One Red Paperclip: Or How an Ordinary Man Achieved His Dream with the Help of a Simple Office Supply

by Kyle Macdonald

Kyle MacDonald had a paperclip. One red paperclip, a dream, and a resume to write. And bills to pay. Oh, and a very patient girlfriend who was paying the rent while he was once again “between jobs.” Kyle wanted to be able to provide for himself and his girlfriend, Dominique. He wanted to own his own home. He wanted something bigger than a paperclip. So he put an ad on Craigslist, the popular classifieds website, with the intention of trading that paperclip for something better. A girl in Vancouver offered him a fish pen in exchange for his paperclip. He traded the fish pen for a doorknob and the doorknob for a camping stove. Before long he had traded the camping stove for a generator for a neon sign. Not long after that, avid snow-globe collector and television star Corbin Bernsen and the small Canadian town of Kipling were involved, and Kyle was on to bigger and better things.

In One Red Paperclip, Kyle takes you on a journey around the globe as he moves from paperclip holder to homeowner in just fourteen trades. With plenty of irreverent and insightful anecdotes and practical tips on how you can find your own paperclip and realize your dreams, he proves it’s possible to succeed in life and achieve your dreams on your own terms. Quirky and inspirational, this story of a regular guy and a small, red, now-legendary paperclip will have you looking at your office supplies-and your life-in a whole new way.

Genres: Nonfiction, Memoir, Biography, Travel, Business, Humor, Biography Memoir

310 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2007

Reviews

[Baba · Rating 3 out of 5]

The true and wonderful and funny and interesting and zeitgeist tale of Kyle Macdonald setting out to turn one red paperclip into a house through mutual exchanges of good and / or services. A documented true story with photographs of the actual swaps; and this book was inspired by the blog Kyle used to document his journey. A worthwhile read, that kept me smiling throughout. 6 out of 12, Three Stars.

2014 read

[Tory · Rating 1 out of 5]

The story itself is interesting, but could EASILY have been summarized into one long article. This is an INCREDIBLY poorly-written book that tries too hard to be funny and beats you over the head with every joke at least three times.

Case in point: he's driving a van across Canada. Someone asks him to deliver something for her. His response:
"'I don't know, it's not like I have hundreds of cubic feet of extra cargo room or anything...'
'Yeah right!' she said.
I laughed. There were actually many hundreds of extra cubic feet of cargo room left in the truck. That's why it was so funny. Extra cubic feet of cargo are like that."

See what I mean? Why did his editor not tell him to cut all that shit out? Oh, and several full pages in later chapters are taken up by comments on his blog, which I skipped entirely. Obviously, he couldn't come up with enough material of his own -- and even straight-up says something like "glad these comments are writing my book for me!"

Weird Canadian things I had to look up: carpet bowling (a sport), cube van (moving truck), toque (beanie), eave troughs (gutters). Again, why didn't his editor have him add in the non-Canadian term for an international audience?

[Wendy · Rating 1 out of 5]

I'm warning you; I'm a harsh critic. I hate being so ruthless when I'm not an author and I know very well that I couldn't have done better, but I just can't seem to help myself.

This book was pretty bad. It was given to me by someone who reads A TON and said she never read it. Now I know why. It's written chronologically (as most memoirs are) using an almost stream of consciousness feel, which I usual love but not this time. Klye McDonald is clearly someone who had nothing better going on in his life so he decided to trade one red paperclip for something "bigger or better" until he ended up with a house. He clearly is not an author. At times, I even began to wonder if he had graduated from high school.

With that being said, I finished the book. I'm still not sure why I bothered, but I did. I guess my curiosity got the best of me. Here, I'll spare you from reading it and just tell you that he finally ends up with a house (a mere 14 trades and 12 months later) and them proposes to his girlfriend by making a ring out of the original red paperclip that began it all. Blah!

[Tracey Wilde · Rating 2 out of 5]

Enjoyed it but I could have found out the story from a long article. Very padded out. Very repetitive. He tells you something at least three times in three different ways just to make sure you've got it and that is in the same paragraph. The tips at he nd of the chapters don't mean anything and I didn't even bother reading them after the first couple. I'm sure that if I met Kyle Macdonald he would definitely say 'Dude' !

