There’s a lot Kevin Kelly has learned over his decades as a journalist, writer, and entrepreneur—much of it he’s willing to share. But since Kelly, cofounder of Wired magazine and former publisher and editor of the Whole Earth Review, can’t take each of us to coffee for a deep dive into his lessons learned, he’s compiled his wisdom into a new book, Excellent Advice for Living. Join Kelly and Alta Journal’s newsletter editor Matt Haber as they contemplate life experience, discuss practical guidance, and share just some of the things Kelly wishes he knew earlier.
About the guest:
Kevin Kelly is senior maverick at Wired magazine. He cofounded Wired in 1993 and served as the executive editor for its first seven years. His newest book is The Inevitable, a New York Times and Wall Street Journal bestseller, and his forthcoming book, Excellent Advice for Living, will be released in May 2023. He is founder of the popular Cool Tools website, which has been reviewing tools daily for 20 years. From 1984–90 Kelly was publisher and editor of the Whole Earth Review, a subscriber-supported journal of unorthodox conceptual news. He cofounded the ongoing Hackers Conference and was involved with the launch of the WELL, a pioneering online service started in 1985. Other books by Kelly include Out of Control, the 1994 classic book on decentralized emergent systems, The Silver Cord, a graphic novel about robots and angels, What Technology Wants, a robust theory of technology, and Vanishing Asia, his 50-year project to photograph the disappearing cultures of Asia. He is currently cochair of The Long Now Foundation, which is building a clock in a mountain that will tick for 10,000 years.
About the book:
On his 68th birthday, Kevin Kelly began to write down for his young-adult children some things he had learned about life that he wished he had known earlier. To his surprise, Kelly had more to say than he thought and kept adding to the advice over the years, compiling a life’s wisdom into these pages.
Kelly’s timeless advice covers an astonishing range, from right living to setting ambitious goals, optimizing generosity, and cultivating compassion. He has wisdom for career, relationships, parenting, and finances, and gives guidance for practical matters ranging from travel to troubleshooting.
Excellent Advice for Living: Wisdom I Wish I’d Known Earlier is aimed primarily at young people, but speaks to all ages. This is the ideal companion for anyone seeking to navigate life with grace and creativity.•
