It isn’t often that you find a book that seems to read your mind and your needs.

This book explained to me so many things that I have already practiced and never had the words to explain to others such as the momentum of a fitness flywheel, being a transcendent leader, and the use of meditative thought.

However, it didn’t only enlighten me with the good parts of myself. It also revealed some of the uglier ways I let mimetic desire take over to create conflict in my life.

I am convinced at this point that if you are ruminating over something in your life and decide to read this book it will give you the answers you need.

Although that seems surprising it really shouldn’t be as this is a book about desire and unless you are a monk or Buddha your desires are likely creating some suffering in your life.

Luke Burgis has you covered as he shows you the benevolent side of desires and how they can actually help build a more beautiful future for you and the world.

Thank-you @netgalley for this audiobook, it is a gift that I hope others get the chance to enjoy!

5/5✨Impact Rating
4.5/5⭐️Overall Rating

*received for free from netgalley for honest review* interesting read, understand the logic behind it but don't feel i actually learned much idea wise

"Wanting" is a book that I read slowly to savor- there are so many rich anecdotes and compelling ideas that made this a worthwhile read.

I received the audiobook version of "Wanting" from Netgalley and Macmillan Audio. I highly recommend the audio version of this book- the narration is easy to listen to and getting the material at a slower pace gives the reader more opportunity to really think about how the author thinks we can live a more meaningful life.

We often look to others to know what we want- people and characters that we compare ourselves to and either intentionally or unintentionally try to model ourselves after. The most important thing I got out of this book is a self-awareness of how easy it is to become stuck following models without considering what I actually want.

"Want" is likened to "desire"- a concept that is relevant and understandable to even babies. This is a self-help book, but it is more than that. It is a study of how people have lived in the past, the failings that we still succumb to in the present even when we've learned the past, and the hope that we can have as we reflect on the models in our life as we look to the future.

Thank you Luke Burgis for this wonderful book- it should be a staple reading on 'adulting.' I look to your writing and lifestyle as a model for myself, and I expect to evaluate and re-evaluate my own work as a means for being a positive model for others.

Do you ever wonder why you desire to buy certain products and/or obtain a certain lifestyle? Have you ever been envious of what a friend or colleague has achieved?

Wanting, by Luke Burgis, explores desire, specifically the mimetic theory of desire originated by French historian René Girard:

“Man is the creature who does not know what to desire, and he turns to others in order to make up his mind. We desire what others desire because we imitate their desires.” - Girard

In this book, Burgis, an experienced entrepreneur, applies the theory to modern day culture, especially to business culture.

Why 5 stars? In my own life, since the pandemic began, my priorities have shifted and I wanted to learn more about why I rarely felt satisfied with what I thought I needed to feel happy and at peace. Each chapter provided a new "aha" moment for me. I am reacquainted with my true values and don't feel the need to continuously strive for the next best thing, for the next best thing is never enough.

I am a library paraprofessional and received an advance audiobook copy from #NetGalley. Opinions are my own.

I'm always looking to explore books examining human behavior and societal influences, so this book was a natural fit for me. Mimetic Desire has been around forever- most of us just never called it that. I've never really felt compelled or obsessed with it, so it was a little hard to imagine the deep connections described here. Conceptually, yes, I get it.

Author Luke Burgis does a wonderful job exploring the topic and I found it rather fascinating. I was curious as to why it would be listed in the Business and Investing category but not also in Self Help. That seems a better fit to me.

Interesting topic, especially when you dig below the surface.

I received a copy from the publisher through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

Some business/self-help books are endlessly engaging and seem to hold the key for unlocking your potential. And sometimes it's not a marketing gimmick, they do make you feel like you've stumbled on untapped ground. I can't say the same for "Wanting".

Although I enjoyed some sections, it felt as though a business major had found himself through inward reflection and felt the need to share. Was he the right person to write about these ideas? Questionable, especially considering most of the book seemed to rely on others' ideas. The part that didn't rely on previous theories of mimetic desire were current anecdotes, although cool, were confusing in the scheme of things and seemed like they were stretched *just enough* to support the theme of mimetic desire.

I can't say I am walking away from the book with a new outlook or perspective on desire, just a feeling of "huh, makes sense". Quite anticlimactic but I suppose it's always nice to learn something new about the human experience.

Note: This is a review of a Galley copy, some edits may have been made upon final publishing.

I am a full blown millennial and was raised to want all of the things. I remember learning in elementary school that toy commercials were composed in a specific way to throw out the information as fast as possible to children to accommodate the short attention spans. It is in the interested of companies and advertisers for consumers to want things. Luke Burgis did a great job discussing this topic. It may not be interesting to everybody but as a consumer I found it to be impactful. I listened to this while driving to and from work - there were a few times I had to rewind because I forgot where I left off. That isn't necessarily a reflection of the writing but it was not something I had done before with fiction.

This book helped me discover how to control my desires and to understand how I am being influenced by so many around me. I especially enjoyed understanding the influence of those close to me. I have retold the Lamborghini story to so many peers. I also saw this book as an insight into our modern Political tragedy, of mutually assure destruction.

Luke Burgis takes years of experience in the business and entrepreneur worlds and translates that experience into a thorough look at what we desire, why we desire, and what comes from desires. A fascinating topic, and very engagingly explored. Great narration adds to the appeal of this book, which I would recommend to anyone interested in self-help or self-improvement.

Wanting by Luke Burgis is an accessible, thought-provoking book about Mimetic Desire, explaining why we want what we want and our pursuit to get those things. Mimetic theory identified by 20th century philosopher, Rene Girard, is based around the idea that humans imitate each other, thus mimetic desire means that we want things simply because others want them. Most of the content in the book echoes Girard’s theories on a variety of topics related to Mimetic theory. I found it fascinating to consider how much we are influenced by each other and moderate our behavior according to the perception of others.

I especially liked the parts that focused on our polarized identities and how scapegoats have been used throughout human history. So much is related to our group identity and our desire to differentiate from each other. Though, only a small part of the book, I think my biggest takeaway may be about disruptive empathy and how powerful it can be to change perception of another person. Disruptive empathy occurs when we empathize and show vulnerability with someone we perceive as outside of our group, say someone who shares opposing political beliefs.

Ultimately, Burgis emphasizes re-orienting ourselves and our goals to focus on thick desires vs. thin desires, e.g. what actually brings you deeper fulfillment in life vs. a superficial desire that only gives you a brief reward. Overall, Luke Burgis synthesizes information and anecdotes in fascinating and readable way, much like Malcolm Gladwell. I loved the narration by Luke Burgis and Sean Patrick Hopkins. Their voices were perfect for the content and kept me interested.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press / Macmillan Audio for providing this e-book and audiobook ARC.

Mimetic Theory. So if I'm getting this right Luke Burgis is saying that the desires we have is not something we actually want. It's something that someone else wants. We see a commercial and cause someone on that commercial wants what that commercial is about, we will want that thing too? Ooo is that why when we're in a relationship we seem to get hit on more then ever before but when we are single it's like no one wants us. That may be a lame way of thinking about it but it's how I understand it. This is starting to make sense to me. Well done Luke Burgis, you taught an old dog new tricks. Honestly at first I almost fell asleep listening to this audio but if you listen more you will get into. I'm glad I was able to listen to thus audio, thank you #NetGalley #MacmillanAudio