[Karin · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is not a brilliant book by any stretch of the definition, but I enjoyed it because I remember following this for the latter half. It was rather fun, but of course you have to like Macdonald's humour, etc. It is longer than what was on his website and was definitely more of a novelty book that would have sold at the time the story was still fresh.

That said, it's fun to read about a man who started with an ordinary red paperclip and traded up until he had a house. No, he didn't do this all by himself, he managed to get publicity when he was asked to be on TV shows and so on and so forth. There were two major celebrities involved (one of whom through an employee) which didn't hurt, either. Plus--and, to be honest, this was big for me--he's Canadian and I'm almost always up to hear Canadian success stories.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a great book! A funny, fast read just perfect for a long flight. There are plenty of lessons to learn, too. After all, it's all about the journey. Next time you're faced with a big decision, ask yourself: What would you do if you weren't afraid?

I'm afraid I may have to read this book again!

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really loved this book.
It was exactly what I needed at the moment a light novel with some humor that was easy to read.
I read it in no time and would recommend it highly as a light book as it is very interesting.

[Mehvish Irshad · Rating 2 out of 5]

What's your paperclip?
What will you "trade" to make it happen?
This was a book I'd been looking forward to reading for a while. I heard of Kyle Macdonald's blog through a magazine article years ago and I looked it up and read some of it. Sounded like an exciting idea and it's always been on my mind. So let me say right off the bat how cool it is to be able to do this.

But as a book it kind of fell flat. Kyle Macdonald isn't a writer, that's obvious, he isn't claiming to be, but he also isn't a motivational speaker. Every chapter ends with little faux motivational messages which kind of fall short of the mark. You find yourself reading things like:
Now was two words ago.
Yep, this is just a blatantly inane comment to make you think way-too-deep thoughts. But it's not. Unless you think it is. Then it is. If you want to analyze it, and give it meaning, that's fine by me. But analysis and thinking won't change the simple new fact: Now was actually more like five words ago.
Sounds like great dry humor but it gets old FAST. And not all statements are worded that well. There is a section where he describes how he was breathing and we find ourselves reading "Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale." That's groundbreaking.
The book isn't written in a blog-style, which is good, it's told like a story. It starts off a lot of fun and I found myself flying through the pages, but then it gets dull and tedious and I was skimming a lot through to the end. I think this would have made a great book if it was shorter and less unnecessarily descriptive.
It was a fun read for a while, but through it all it's hard to shake the fact that this is a story of luck. There is no skill involved here.

[Harrison Farrugia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I first heard of this story years ago when reading the 2008 Guinness Book of World Records. A man who started with one red paperclip traded it for bigger and better things until he made his way to a house in Canada. Since I had heard a very brief version of the story, I was interested to learn more about the details. What I really liked about this book is that Kyle is completely honest about what he did, and acknowledges that a lot of it was pure luck. The way he formatted the story, going in order of each object acquired, it became evident how quickly this small project he had started when he was struggling to pay the bills turned into a widespread obsession in Canada. Within a few objects traded he was on national news, causing an uproar in the small British Colombian town of Yahk, and receiving hundreds of offers every day. This isn't just a story of how a smart guy took an easy opportunity. It's about a struggling guy who, with some determination and a little bit of luck, turned his life around with one little paperclip.

[Haze · Rating 4 out of 5]

A few years back I heard about this guy who started with one red paperclip and traded his way up to finally get a house. I was definitely intrigued, and more than a little curious, but somehow I must have forgotten about it because I never followed up on it.

Recently, just last year actually, he published a book on it, and I finally bought the book yesterday. I read it until late last night and finished it late this evening with tears in my eyes.

It's an amazingly inspiring story, and really kind of overwhelming, in fact. But reading this book and seeing Kyle's attitude, I'd have to say that he was just the right person to pull off this stunt. He's got so much charm, humor, and enthusiasm for what he was doing, you can feel his charisma ooze off the pages.

His blog is still up, I just checked, and now he's putting the house he got up for trade. This whole book is an adventure, and I guess he's ready for another adventure. I'm definitely interested in seeing what happens next.

I can't say enough how amazing this whole story is, and how inspiring, and how dreams that may seem outlandish and impossible can actually come true.

