense, quotable wisdom you can act on immediately. It's built to be reread a page at a time, not consumed once.
What is the main idea of Excellent Advice for Living?
There isn't one central argument by design -- it's 450 individual pieces of advice Kelly wrote for his own kids, covering career, relationships, money, and character.
How is it different from The Almanack of Naval Ravikant?
Kelly's book is broader and more practical day-to-day; Naval's is more philosophical and focused on wealth and happiness specifically. Kelly's works better as a life manual, Naval's as a worldview.
Who should read Excellent Advice for Living?
Anyone who wants actionable wisdom in small doses. Skip it if you want one idea explored in depth rather than 450 short ones.
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