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This is a book you might see sitting in a greeting card store and shrug off as another silly self-help book, but the author isn't some rich divorcee looking for fulfillment. Her previous books are well-researched biographies of JFK and Winston Churchill. She's a researcher, and she's done a good job at researching the different theories on what makes people happy. But she writes this as a memoir, documenting her year long journey to greater happiness (she points out she's not depressed, depression is another thing entirely). She breaks up different aspects of happiness into different months, you can follow along, or not. It's not a formula, more like, look, here are some true things about what lots of people say about happiness, make them your own. I would recommend it. I plan on flipping through it again once in a while and maybe even making my own "resolutions" chart like the author did.
Some of the key things I took away from this book: people who spend more time with women tend to feel less lonely. Spending time with men has no effect on feelings of loneliness (note to self: spend more time with girlfriends). Also: making other people happy makes you happy. You being happy makes other people happy.
Simple stuff, but a useful read anyway.
Some of the key things I took away from this book: people who spend more time with women tend to feel less lonely. Spending time with men has no effect on feelings of loneliness (note to self: spend more time with girlfriends). Also: making other people happy makes you happy. You being happy makes other people happy.
Simple stuff, but a useful read anyway.
I was pleasantly surprised that this book was as entertaining as it was. I'm glad that it was not another 'me, me, me' book like "Eat, Pray, Love." It was interesting, informative, and inspiring. I'm definitely recommending this if you are looking for ideas on how to do little things in your life to increase your happiness - as well as the happiness of those around you.
Finally finished this over the weekend. A lot of good suggestions for simple ways to increase your happiness. A little dry for me at times, and thinking of all of these things at once is a bit overwhelming, but overall idea is a great one and throughout this first half of the year, I've noticed a few suggestions creeping in my life in small ways. :)
I liked this one. Though it didn't have much in the way of new content or ideas, I can't dislike any author who quotes the venerable Sam Johnson on every other page.
I rated this in 2013, but a friend liked my rating today & it bumped it up in my feed. I would be foolish to let this book go without a true review. Rubin had the simplest of ideas, just tracking the things that made her happy and giving the reader permission to do the same. It helped me remember some things in my life that I loved but had neglected and put me on the trajectory of going back to school to become a children’s librarian. I have found myself to be quite similar to Gretchen’s personality so perhaps that helped it become more significant to me. I am forever grateful to her for the small gift of this book!
informative
reflective
medium-paced
If I could give this 2.5 stars, I would. I was expecting a lot more from this book. She says that she did all this research and then acted upon it, but she never tells us what any of her research findings were. All we got were her end choices, without any of the backstory as to why she chose any of it. And, quite frankly, I didn't find her all that likeable. In the end, I gleaned a few useful suggestions from her story, and a book suggestion or two, but I wish I had gotten this from the library instead of purchasing it.
Rented this as an ebook from the library but will most definitely be purchasing my own copy. So many great principles are covered by Rubin in this book and I completely plan on developing my own happiness project in the future!
The Happiness Project is an instructive book. I love it's simple premise - a study in self awareness. A lot of the author's observations are applicable to the character of most people, some are very personal, but her attitude of changing the things about herself she doesn't like or didn't notice is lovely. It's not a book about making sweeping changes in a life that's unsatisfying, it's about enjoying and appreciating the life you have.
Love the life you've chosen.
I wanted a treatment that was more rigourously self-aware. But, maybe, that way madness (not happiness?) lies.
Love the life you've chosen.
I wanted a treatment that was more rigourously self-aware. But, maybe, that way madness (not happiness?) lies.
This is not my usual fare, but a free copy came my way. One of the author's mantra's is to "be Gretchen", or be herself. "Being Gretchen" apparently means being someone who is hyper-organized, a compulsive list-maker, and a rather anxious person. You know, the ultra-successful WASP who suddenly realizes that the treadmill of life isn't that much fun after all and wonders what else is out there. Gretchen is almost nothing like me, so I had a hard time relating to her. I did rather enjoy her very concrete quantification of the resolutions to which she had to adhere monthly in order to become happier. For example, one month she decided to start a collection, not because she especially wanted to but because she thought it was something she ought to try. Unsurprisingly, she found that she wasn't the kind of person who liked to collect things. But the earnestness of the attempt was touching, if amusing.
And that kind of sums up the tone of the book for me. Earnest and amusing. I am somewhat tempted to write out a list of concrete action items that I could try to see if they would make me happier. But knowing me, the list would wind up at the bottom of a pile of papers somewhere that I didn't have to feel guilty about it.
And that kind of sums up the tone of the book for me. Earnest and amusing. I am somewhat tempted to write out a list of concrete action items that I could try to see if they would make me happier. But knowing me, the list would wind up at the bottom of a pile of papers somewhere that I didn't have to feel guilty about it.