[Cindy (BKind2Books) · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was just okay for me. Don't get me wrong - the story itself was fun. Guy decides to take a simple red paperclip and trades it - at first, via Craigslist and later via his blog / website - for something "bigger and better". Over the course of 14 trades taking exactly 1 year - he manages to trade for a house in Kipling. It's a fun story and along the way involves such things as cube vans, the city of Yahk, Alice Cooper, and Corbin Bernsen. It's that Everyman story that we all like.

...so why not mark this better? The writing style was a slog. This would have been a great story in the hands of a better writer - I'm not sure that this guy made it out of high school English class. Part of the book consists of the requests for trades - basically transcribed verbatim - and they range from mildly amusing to a bore to bizarre. There were parts that were very repetitive and others that seemed there just to fluff out the book. If this book had been better written or edited, then this would have easily been a 3.5 to 4 star read.

[Egle Küngas · Rating 3 out of 5]

Kuidagi lohakas kirjastiil täis slängi ja veidraid lauseid ning venitamisi. Samas, kuna raamat läheb üsna ruttu ja on huvi, mille vastu järgmine vahetus toimub, siis lugesin ikkagi lõpuni. Leidub paremat ja asjalikumat kirjandust, aga huvitav lugu sellegipoolest.

[Samilja · Rating 3 out of 5]

Oh, how I thought I'd love this book. Twenty-something embarks upon a quest to trade for a house. A house! Starting with a paper clip. A paper clip! And the story is very interesting. But oh, the writing! Glib, ironic, oh-so-clever and witty! Way over the top. A lot like this paragraph. I seriously considered throwing in the towel about 1/3 of the way in.

Luckily, as the story improves with each bigger & better trade, so does the writing. To be fair, our author Kyle was, at the time, a mid-twenties good natured slacker who had enough wit and drive to finagle a house (albeit in Saskatchewan) having started only with One Red Paper Clip!. And his writing does seem to be a true attempt at self deprecation which is what the books is ultimately about. Kyle's an every-man and he wants to inspire the rest of us everyday people to take action in our lives.

Don't misunderstand. I think what Kyle managed to do was brilliant and I really liked the attitude with which he did it. I even became fond of the stylized method of chapter separation in the book: a page of observations and suggestions about implementing Kyle's live your dream approach to life, despite thinking they were somewhat repetitive and heavy-handed. I actually passed along the book to a good friend, with only a slight caveat, so obviously I didn't hate it.

I enjoyed the tale, I appreciated the concept and philosophy Kyle was trying to realize and I respect that the guy seems truly content and optimistic. But I could have done without the giggly, juvenile observations and dialogue. Like, ya know?

[Kristin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I vaguely remembered Macdonald's story when it became a web trending topic probably about midway through. Like most internet stories, it showed up on all the major sites for a few days, then faded away, such that I'd largely forgotten about it until coming upon this book at a sale. Once I got to reading, I remembered the early steps of the trade, like the paperclip for the fish pen, and the fish pen for the doorknob, but definitely don't recall the celebrity involvement of Alice Cooper and Corbin Bernsen.
Macdonald explains that the 'why' and 'who' of the trades are just as important to him as the 'what'. Sure, he sets the ground rule that the trades should be for bigger and/or better things, but with his ultimate goal of a house in mind, he wasn't willing to sell himself out to some company looking for a quick 15 minutes of fame that would also put a bunch of red tape on the trade. He takes a few chances, including trading for one not bigger, and not necessarily better item, both to gauge the response of his fans, who followed the 'one red paperclip' blog and to show that perception is not the same as reality. In between chapters, Macdonald shares small paragraphs of wisdom to encourage readers to seek out their own 'red paperclip', which doesn't always mean that they should try to turn an office supply on their desk into a residential dwelling by offering trades on Cragslist, but that taking risks can lead to payoffs, and if you're stuck in a rut, try something outlandish to shift your perspective on things.
Overall, I enjoyed the book, knowing full well that the book wouldn't be written unless he'd achieved his goal, but loving the steps he took to get there.

[Trin · Rating 1 out of 5]

That guy who traded up from a red paperclip to a house in Saskatchewan tells his story. Unfortunately, he doesn't tell it particularly well. It's a great story, don't get me wrong, but MacDonald's style...I don't want to call it too "bloggy," as there are a lot of well-written blogs out there. But I could understand someone leveling that criticism, because MacDonald's writing, whether the product of blogging or not, is unfocused, not terribly descriptive—none of the places he visits ever came alive for me—and full of those painfully-awkward sentences and assemblages of sentences where the writer clearly thinks he is being very, very funny...but he is not. The whole book seems so strained, like MacDonald was rushed into Getting His Incredible Story Out There! Also, seriously not helping things: he ends every chapter with a few pieces of advice/"affirmation statements." Gag me. I think it's meant to be done ironically, but instead it comes across like those people who say they're watching Survivor or Big Brother or whatever "ironically," as if that somehow excuses their being glued to the television every week. Sorry, I don't buy it.

