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bethgiven's review against another edition
5.0
"In order to become happier, we must learn to imitate the habits of very happy people."
"The world can be a horrible, cruel place -- and at the same time, it can be wonderful and abundant. These are both truths. There is not a halfway point. There's only choosing which truth to put in your personal foreground."
It's true that some of our happiness is pre-determined; it's based on our genetics and our circumstances. But a whopping 40% is of our choosing! There are a lot of books out there on how to be happier and get more out of life, but I appreciated the organized, scientific approach the author lays out in this book. Each practical, doable item is backed up with lots of research, so I feel like many of these ideas really will work.
I listened to this on audio, but found it so densely packed with great information that I think I will buy a hard copy for reference.
"The world can be a horrible, cruel place -- and at the same time, it can be wonderful and abundant. These are both truths. There is not a halfway point. There's only choosing which truth to put in your personal foreground."
It's true that some of our happiness is pre-determined; it's based on our genetics and our circumstances. But a whopping 40% is of our choosing! There are a lot of books out there on how to be happier and get more out of life, but I appreciated the organized, scientific approach the author lays out in this book. Each practical, doable item is backed up with lots of research, so I feel like many of these ideas really will work.
I listened to this on audio, but found it so densely packed with great information that I think I will buy a hard copy for reference.
splattergore's review against another edition
5.0
This book definitely changed the way I looked at my happiness. I was given this book to read during a relapse in my depression. I can't thank the person who let me borrow it enough! I recommend this book to anyone wanting to find ways of making yourself happy that are matched with your personal interests. It helped me to realize not everything others do will make ME happy, but there are other options out there!
miguelb's review against another edition
5.0
Fascinating book! Lyubomirsky has written an approachable and comprehensive tour through the actual science of happiness, much of which came from her own groundbreaking work. Much more than just myth-busting, she digs into the how and why with clear examples and lots of honest discussion of where the science falls short. I’ll say that my favorite part (and the bulk of the book) is the very well structured evaluation of different strategies for increasing your own happiness, including an diagnostic tool to understand which strategies might be a best fit for you.
My intuition was challenged in a few places and I’ve already started making changes to my approach on how I seek and maintain happiness.
My intuition was challenged in a few places and I’ve already started making changes to my approach on how I seek and maintain happiness.
epersonae's review against another edition
5.0
Fantastic book on positive psychology. In the vein of my favorite self-help type books, a good mix of science and hands-on. The thing I found most clever and useful was the quiz to determine which types of happiness-building activities would be the best fit. I wasn't super-surprised by the outcomes for me (savoring life, increasing flow experiences, building optimism, practicing gratitude), but it did help me narrow down what to look like and what to try. I think it could be easy to be overwhelmed otherwise. Already I've found it to help my day to day enjoyment of life, even without working on the specific exercises/activities.
laurab2125's review against another edition
5.0
Lays out steps to greater happiness in an enjoyable and actionable format.
librarypatronus's review against another edition
2.0
I don’t think there was anything particularly wrong with this. There was nothing I could point out as different from other self help I’ve read in tone or content, but I found it kind of off-putting. I struggled with the idea that we can make ourselves happier and see all these examples of worse off people doing it. It just made me feel weird and icky, I am going to attempt some of the tasks suggested, but I don’t feel like it told me much I didn’t already know and I didn’t enjoy the reading experience. The religion suggestions, especially, rubbed me wrong as it only focused on the self-reporting of happiness and health in religious people and not that there is plenty of religious trauma out there and religion may make many people unhappy - if you’re already religious, absolutely make an effort to practice more, but if you’re not, it doesn’t seem like a simple habit to just pick up and seems to assume a high percentage of religiosity in the population - she claims only 6 percent never pray. To whom? The universe? A specific God? Any God(s)? That is a very odd statistic to me. I do see that there’s a footnote but I was listening at that point and the references were not in the audio. The audio was well done, but it was hard to do the evaluation portions while listening and I switched to the ebook for those.
dommdy's review against another edition
3.0
I have a hard time rating self-help books, because I hardly ever take the advice they offer. But that, I believe is a failing on my part and not due to the quality of the advice. Or is it? I don't know. I have PTSD and recurring bouts of major depression and read these kinds of books much more often when I was much younger and now with the new emphasis on positive psychology am a little more willing to look again.
But I much prefer reading fiction. It doesn't ask anything of me. (8
But I much prefer reading fiction. It doesn't ask anything of me. (8
keeb's review against another edition
5.0
One of the most helpful and influential books of my life. I’m always recommending this book to people. I’m endlessly thankful for it.