Luke Burgis’ WANTING is a brilliant exploration of the hidden and powerful dynamics of desire operating in our age of social media memes, commercial rivalry, and rising partisan scapegoating and violence. By helping us understand the destructive power of mimetic desire he offers a way to extricate ourselves and our communities from its harmful grip to form a more human, empathetic, and value-based world that seeks to build up people rather than products. It’s a call to discernment and a deeper fulfillment that lights a path beyond the darkness of our current world.

This book makes a startling case that many of our goals are merely reflections of what we think others want. It’s a spellbinding read, and it will leave you rethinking your own motivations for months and maybe even years later.

Luke Burgis has written a stunning, even revolutionary book. He writes about our inner desires—who and what we want—and the very origins of our desires. Wanting is a rare book that captures and enchants one’s mind while simultaneously providing practical tips for improving our business success and fundamental happiness. If you are curious what makes humans tick, why people become models for you and others, and why rivalry is such a powerful force, you want to read Wanting. It is revelatory.

“Mimetic desire” is one of the big ideas discussed most frequently in public intellectual circles, and also in Silicon Valley. But what exactly is mimetic desire and why is it so important? Luke Burgis has produced the go-to book on this topic, and everyone with mimetic desire—in other words everyone—should want to read it.

In an era obsessed with the next new thing, it’s both shocking and relieving to learn that there is ultimately nothing new under the sun. Luke Burgis, channeling and building on René Girard, shows us that imitation isn’t merely the sincerest form of flattery; it’s the closest to true innovation any of us will ever get. So copy me, please, and read this book.

One of the secrets to happiness is learning how to balance what we have with what we want. 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

Is societal desire and your own desire driven by unconscious mimicking of models? Wanting, Luke Burgis’s deep exploration of the human psyche takes you on a personal and historical journey through the lens of desire. Reading this book, you just might find that your past choices veered toward unconscious decision making. And, your view of history will become richer. This book is a personal journey worth taking.

Luke Burgis brings a new and distinctive voice to illuminate the forces at work in our world and in our lives, drawing on the work of French theorist René Girard—one of the great thinkers of our times—in a conversational, engaging, and utterly practical way. Burgis unveils the power of mimetic desire both in society and in his own entrepreneurial odyssey. By the end, he helps you see the role that it plays in your own life.

Mimetic desire is a bit like the force from Star Wars—it’s everywhere, it binds everything, and yet it’s hidden in plain sight. Luke Burgis’s book at last gives us a clear, concise, and thought-provoking look at this phenomenon. It isn’t much of an exaggeration to say that this book will change how you look at everything, and it’s a testament to the rigor of the research and the quality of the prose that Burgis manages to write about the subject in depth but without losing us to airy generalizations or reckless philosophizing. This is a must-read, can’t-put-down book.

In his book Wanting: The Power of Mimetic Desire in Everyday Life, Luke Burgis manages to do what is often impossible—he makes a complex and nuanced theory accessible to everyone by relating it to lived experiences with practical takeaways like a list of valuable tactics the reader can use and put into practice immediately. I highly recommend this brilliant look at a fascinating theory of what really drives human desire.