Luckily, I didn't buy this book, either—I traded for it, and I've since traded it for something else. I hope MacDonald is proud of me.

[Grant Trevarthen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I looked at the cover of this book, and it had me immediately intrigued.
At first, it looked like the story of the creation of another trade website, but this story had a delightful twist.
Kyle Macdonald, a Vancouverite came up with the idea of starting of with a particular item, in this case a Red Paperclip,and trading it up for something 'bigger and better'.
With the help of his very understanding girlfriend Dominique, a native of French speaking Montreal, they with Kyle's father go on a road-trip encompassing other parts of Canada and the U.S. Along the way, they meet many people of various ethnic backgrounds and beliefs.
The items traded for are many and varied from a Fishpen to a oorknob up to a Gas-cooker, to a Recording contract and culminating in a small House.
Kyle becomes somewhat of a celebrity appearing on Radio & TV chatshows, updating a Blog on the internet.
I admire Kyle for what he achieved, is drive and tenacity, this was a well written book.

[Sapphira Solstice · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/10
*spoilers*
This was such a touching story, which I wasn’t expecting. I thought the book was going to be quite process-driven, just describing trades from a paperclip up, and I was also expecting it to be 100 or something trades, and all material things such as a pen for a book, a book for a printer, a printer for a camera etc. So I was surprised that it was just 15 trades and many of which were conceptual things (like an afternoon with Alice Cooper). I also expected it to be a 10+ year project. Maybe my guess is also a possibility for an experiment (and coexisting book!).

The journey Kyle went on to find each trade, the unexpected huge media attention and fame that came from it and his own personal journey which is vulnerably shared throughout the book all made for fascinating reading. It was such a simple idea, and certainly a case of ‘right place, right time’. There’s no way you could achieve this now, the internet is too much of a minefield and there are too many ‘original/novel ideas’ constantly that this would get lost in the density of what’s going on out there. I love that Kyle found a new town to live in, one that sounded Hollywood-film quintessential, it was very fitting that the town’s motto is “Where if becomes reality” and I love that they even declared a ‘One Red Paperclip Day’!

It was a feel-good story, some quotes from the book to demonstrate this sentiment:

- Stories like this are water to the soul.
- Winston Churchill once said, “The pessimist sees difficulty in every opportunity. The optimist sees the opportunity in every difficulty.” And some of us can see a house in a paperclip.
- The attitude we take in our approach to life literally defines our days. For even though we may go through seasons of difficulties, those with a positive attitude will always end up stronger and more resilient.

Kyle was our main character, I’m sorry but overall I don’t like him. He’s bright-eyed and bushy-tailed and naive (even for a 26-year-old) - “If popular music has taught me anything, it’s that there’s nothing as cool as staying up all night until the break of dawn. Nothing.”, far too happy-go-lucky for me to be on board with, in other words, he’s a total cheeseball. He seems to find some fundamental things in life unachievable and/or mind-blowing. Other characters included his family and friends, who are all good people and very supportive, also possibly a little basic and not very worldly. The media people who appeared in the story were very colourful and entertaining.

The setting was across Canada and various places in America that Kyle ventured to for his trades, these gave good contrast and diversity to the story. The infamous place of Yahk was very intriguing! I wonder how much attention was brought to it and also Kipling following the story and this book.

Themes: non-fiction (which I like), rags-to-riches, a lot of life philosophy - which is up my street but definitely not in the way that Kyle portrays it, to the extent of his basic knowledge and understanding of the world. His sentiments were on point but things I very much already know. There was a theme of coming of age for Kyle, he started out as a pretty undesirable, low-achieving person, by the end he seemed to have really grown into himself and have significant self-pride and motivation. He went from a self-proclaimed bum (“maybe a little bit, uh, non-committal. Why put total commitment into something that isn’t meant to be, right?”) to achieving all the above.

