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wintrovia's review against another edition
4.0
The title and subtitle of the book doesn't quite sum up the content within. I still enjoyed it but the book gets quite deep into stoic philosophy and a high-level history of its key thinkers. This is then applied to modern living with Darren Brown's articulate and witty style. Enjoyable but not what I was expecting.
eyreguide's review against another edition
5.0
My love for Derren Brown’s work as a philosopher magician made me eager to pick up his book on happiness, which draws much from the Stoics view of life. I’ve recently found that Stoicism resonates a lot with me, and I was eager to see how Derren Brown uses their wisdom, his own experience, and other schools of thought to talk about finding happiness in the every day.
Even though I feel like most of the ideologies in this book were familiar to me, Derren’s way of delving into each thought methodically and thoroughly made understanding the ideas so much easier and made it even clearer how to apply patience, forbearance, and equanimity to all kinds of situations. Especially the ones that give people the most anxiety. This book has ideas and mental exercises that are not to just read and store away, but to practice immediately with, I think, some very reliable and positive results.
Although this book talks about a kind of philosophy, gleaned from many schools of thought and can be very serious, I found Derren’s dry wit and subtle jokes to be a highlight of the book. It made the subject matter more accessible and entertaining to read and it was a treat to come across an unexpectedly funny thought when I was so intent on what he was saying.
This is a wonderful read if you are interested in adopting a realistic, more long-lasting kind of happiness - that doesn’t depend on the things you can’t control, but only on your mental attitude and on how to best experience the world around you.
Even though I feel like most of the ideologies in this book were familiar to me, Derren’s way of delving into each thought methodically and thoroughly made understanding the ideas so much easier and made it even clearer how to apply patience, forbearance, and equanimity to all kinds of situations. Especially the ones that give people the most anxiety. This book has ideas and mental exercises that are not to just read and store away, but to practice immediately with, I think, some very reliable and positive results.
Although this book talks about a kind of philosophy, gleaned from many schools of thought and can be very serious, I found Derren’s dry wit and subtle jokes to be a highlight of the book. It made the subject matter more accessible and entertaining to read and it was a treat to come across an unexpectedly funny thought when I was so intent on what he was saying.
This is a wonderful read if you are interested in adopting a realistic, more long-lasting kind of happiness - that doesn’t depend on the things you can’t control, but only on your mental attitude and on how to best experience the world around you.
jameskeates's review against another edition
5.0
A self-help book for people who are cynical about self-help books!
Derren Brown is a magician/illusionist, who like many in that profession has in the past debunked spiritualists etc and here debunks the equally fraudulent "power of positive thinking" gurus, before building an alternative approach.
Drawing heavily, but not exclusively or dogmatically, from the ancient Greek and Roman philosophy of stoicism (a basis for modern Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), Brown describes a practical, humane and modern approach to becoming "happy" (whatever that means).
Derren Brown is a magician/illusionist, who like many in that profession has in the past debunked spiritualists etc and here debunks the equally fraudulent "power of positive thinking" gurus, before building an alternative approach.
Drawing heavily, but not exclusively or dogmatically, from the ancient Greek and Roman philosophy of stoicism (a basis for modern Cognitive Behavioural Therapy), Brown describes a practical, humane and modern approach to becoming "happy" (whatever that means).
hepalmer's review against another edition
5.0
This rates for me as one of the top books of the year. 97 highlighted passages and counting. I didn't not expect this when I started ready. Bizarrely, the chapters on death and dying were very comforting!
aaaaaash's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
3.75
kennethoftexas's review against another edition
Derren Brown is a British magician, and this is his book about stoicism. I loved it. It very briefly compares stoicism to mentalist's trick, as a way of trying to parlay the author's resume into a qualification to write about stoicism, and then meanders about through personal experiences and vague ideas. It would be an awful textbook on stoicism, but it was refreshing to get inside the head of another modern guy who has been moved by these ideas and is doing his best to improve his life with them. The book left me feeling less alone, and I now feel a great kinship and affinity for a British magician whose career I know nothing of.