This Is Water: Some Thoughts, Delivered on a Significant Occasion, about Living a Compassionate Life

When you open it, you’ll be surprised how little text is on each page. But it works. It’s a commencement speech from a US college, and the fragments are so easy to read - it lets the message hit home much more effectively. A pity we lost this brilliant man.

I'm in the process of reading everything the man wrote in his tragically curtailed life. This essay is thought provoking and, as ever, brilliantly written and, to use one of many words Ihabe learned from the man himself, slightly pleonastic. Go on, look it up.

Never having previously encountered any of this author's books, I bought this as a Christmas present for my daughter and read it myself a couple of days ago. It's a very short, precise piece of advice on living compassionately, the concomitant difficulties in feeling empathy ("Think about it: There is no experience you’ve had that you were not at the absolute center of”), and a briskly-constructed argument about "deciding to worship [...] some sort of god or spiritual-type being [because] pretty much anything else you worship will eat you alive". Although it only takes about half-an-hour to read, there's plenty to ponder here. Recommended.

Poignant and thought provoking, really enjoyed this short speech. Reading this reminded me that despite so enjoying infinite jest , I never followed up on reading his other essays and works - something this speech has ensured that I’ll be addressing immediately

After watching the “This is water” speech online by David Foster Wallace I had to buy the book. The speech is one that stays with me and encourages me to think differently. I can honestly say that this speech changed my life and the way that I choose to think. Love love love it.

You will be able to read this little book in an hour or two, but such is its power, its message will hang around in your mind for weeks, months or maybe longer. Beautiful and haunting. A wise author who has left a gem of a book for the curious reader to dip into, again and again.

Best commencement speech ever. Short, simple yet the most profound advice one could give. Very much enjoyed this book. It's short too so doesn't take much time. I definitely recommend it.

I bought this as a graduation gift but was far too embarrassed to give it to the well read and highly intelligent English Literature graduate! It's not really what I'd call a book. It's a fairly short and very American speech printed with just one sentence per page and although claims to be "thoughts ... about living a compassionate life" is highly critical of atheists, describing them as repulsive, arrogant and obnoxious. So glad I took the 5 minutes needed to read it before giving it. I suppose it will appeal to some people so it went in the charity bag and I went out and bought a proper book.

Se lee en 15 minutos pero te deja pensando durante días y aprendes que la forma de pensar la eliges tú.

Read it. It is really inspirational, it has very much in common with what I read about Sikhism. Read it.

I really enjoyed this book. I'll keep it on the shelf forever.

It’s quite wonderful but it isn’t a book. It’s a short commencement speech. Nonetheless, if everyone around were to read it and actually understand it, the world would undoubtedly be a better place.

Simple, powerful and life-changing. What a compassionate approach, and what a great civilisation we would be if we were successful at David's suggestion.