The writing style was abominable, this definitely knocked off a good number of points from the overall score of the book. He just couldn’t write for shit, and so much of it was very eye-rolling, some quotes to exemplify his terrible writing:

- I made a confident face, and looked even further into the distance, as though it would help.
- Not just glad, super glad.
- Yep, another inane line for you to overthink about. But think about it for a second. It’s true.
- CNN pretty much has the best cameras around, so you know they pretty much broadcast the best news.
- But it was much more fun to stay awake and talk about stuff. That’s the thing about stuff, it’s just so much better than sleep.
- It was the perfect situation for a high five. But I was too excited about chicken burgers for any of that nonsense.

I guess my dislike of Kyle as a person and his writing style are intertwined and not easy to separately criticise.

Some quotes I did enjoy from the book:

- Why complain when you can do something about it?
- We all see color differently. What may be less green to someone else might be greener to you.
- If you can imagine something, it can be real. What do you imagine? How will you make it real?

I did like his invention of the word “funtential”. I did not like his stupid horse-whinnying ringtone and all the quips he made about this.

The ending was my favourite part of the book, and so sweet, it actually brought tears to my eyes! The giant housewarming/street party was so lovely and touching - although why did he have to call it ‘the biggest housewarming party ever’. He painted a picture of a jovial time, the whole event seemed so fun and it was a great ending to this unique journey and story. I absolutely did not see it coming that he was going to propose to Dom, and it was such a sweet moment, although cringe that he used the original paper clip and bent it out of shape, some might find this super sweet, I found it super sickly. More eye-rolling.

I would definitely recommend this book to people as an inspiring story of a unique idea and an example that anything is achievable if you put your mind to it (and have some ‘right place/right time luck’). I would give a clear warning of the painful writing style, and for anyone who is even more of a book snob than me - they might not be able to see past that. For a lighthearted, feel-good read, it’s a good fit.

[Elaine Meszaros · Rating 5 out of 5]

I first became aware of the ORP project when I heard a mention of it on Alice Cooper's radio show (yes he has a show, yes he is quite funny). Unemployed dreamer Kyle MacDonald decides he is tired of sponging off his patient girlfriend Dom. Faced with the choice of finding full-time employment or providing for her in a creative way, MacDonald starts http://oneredpaperclip.blogspot.com. Over the course of a year, MacDonald plays the "Bigger and Better" trading game, eventually ending up with a house of his very own. The press goes nuts in both the US and Canada and MacDonald bemusedly gets swept along. What I find most about the book is MacDonald's careful consideration and ground rules for what constitutes a good trade. He coined the terms "funtential" - how much fun is included in the trade. MacDonald is truly a nice guy who thoroughly deserves his house.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a good, light, quick read and a lesson on how resourcefulness can merge with motivation (or procrastination, depending on how you look at it). I felt more like I was reading emails from a funny twenty-or-thirty-something friend than a book. I think it will appeal most to those who either know what Craigslist is, have ever had to live on the cheap, or have ever wanted to skip out on their job to do something more interesting that they don't otherwise have time to do. The author gives you a glimpse of the ending right before his story begins. So as with most stories where you pretty much know how it will end but don't specifically know how, some parts felt slow and long simply because they were in the way of the big reveal at the end.

[Bill Doughty · Rating 2 out of 5]

Canadian slacker decides he'd rather play Bigger and Better (a game where you start with a small object and trade for progressively better things) than look for a job. He starts with a paperclip, and over a dozen or so trades, winds up with a house, and becomes an internet celebrity along the way. I think the synopsis of the story is more interesting than the actual telling, but maybe that's just me. I could have completely done without the bogus, high-school-motivational-speaker-esque affirmations between the chapters, though. Had I known this was going to be a "follow your dreams" self-helpy sort of thing, I wouldn't have bothered.

[Spencer Levin · Rating 4 out of 5]

In this book Kyle Macdonald has a dream to trade up from this one red paper clip to a house. He makes various trades throughout Canada and the USA. He meets new life long friends and goes on a wild trip to accomplish his one goal. It took him around a year to complete this goal but with the help of many people such as Television stations and many more close family friends he achieves his goal and makes the impossible, possible. I really enjoyed the book it showed his and the traders hardships but also shows there overall common goal of getting Kyle his house and meeting new interesting people.

