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tofupup's review
3.0
I could certainly use a Funtervention and I do need to attract more fun in my life. This was worth the read and has lots of actionable ideas. Now the question is, will I do any of them?
nataliekushner's review
5.0
"True Fun isn’t a distraction from our problems, in other words. It’s a solution."
This book was-for lack of a bettter word-fun! In the blur of my two years post grad, I've strived to make a life that I enjoy waking up to every day. Without the restrictions and schedule of classes and homework, and with the security of a steady paycheck, this time in my life has given me the opportunity to explore new hobbies and discover what I find truly fun. You'd think this would be an easy feat, but as Price discusses in the book, it's easy to fall into the trap of "fake fun". Price's warning on the addictiveness of smart phones was incredibly persuasive, and I loved the references to Martin Seligman's work- it brought my back to my favorite college courses on positive psychology. I finished this book with a greater understanding of myself, feeling motivated and excited to foster more fun in my life.
Favorite quotes:
"Playfulness, connection, and flow only exist in the moment when we feel them, which explains the fascinating fact that True Fun occurs exclusively in the present tense."
"The more external validation we receive, the more of it we crave, and the more dependent on it we become. Before long, we end up treating our lives as brands that need to be managed... we make decisions based on the public images that we have cultivated rather than on what we actually want... We’re left with no energy to pursue playfulness, connection, or flow, which is an unfortunate irony, given that playfulness, connection, and flow each generate far more energy and satisfaction than any hard-earned “like” on social media ever could."
"Also, in many cases our devices are simply amplifying issues that we already had, such as not having good boundaries between our work and home lives, relying on external validation as a proxy for self-worth, overemphasizing money as a metric for the value of our time, and buying into the idea that the best way to achieve health, success, and happiness is to maximize every single thing we do."
"Simply put, the pursuit of fun requires us to decide how we want to fill our days. It demands that we identify what makes us feel the most alive."
"The fact that True Fun is an emotional experience means that, while activities can help generate fun, activities themselves are not fun."
"I asked members of the Fun Squad to describe people in their lives whom they considered fun.
• They’re spontaneous.
• They’re at ease with themselves and comfortable in their own skin.
• They’re not afraid to be silly.
• They’re not afraid to try new things and to be a beginner.
• They’re not afraid to be vulnerable.
• They’re appreciative of the small things.
• They find joy in being alive.
Many people described fun people as being able to laugh at anything. Curiosity and open-mindedness came up a bunch. Being present in the moment did, too."
"Many of the descriptions of fun people also had to do with the way the fun folks made other people feel in their presence. For example:
• I never feel judged by them.
• They make everyone feel included.
• They’re considerate of others’ feelings.
• They get excited with you.
• They create wonderful, shared memories.
• With them, there is always something to do, and they make these events as fun as possible.
• They’re generous, give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and are really open to others.
• They always have the time and energy to make people feel special.
...In fact, many of the qualities people mentioned, such as being considerate of other people’s feelings, are things that introverts do naturally."
"Having a Fun Mindset refers to the habit of intentionally approaching and reacting to your life in a way that is attractive to fun."
"The easiest way to have more humor…is not to try to be funny—instead, just look for moments to laugh. My husband and I refer to this as being “easy-to-laugh,” and it is one of the most powerful ways to nurture a Fun Mindset. We all enjoy spending time with people who make us laugh and who laugh a lot themselves."
This book was-for lack of a bettter word-fun! In the blur of my two years post grad, I've strived to make a life that I enjoy waking up to every day. Without the restrictions and schedule of classes and homework, and with the security of a steady paycheck, this time in my life has given me the opportunity to explore new hobbies and discover what I find truly fun. You'd think this would be an easy feat, but as Price discusses in the book, it's easy to fall into the trap of "fake fun". Price's warning on the addictiveness of smart phones was incredibly persuasive, and I loved the references to Martin Seligman's work- it brought my back to my favorite college courses on positive psychology. I finished this book with a greater understanding of myself, feeling motivated and excited to foster more fun in my life.
Favorite quotes:
"Playfulness, connection, and flow only exist in the moment when we feel them, which explains the fascinating fact that True Fun occurs exclusively in the present tense."
