Go Big or Go F*ck Yourself: The Earnest Pursuit of Personal Growth Paperback – February 26, 2026

Discover a life lived by instinct, curiosity, grit, and joy in Go Big or Go F*CK Yourself: The Earnest Pursuit of Personal Growth by Kevin Ladd—a reflective, funny, and deeply human story about building a meaningful life one imperfect, audacious yes at a time.From a childhood in small-town Maine with a black-and-white TV and an overactive imagination, to blue-collar beginnings in carpentry shops, to his unexpected leap to success in the burgeoning tech world, Ladd traces the winding backroads—literal and figurative—that shaped him. Along the way, he shares the lessons earned through work, creativity, motorcycles, mistakes, friendships, craftsmanship, and the stubborn refusal to live life on autopilot.This isn’t a self-help book. It’s a lived-help book. It’s a reminder that curiosity is a muscle, effort is a form of pleasure, and the doors and windows of life don’t open without someone willing to turn the knob and discover what lies behind them.Inside, you’ll find:Stories of hands-on work—from cabinet shops to welding tables—showing how building real things builds real confidence.Reflections on saying yes: to adventure, to learning, to the unknown, and most importantly, to the uncomfortable, and to things you might fail at.Honest explorations of creativity, hedonism, discipline, fear, aging, and chasing adventure at all costs.Motorcycle journeys through storms, deserts, frozen mountain passes, and unexpected moments of beauty and serenity.Hard-won insights on relationships, boundaries, and the people who shape—sometimes unintentionally—your life… if you’re open to it.Quiet wisdom about craft, pleasure, humility, and finding meaning in the doing, not the applause.Grounded in humor, humility, and a reverence for both hard work and simple joys, Go Big or Go F*CK Yourself celebrates the ordinary miracles of choosing your own path—and choosing to remain awake to it. Whether you’re searching for inspiration, companionship, or the courage to make your own life a little bigger, this book offers the nudge (and the company) to begin. Read more