[Alex Gomes · Rating 4 out of 5]

My girlfriend was not sure what present she is going to give me for Christmas. I told her to get me a paperclip and a pen.

She suddenly thought of this book and gave it to me for Christmas.

I opened the present and was not sure until she told me that I asked for a paperclip and a pen earlier. I thought that it was absolutely hilarious. My girlfriend is awesome.

When I finished this book, i thought it was a really good and funny book. I laughed loudly at some parts. Wowed at some parts. I would love to do these adventures but way too many works for me.

To D, thank you for giving me a brilliant book.

[Diane · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was recommended to me. I had hoped the book would inspire me, but it did not. The goal was to trade a red paperclip for a house within a year. I guess the real premise of the book was about relationships and how we can form them. However, I was put put with the attitude that the young man had about working. He allowed his girlfriend to pay for everything. He was "between jobs". I was not impressed with the story which could have been written in a much shorter version. The search for trading became his full time job. He laughingly refers to that in the book. I have real issues with someone that can't be bothered to work and allows someone else to carry the load.

[Elizabeth · Rating 3 out of 5]

What a sweet little book! The writing style is a bit clumsy (which at first I attributed to that I started reading it from page 130, finished it and then started again at the beginning, but it's actually just awkward writing) but when I read it as a long, chatty email, I didn't really care. My tiny mind is warmed by how excited people get about each other doing cool things. I'm not going to say the story is "inspiring," but it's very affirming, and reminds you that people actually do like (and WANT to like) each other.

[Hissah · Rating 1 out of 5]

قرأت النسخة المترجمة من دار حكاية ولم تعجبني البتة:
١- الترجمة سيئة جدًا وتستخدم الاسلوب الانجليزي
٢- الاشخاص لما يتحدثون يستخدم المترجم علامة الفاصلة وليس النقطتين الرئيستين، لذلك ماكان واضح متى الشخصية تتكلم ومتى تكون افكار مكتوبة فقط
٣- الكتاب الأصلي يملك ٣٢٠ صفحة تقريبا بينما المترجم ١١٨، ما اعرف تم اختصار الكتاب ولا ايش بالضبط
٤- توقعت بنهاية الكتاب كايل سيربح شيء ذو قيمة ولكن اصبحت النهاية مجرد فلسفة
٥- فكرة الكتاب بأكملها استطيع كتابتها بتويت ولا تستحق كتاب كامل

[Davida Chazan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The true story of how one man traded a simple, little, red paperclip and kept trading until he ended up with a house, exactly one year later. Read my review of this interesting autobiographical book that chronicles a fascinating idea and adventure, here. https://tcl-bookreviews.com/2015/10/1...

[Lily · Rating 5 out of 5]

Read this book. It'll make you feel darn good. Kyle MacDonald lives up to the Kipling poem he opens with.

Plus Kipling is a joke you won't get until you read the book. Trust me, you want to get the joke.

[Don · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is amazing that this is a true story, I am finding myself reading more and more non-fiction. As they say, truth is stranger than fiction, a man trades up from a paperclip to a house in about a year, an amazing journey.

[Afaf Alkhalaf · Rating 2 out of 5]

مترجمة بطريقة ركيكة
والكتاب غير مكتمل ، عندما بحثت في قوقل وجدت تكملة القصة موثقة بصور !

نجمتين لان فكرة التداول اعجبتني

[Bap Rang Ber · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dám cá là ai trong chúng ta cũng có một đứa bạn như thằng cha này: làm biếng ở dơ ngu ngơ, đầu óc hơi chập cheng nhưng luôn sẵn có mấy ý tưởng khùng điên tưng tửng. Mới đầu nhìn sơ qua cái bìa mình cứ tưởng là một câu chuyện khởi nghiệp của một sinh viên nghèo vượt khó, nhưng hoá ra thì nó lại là câu chuyện của một thằng cha rãnh rỗi sinh nông nỗi.

