One Red Paperclip: Or How an Ordinary Man Achieved his Dream With the Help of a Simple Office Supply

By Kyle Macdonald

Book Overview

Kyle MacDonald had a paperclip. One red paperclip, a dream, and a resume to write. And bills to pay. Oh, and a very patient girlfriend who was paying the rent while he was once again "between jobs." Kyle wanted to be able to provide for himself and his girlfriend, Dominique. He wanted to own his own home. He wanted something bigger than a paperclip. So he put an ad on Craigslist, the popular classifieds website, with the intention of trading that paperclip for something better. A girl in Vancouver offered him a fish pen in exchange for his paperclip. He traded the fish pen for a doorknob and the doorknob for a camping stove. Before long he had traded the camping stove for a generator for a neon sign. Not long after that, avid snow-globe collector and television star Corbin Bernsen and the small Canadian town of Kipling were involved, and Kyle was on to bigger and better things. In One Red Paperclip, Kyle takes you on a journey around the globe as he moves from paperclip holder to homeowner in just fourteen trades. With plenty of irreverent and insightful anecdotes and practical tips on how you can find your own paperclip and realize your dreams, he proves it's possible to succeed in life and achieve your dreams on your own terms. Quirky and inspirational, this story of a regular guy and a small, red, now-legendary paperclip will have you looking at your office supplies-and your life-in a whole new way.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0307353168
• ISBN13: 9780307353160
• Release Date: August 2007
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press
• Length: 310 Pages
• Weight: 0.98 lbs.
• Dimensions: 8.2" x 0.7" x 5.5"

Customer Reviews

A book to gobble up like a can of pringles

I read this in one day, sneaking off from all the other things I was supposed to be doing (sort like Kyle running out to trade a red paperclip when he's supposed to be working on his resume) It's just a lot of fun! A real exercise in see-where-life-takes-you. I love that although Kyle sort of wanted to trade up to a house what was always most important was the next trade and picking the right person by what felt right. A real delight! Way to go Kyle! Can't wait to see what the house trades for!

Had to read the book to find out how Kyle did it...

As soon as I saw this book, I had to read it to understand how a guy could trade a paperclip up for bigger and better things till he got a house. What I read was amazing! Not only did Kyle have an amazing outlook on life but 2 other things in his favour are his support system ie. his family and friends and his fantastic luck. A very interesting read!

Don't you wish you'd thought of it?

Kyle MacDonald is a rock star if you ask me. His savvy and sense of humour make him instantly endearing and this book is aspirational for anyone looking for "a great big adventure". Love the writing style, love the content, love it's simplicity. Kirsty Dunphey, Author Retired at 27, If I can do it anyone can

Best book I've read in a long time

This book is absolutely fantastic. What a great story. It is a breeze to read and keeps you interested from the first chapter. You'll probably be in semi-disbelief at what Kyle is able to accomplish but can't help being proud of the mentality that democracy, capitalism and the internet have created for us all, and that allow Kyle to achieve his dreams with the help of a computer, a cell phone, and a simple red paperclip. A must-read! I've been telling all my friends about it. Go ahead, buy it! You won't be disappointed.

Great advice and tons of laughs!!!

One of the best and funniest books I've read in a long time! I had seen Kyle's story on t.v. a couple of months back and was excited when I stumbled upon his book. Kyle has a great writing style and gives great advice for following your dreams. Moral of the story: take action and have fun!