NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • Surfing icon Laird Hamilton offers inspiration to anyone who wants to elevate their ordinary, landlocked lives to do extraordinary things. “When Laird Hamilton surfs, you must watch. When he speaks, I listen. And when he writes a book, I’m damn sure gonna read it. Twice.”—Eddie Vedder, Grammy Award–winning lead vocalist of Pearl Jam Millions of us increasingly seek happiness in fads and self-help books, reaching upward every day toward some enlightened state that we wish to attain. Laird Hamilton is more intent on looking inward and appreciating the brilliant creatures we already are. In Liferider, Laird uses five key pillars—Death & Fear, Heart, Body, Soul, and Everything Is Connected—to illustrate his unique worldview and life practices. This is Laird Hamilton in his own words—raw, honest, and unvarnished—on topics he has rarely explored before. Based on extensive interviews and conversations between Laird and his coauthor, Julian Borra, with additional insights from Laird’s wife, pro-volleyball player Gabby Reece, Liferider takes on human resilience, relationships, business, technology, risk-taking, and the importance of respecting the natural world, all through the lens of Laird’s extraordinary life both in and beyond the ocean. Praise for Liferider “Laird is a hero, if you want him to be. That’s up to your perception. He challenges himself, and he challenges those around him. He shows us that the deeper we puncture into life, the more vibrant the colors get. The Laird Hamilton I know—real, faulty, moody, deeply loving, and communal—comes through on every page of Liferider.”—Josh Brolin, Award-Winning Actor “Laird Hamilton is a true individualist unafraid to carve his own path. These thoughtful mediations offer a unique window — illuminating and inspiring — into one of America's great innovators.”—Rory Kennedy, Documentary Filmmaker

Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights: #1 Death colors, shapes, illuminates, consumes, elevates, and inspires us. But in many advanced Western cultures, we are losing our connection with death. We’re pushing it away as an unwanted side effect of being human. #2 I was exposed to a lot of death at a young age, most of which was ocean-related. I could sense when someone shouldn’t be going into the water, and I would tell them. #3 The ocean is a very dangerous place, and it takes lives every day. But for most people who are connected to the sea, there is a respect for the ocean that goes beyond just the danger of the water. #4 Death is a constant presence in my life. I have always known that someone is dead, whether they are or not. I have experienced the absence of a father, and that has shaped my view of death.

Living with ease shows us, how we can become familiar with attitudes which can support and heal us, how to let go of old sorrows and develop a new perspective of life, how to gently change old habits and stimulate deep appreciation for ourselves and everybody else, how to see and make use of the many positive conditions life offers, and lastly how we can learn to live with ease in a world full of challenges, difficult emotions and political turmoil