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The cover of Wanting

Wanting

Luke Burgis, 2021

Most of what we want is copied from other people. Luke Burgis shows how this hidden imitation fuels rivalry and scapegoating, and how to find deeper desires worth pursuing.

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13 parts, about 22 minutes to read.

Why read it

  • Shows that most of what we want beyond basic needs is borrowed from other people, often from hidden models
  • Helps you name the models steering your choices, spot rivalry and scapegoating, and find deeper, steadier desires
  • Pairs a theory drawn from great novels and ancient stories with the author's own failed company and practical tactics

Who it is for

  • Founders and managers shaping what a team wants
  • People second guessing career choices after comparing with peers
  • Readers worn down by constant comparison on social media

What the summary covers

  1. The deal that fell through1 min
  2. Girard's discovery2 min
  3. Hidden models2 min
  4. Two worlds of models2 min
  5. How desire spreads2 min
  6. Zappos and happiness2 min
  7. The scapegoat mechanism2 min
  8. Girard's reading of the Bible1 min
  9. Wanting differently2 min
  10. Empathy and thick desires3 min
  11. Leaders who shape desire1 min
  12. Engineering or transforming desire1 min
  13. One greatest desire1 min

Recommended by

  • Peter ThielCofounder of PayPal and Palantir; venture capitalist and early Facebook investor
    This is the clearest, most accessible introduction to René Girard available.
  • Morgan HouselAuthor of The Psychology of Money
    I had a hard time putting this down.
  • Adam GrantNew York Times bestselling author of Originals
    It’s a spellbinding read, and it will leave you rethinking your own motivations for months and maybe even years later.
  • Jonathan HaidtSocial psychologist and professor at NYU Stern School of Business
    In Wanting, Luke Burgis makes Girard’s ideas come alive for those of us who don’t have a Ph.D. in literary studies.
  • Tyler CowenProfessor of economics at George Mason University
    Luke Burgis has produced the go-to book on this topic
  • Arthur C. BrooksProfessor at Harvard Kennedy School and Harvard Business School
    In Wanting, Luke Burgis masterfully shows us how to understand and manage our desires, and thus achieve more meaning and purpose in our lives and work.

About the author

  • Luke BurgisAuthor and entrepreneur; professor of business at The Catholic University of America
    • Attended New York University, worked on Wall Street and founded four companies
    • In 2008 his startup Fit Fuel collapsed when a sale to Tony Hsieh fell through; the failure led him to René Girard's mimetic theory
    • Founder and director of the Cluny Institute
    • Wanting has been translated into more than 20 languages; he also edited Be Not Conformed

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