Life Is What You Make It

Composer and philanthropist Peter Buffett, son of investor Warren Buffett, writes that the only real inheritance his parents passed on was a philosophy: forge a path of one's own. He draws on the values of his mother and father and of teachers met along the way to argue that society has begun to swap a work ethic, which values the process, for a wealth ethic that prizes the payoff. Buffett holds that life is random, neither fair nor unfair, and that circumstances differ while every human life carries equal dignity. The book also covers false starts and setbacks, finding a vocation and giving back to others. It appeared on the New York Times hardcover advice best-seller list.

CNN founder Ted Turner praised it as worthwhile reading on how to build a meaningful life while making a living.