Wanting

BOOK SUMMARY

Human desire is mimetic—we imitate what other people want. This affects the way we choose partners, friends, careers, clothes, and vacation destinations, and it shapes our very identities.

In Wanting, Luke Burgis shows that conflict does not arise because of our differences, but from our sameness. Drawing on philosophy, theology, and real-world examples, he explains how mimetic desire drives competition and dissatisfaction—and how we can learn to desire more intentionally.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Luke Burgis is an entrepreneur-in-residence and director of programs at the Ciocca Center for Principled Entrepreneurship at the Catholic University of America, where he also teaches business. He is the founder and director of Fourth Wall Ventures and a graduate of NYU Stern School of Business. He later studied theology at a pontifical university in Rome and lives in Washington, D.C., with his wife, Claire.

PRAISE

“Fascinating, well-written, and original…Luke’s book changed how I think about thinking.”
—Morgan Housel, author of The Psychology of Money

“This fascinating and playful book offers powerful explanations for why we want things, and why society seems to be going haywire in our increasingly connected world.”
—Jonathan Haidt, NYU Stern School of Business

PRODUCT INFORMATION

Trade paperback
304 pages
Non-fiction
8.3 in H | 5.4 in W | 0.8 in T | 0.6 lb