If Silicon Valley prides itself on its secret sauce, then Think Remarkable: 9 Paths to Transform Your Life and Make a Difference is author Guy Kawasaki’s invitation to a meal at the chef’s table. In this slim volume, the software evangelist and entrepreneur shares the nine key “ingredients”—including embracing the art of storytelling and leading with integrity—that he promises will help his readers be(come) remarkable.
As a product manager turned permaculture practitioner who recently and unknowingly practiced Kawasaki’s advice to “change horses”—as in, totally shift my career—I’m ready for the recipe.
Kawasaki, ’76, encourages lifelong learning, experimentation with new ideas, and reading “before, during, and after formal education.” He champions the idea of a growth mindset and recommends planting many seeds, literally and metaphorically, because “most will not sprout.”
You can always use technology to retrieve facts. Critical thinking is harder.
For someone so successful—Kawasaki is the veritable father of secular evangelism, an early Apple employee, and a serial entrepreneur—he comes across as a refreshingly humble human. Being remarkable, he says, means making the world a better place, which is not equivalent to amassing money.
Think Remarkable is full of directive guidance, but it doesn’t read like a conduct manual. Anecdotes, research insights, and practical strategies come together in a seamless and well-organized flow that underscores his point about the power of pairing stories with facts. There’s the story of Andrea Lytle Peet, who, after learning that she had ALS, challenged herself to run 50 marathons, and of the “pivotal moment” that changed Kawasaki’s perspective after a woman mistook him for a landscaper in his own front yard. In both stories—and dozens more—he urges readers to maintain grit and grace in their journey toward remarkableness.
The book is replete with valuable tips, but some of Kawasaki’s anecdotes feel less universal than others, and his penchant for the Santa Cruz surf scene features in just about every chapter. Look for the wisdom amid the paddling and ocean-watching metaphors, and you’ll soon welcome Kawasaki’s tow-in to the big waves of being remarkable. Now that’s the juice!
Marisa Messina, ’16, MA ’16, MBA ’23, is a former big tech product manager who is creating a healing cooperative centered around horsemanship and sustainable land stewardship. Email her at stanford.magazine@stanford.edu.