Chuyện là thằng cha này ăn hàng ở ko được chị bồ tiếp viên hàng ko bao nuôi, một ngày ảnh chán ở ko ăn hàng rồi nên ảnh nảy ra ý tưởng dùng cái kẹp giấy để đổi lấy cái nhà trong vòng 1 năm. Nghe điên ha, đấy, chính cái sự điên đó làm cho mình bỏ qua hết cái sự đùa nhạt, đùa dai, đùa dở của ổng trong cách viết để mà cuốn theo câu chuyện tới dòng cuối cùng. Lúc đầu đọc mình thấy hơi khó chịu, mình skim n skip gần như toàn bộ những đoạn bình luận mà ổng chỉ copy n paste trên blog của ổng rồi bỏ vô hết 1/2 cuốn sách, nhưng khi đọc xong mình mới nhận ra cái sự vụng về trong cách viết đó tiết lộ được phần lớn tính cách của một anh chàng chân chất thiệt thà có gì nói đó ko cố thêm thắt những từ hoa mỹ, có phần ngô nghê như một anh hai lúa miền tây, cố tỏ ra deep bằng cách nói những câu đạo lý cilché nhưng ko hợp ngữ cảnh, cố đùa nhưng thành ra trớt quớt vô duyên.

Nhưng nếu bỏ qua được cái sự thiếu muối của ảnh, bạn sẽ nhận được đằng sau một câu chuyện nghe có phần giật gân giật tuỷ là một câu khác về 1 cuộc hành trình, mà trên chuyến hành trình đó có sự may mắn, sự bất ngờ, và rất nhiều điều thú vị. Dù đã biết trước cái kết, nhưng càng đọc mình càng nhận ra mình bị cuốn vào câu chuyện của các nhân vật trên chuyến hành trình đó hơn là cái kết của nó. Ai cũng hay ho và khùng điên ngang ngửa, ai cũng có background và câu chuyện đằng sau, đọc như thể đang coi phim Hangover vậy đó :))

Cái quan trọng ko phải là bạn có đến được nơi bạn muốn đến, đạt được cái bạn muốn làm hay ko, mà là bạn có biết bạn muốn gì, muốn đi đâu ko? Kyle biết anh muốn một cái nhà và anh tìm cách để làm một cái gì đó dù là nhỏ nhất, điên khùng nhất để đạt được cái anh muốn. Câu chuyện của Kyle có thể hơi khó tin, nhưng 2 thông điệp rất cốt lõi và thực tế mà Kyle đã cố lặp đi lặp lại đến nỗi thành dai dài dở trong quyển sách là "Bigger n Better" và "Just Do It". Mình tin vào vẻ đẹp của sự cặm cụi cần mẫn kiên trì làm đi làm lại, bạn ko cần phải là the best chỉ cần better mỗi ngày thôi, và thay vì nghĩ lắm nói lắm thì xách đít lên làm đi. Còn làm như nào thì hãy tận dụng triệt để sự giúp đỡ của truyền thông, mạng xã hội, của gia đình bạn, hoặc thậm chí của cả bồ bạn :))

Mình sẽ ko nói đây là một sách truyền cảm hứng, vì chỉ có cái bụng đói mới truyền cảm hứng cho bạn lăn ra khỏi giường để nấu cơm được thôi. Mình nghĩ đây là một cuốn sách về niềm tin, tin vào những điều tốt đẹp trong cuộc sống, vào sự bất ngờ và may mắn. Nhưng cái sự may mắn ở đây ko phải là kiểu may mắn của "sinh ra đã ngậm thìa vàng" mà là kiểu may mắn của "trúng số". Vì muốn trúng số thì bạn phải mua vé số trước đã, như Kyle muốn mua nhà thì anh phải mua cái kẹp giấy trước. Bạn đã mua "cái kẹp giấy" của bạn chưa?

Một cuốn sách nhẹ nhàng dễ đọc, thích hợp cho kiểu giết thời gian trên máy bay. Mình thích nó vì sự thiệt tình và tinh thần lạc quan của tác giả, mình khá là chắc kèo ổng là một thằng cha rất ngầu ở ngoài đời, chơi với ổng chắc dzui cười ẻ, phải có lý do thì ổng mới được gái bao nuôi vậy chớ ha.

Còn mấy bạn haters ghen ăn tức ở thấy người ta số hưởng nhà hưởng vợ thì kêu người ta là thằng ăn bám chỉ được cái may mắn, thì well, bạn ơi chính cái nết chua ngoa đó làm bạn mua vé số hoài ko trúng đó, bạn sống sao mà ông bà bạn ko độ bạn được miếng may mắn nào hết dậy nè :)

Tóm lại, câu chuyện thì hay nhưng sách thì dở. Ổng cần sa thải ngay lập tức Editor đi