One Red Paperclip: Or How an Ordinary Man Achieved His Dream with the Help of a Simple Office Supply [Paperback]

Kyle MacDonald (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: August 21, 2007

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.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

MacDonald is just a regular, sharp-witted guy on a quest for funtential, his coined word for the maximum potential for fun. In a casual, playful tone, his account begins as he stares past his computer screen and at the brick wall of his girlfriend's apartment in Quebec; he lives there, and she pays the rent. Wanting to contribute financially to the relationship, he recalls a childhood game, Bigger and Better, and begins looking for something to trade. He's drawn to the red paperclip holding together his résumé and cover letter. The rest of the book traces his exchanges from the red paperclip to a fish pen to a smiley-face door knob and culminates with a house in Kipling, Saskatchewan—all within a year. From the outset, MacDonald insists on making each deal in person, and these personal exchanges provide the book with a human interest that transcends any fascination with quirky material swaps. Trading a door knob for Shawn's camping stove, for example, becomes an excuse for the once strangers to chat over steak sandwiches and beer. So, while the trades are the unifying element of the book, it isn't really about getting a house; it's about people, relationships and living life to its fullest. (Aug.)
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

About the Author

Kyle MacDonald first posted one red paperclip in July 2005 and has since become one of the most recognized Internet celebrities on the planet. In addition to continuing to trade for bigger and better objects, Kyle has planted more than 100,000 trees around the globe and delivered over 1,000 pizzas but has eaten only 1 scorpion. His previous publisher was Kinko’s.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 310 pages
• Publisher: Three Rivers Press; 1ST edition (August 21, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0307353168
• ISBN-13: 978-0307353160
• Product Dimensions: 5.5 x 0.7 x 8.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (18 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #472,924 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Originally from Belcarra, British Columbia, Canada, Kyle MacDonald has planted more than one hundred thousand trees, delivered more than one thousand pizzas, but eaten only one scorpion. He has also traded one red paperclip for a house only once.

When he's not stealing a flag from the Prime Minister's office or promoting Alberta Beef by hitch-hiking in a parade, you might find him leaving his wallet in El Segundo or hanging out in Bangkok modeling Italian Soccer jerseys to fund 4am Red-Bull and Rum-fueled urban hitchhikes. He also enjoys writing his bio in the third person and loves to stand on street corners in Montreal hawking shoddily-bound English literature to Francophones in sub-zero temperatures.

He spends most of his time looking for 'red paperclips' to trade away, traveling, and speaking at events all over the world.

His mom still cuts his hair.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Master Marketer, October 21, 2007

By 

Fairly Reliable Bob (San Diego) - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: One Red Paperclip: Or How an Ordinary Man Achieved His Dream with the Help of a Simple Office Supply (Paperback)

First this young man trades a red paperclip for a house and now I'm paying him (book royalties)to tell me his story. But it's well worth the price of admission. He combines a clever idea and internet savvy with strong interpersonal skills to entice each trader and thousands of others to join his cause. Easy to read, hard to put down, and the pictures clinch the deal.

I would have given it five stars except that I think he tries a little too hard to convince you he's "an Ordinary Man", which clearly he isn't.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A book to gobble up like a can of pringles, June 25, 2008

By 

newtonscricket (North Carolina) - See all my reviews

This review is from: One Red Paperclip: Or How an Ordinary Man Achieved His Dream with the Help of a Simple Office Supply (Paperback)

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!

6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Don't you wish you'd thought of it?, January 23, 2008

By 

Kirsty Dunphey "www.kirstydunphey.com - Autho... (Tasmania, Australia) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: One Red Paperclip: Or How an Ordinary Man Achieved His Dream with the Help of a Simple Office Supply (Paperback)

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