"The more external validation we receive, the more of it we crave, and the more dependent on it we become. Before long, we end up treating our lives as brands that need to be managed... we make decisions based on the public images that we have cultivated rather than on what we actually want... We’re left with no energy to pursue playfulness, connection, or flow, which is an unfortunate irony, given that playfulness, connection, and flow each generate far more energy and satisfaction than any hard-earned “like” on social media ever could."
"Also, in many cases our devices are simply amplifying issues that we already had, such as not having good boundaries between our work and home lives, relying on external validation as a proxy for self-worth, overemphasizing money as a metric for the value of our time, and buying into the idea that the best way to achieve health, success, and happiness is to maximize every single thing we do."
"Simply put, the pursuit of fun requires us to decide how we want to fill our days. It demands that we identify what makes us feel the most alive."
"The fact that True Fun is an emotional experience means that, while activities can help generate fun, activities themselves are not fun."
"I asked members of the Fun Squad to describe people in their lives whom they considered fun.
• They’re spontaneous.
• They’re at ease with themselves and comfortable in their own skin.
• They’re not afraid to be silly.
• They’re not afraid to try new things and to be a beginner.
• They’re not afraid to be vulnerable.
• They’re appreciative of the small things.
• They find joy in being alive.
Many people described fun people as being able to laugh at anything. Curiosity and open-mindedness came up a bunch. Being present in the moment did, too."
"Many of the descriptions of fun people also had to do with the way the fun folks made other people feel in their presence. For example:
• I never feel judged by them.
• They make everyone feel included.
• They’re considerate of others’ feelings.
• They get excited with you.
• They create wonderful, shared memories.
• With them, there is always something to do, and they make these events as fun as possible.
• They’re generous, give everyone the benefit of the doubt, and are really open to others.
• They always have the time and energy to make people feel special.
...In fact, many of the qualities people mentioned, such as being considerate of other people’s feelings, are things that introverts do naturally."
"Having a Fun Mindset refers to the habit of intentionally approaching and reacting to your life in a way that is attractive to fun."
"The easiest way to have more humor…is not to try to be funny—instead, just look for moments to laugh. My husband and I refer to this as being “easy-to-laugh,” and it is one of the most powerful ways to nurture a Fun Mindset. We all enjoy spending time with people who make us laugh and who laugh a lot themselves."
courtiny's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
medium-paced
4.25
Great reminders and well written
inanaloglife's review
2.0
It's not terrible but it's not great as well. The first 100 pages are okay but it's more about impact of screen time on mental health - if you are interested in that I would recommend Stolen Focus instead - rather than "power of fun". The rest of the book... Essentially "how to" create more fun in your life. Again, not terrible but also... Just extremely simplistic and doesn't add much value. It could have done just with a couple of longer articles but I guess books make more money. Such a waste of paper...
madilee337's review
3.0
I loved the first part with all of the scientific background and the various information she had gathered. But when it got more into the “self-help” side in part two, I was not as interested. (I am not a big fan of “self-help” books anyways, so take this rating with that bias as a disclaimer)
kvw's review
3.0
3 is being generous but I will remember a few things from this book, which is why I rated it that. 2.5 would probably be more accurate.
livings's review
4.0
I thought it was interesting, and liked the data on fun. I also enjoyed the ‘focusing on delight’ piece. Definitely something I want to do. I like the definition too of playfulness, connection, and flow. Good things to keep in mind to make room for more true fun.
ladygenevieve's review
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Definitely going to re-read this one and take notes this time! The Simultaneously informative and entertaining writing made it easy to read while still gaining scientific knowledge real-life applications.
chelse34's review
3.0
This book was alright. Maybe if I felt I needed more fun in my life it would have been more life changing. But based on the way she talks, I feel I do have a lot of "true fun" in my life that I work towards.
She mentioned a lot about phone distraction and her other book "How to Break up with your phone." So much so that I wonder if I even need to read that book anymore.
She mentioned a lot about phone distraction and her other book "How to Break up with your phone." So much so that I wonder if I even need to read that book anymore.
woomom's review
3.0
I like the idea of creating and working for “true fun” in life. But it seemed like a very long and rambling book that could have been a pamphlet.