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LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT

Find Your Own Path to Fulfillment
By Peter Buffett
A New York Times bestseller – now out in
paperback!
“Knowing and admiring Peter as we do, Life is What You Make It captures his spirit, passion, and values
beautifully. As parents, it’s the kind of dialogue about our life’s purpose and opportunity we’re having
with our children. We will have everyone in our family read and discuss Life Is What You Make It.” —
Bill & Melinda Gates

“With home-spun, heart-felt wisdom, Peter Buffett ponders how to make a meaningful life, while making
a living. Life Is What You Make It is thought-provoking,
worthwhile reading.” —Ted Turner

“Peter Buffett has given us a wise and inspiring book that should be required reading for every young
person seeking to find his or her place in the world, and for every family hoping to give its daughters and
sons the best possible start in life.” —Bill Clinton

By the luck of the draw, Peter Buffett was born into what his father called “winning the
Ovarian Lottery.” Most people probably think that having billionaire investor Warren
Buffett as a father makes life far from average. But, as Peter discusses in his warm, wise,
and inspirational new book, LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT: Find Your Own Path to
Fulfillment (Three Rivers Press, on sale May 3, 2011), even if you are fortunate enough
to come from a wealthy and distinguished family, you’ve still got your own life to figure
out. And, as Peter explains, an individual’s success has more to do with building personal
character than simply using a family platform to get ahead. You become who you are by
the decisions you make and the actions you take, no matter what your last name is.

Peter is an Emmy-Award winning musician, songwriter, producer, and composer for film
and television whose work has spanned over 30 years. Peter is known not only for his
music, but as a result of his father establishing billion-dollar charitable endowments to be administered by each
of his three children in 2006, his stewardship of the NoVo Foundation, which focuses on the empowerment of
women and girls in developing nations.

In LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT, Peter shares the important lessons learned from his parents who were
determined to instill honorable values in their children. He explains the reasoning behind his father’s decision
not to give his children an inheritance and how important it is for each person to define his or her own path,
regardless of their wealth or background. Ultimately it is the values—and what we are able to give back—that
shape and define us as individuals.

Some of the topics Peter explores in LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT include:

• Silver spoons don’t come free—being born into a wealthy family shouldn’t entitle you to anything
special. Furthermore, it’s even more important if you are born in a wealthy family to make it on your
own or, as his father puts it, give your children “enough to do anything, but not enough to do nothing.”
• The mystery of vocation—the journey to a vocation will seldom be on a straight path; don’t be deterred
if there are doubts, false starts, crises, and blunders (Peter has had his fair share of them).
• Don’t just find your bliss, figure out how you must do your bliss.
• The gentle art of giving back—a meaningful part of life’s journey can be found in the process of giving
back, such as teaching & mentoring, directing your work outward toward a common good.

Peter asserts that while he is not a trained philosopher, self-help guru or sociologist, his own life experiences he
shares in the book hopefully will help others.

Another fascinating aspect of Peter’s career that he writes about in LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT is his
experience at the forefront of MTV in the early 80s. As skeptics frowned upon a newly conceived cable channel
centered around music, Peter decided to take a random job offer and before he knew it he was part of one of the
most defining cultural phenomena of the 80s. This was a big break for him and a defining moment in his music
career.

Personal and revealing, LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT is about transcending your circumstances, taking up
the reins of your destiny, and living your life to the fullest.

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ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Peter Buffett is an Emmy Award-winning composer and producer and co-chairman of the NoVo Foundation
with his wife Jennifer. Buffett began his career in San Francisco writing music for commercials. He has
released albums on the Narada, Epic, and Hollywood labels, as well as ten releases on his own label. His work
in film includes the “Firedance” scene in the Oscar-winning film, Dances with Wolves. He lives in New York
City.

LIFE IS WHAT YOU MAKE IT

Find Your Own Path to Fulfillment
By Peter Buffett

Published by Three Rivers Press

On sale May 3, 2011
ISBN: 978-0-307-46472-9 * Price: $14 * Paperback

www.crownpublishing.com
www.peterbuffett.com