“What Matters Now” is a question we should ask ourselves all the time, but it also happens to be the title of a new, free e-book curated by our friend (and occasional PdF speaker) Seth Godin. He asked 70 people, including yours truly, to each contribute a page offering their answer, focused on one word that matters, plus a short (under 200 words) explanation. The result is a spicy bon-bon of a book, alternately compelling, contradictory, and provocative. You can download your copy here.
The words contributed by each contributor are listed below. You need to download the eBook to read the accompanying essays. I’m humbled to be in such good company.
Generosity by Seth Godin
Fear by Anne Jackson
Facts by Jessica Hagy
Diginity by Jacqueline Novogratz
Meaning by Hugh McLeod
Ease by Elizabeth Gilbert (author of Eat, Pray and Love)
Connected by Howard Mann
Re-Capitalism by Chris Meyer
Vision by Michael Hyatt
Enrichment by Rajesh Setty
1% by Jackie Huba and Ben McConnell
Speaking by Mark Hurst
ATOMS by Chris Anderson
Excellence by Tom Peters
Most by William C. Taylor
Strengths by Marti Barletta
Ripple by John Wood
Unsustainability by Alan Webber
Autonomy by Dan Pink
Poker by Tony Hsieh
Momentum by Dave Ramsey
Consequence by Saul Griffith
Power by Jeffrey Pfeffer
Harmony by Jack Covert
Tough-Mindedness by Steven Pressfield
Evangelism by Guy Kawasaki
Compassion by Mitch Joel
Knowledge by Alisa Miller
Parsing by Clay Johnson
Forever by Piers Fawkes
Empathy by Karen Armstrong
Neoteny by Joi Ito
Celebrate by Megan Casey
DIY by Jay Parkinson
Adventure by Robyn Waters
Dumb by Dave Balter
Nobody by Micah L. Sifry
Analog by George Dyson
Independent Diplomacy by Carne Ross
THNX by Gary Vaynerchuk
Attention by David Meerman Scott
Context by Jeff Jonas
Change by Chip and Dan Heath
Passion by Derek Sivers
Magnetize by Fred Krupp
Confidence by Tim Sanders
Slow Capital by Fred Wilson
Open-Source DNA by Kevin Kelly
Technology by Phoebe Espiritu
Expertise by Aaron Wall
Fascination by Sally Hogshead
Difference by David Weinberger
World Healers by Martha Beck
Sacrifice by John Moore
Focus by Todd Sattersten
Leap by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie
Women by Paco Underhill
Timeless by Mark Rovner
.eDO by Dale Dougherty
Productivity by Gina Trapani
Iterative Capital by Michael Scharge
Willpower by Ramit Sethi
Mesh by Lisa Gansky
Enough by Merlin Mann
(Dis)Trust by Dan Ariely
Social Skills by Penelope Trunk
I’m Sorry by Jason Fried
Sleep by Arianna Huffington
Knowing by Dan Roam
Government 2.0 by Tim O’Reilly
You Can’t by Aimee Johnson
Gumption by J.C. Hutchins