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3.79 AVERAGE
3.79 AVERAGE
I enjoyed this much more than I thought I would. It has really influenced my thinking in the last couple weeks--to the positive. :D My only criticism is that sometimes Kaplan's name-dropping and descriptions of restaurant meals felt a little staged and unnecessary at times.
I have mixed feelings about this book. To be completely honest, without any ill-will, Janice Kaplan's writing just doesn't appear to be my cup of tea. That is to say that I don't think I'm her target audience. I will say that I believe her sincerity in valuing gratitude and I think her voice will reach many people.
I am grateful to her for being well read and generously sharing many of her gems in this book. I found out about many interesting projects and people while reading. I appreciate her curiosity and integration of many disciplines. I think that, having been a journalist for so long, when she is writing about others she is writing her best.
I will share my disappointments. I could not relate to her when she spoke about her own life. I found her to be out of touch with the reality of many people, particularly when she talked about money. She mentioned having two homes, taking regular overseas vacations, she attended ivy league universities, ran a magazine, interviewed celebrities regularly, had previously sold bestsellers and is married to a doctor and she complained about having meager finances and having to look on the bright side. I found this to be insufferable and would have quit reading the book entirely had I not committed to reading it with others. I am glad she took a year to be grateful and I hope it gave her perspective on money. I feel strongly critical of her on this point.
I'm glad I didn't quit reading, it got better. I think if you are the sort of person that uses #blessed with no irony and enjoy when others do the same, she's your lady. The book is not without it's merits. I found the book, "The How of Happiness" to contain more and better information but was more work to read. I am happy for her and glad she took on this project. I hope it finds an open and receptive audience.
I am grateful to her for being well read and generously sharing many of her gems in this book. I found out about many interesting projects and people while reading. I appreciate her curiosity and integration of many disciplines. I think that, having been a journalist for so long, when she is writing about others she is writing her best.
I will share my disappointments. I could not relate to her when she spoke about her own life. I found her to be out of touch with the reality of many people, particularly when she talked about money. She mentioned having two homes, taking regular overseas vacations, she attended ivy league universities, ran a magazine, interviewed celebrities regularly, had previously sold bestsellers and is married to a doctor and she complained about having meager finances and having to look on the bright side. I found this to be insufferable and would have quit reading the book entirely had I not committed to reading it with others. I am glad she took a year to be grateful and I hope it gave her perspective on money. I feel strongly critical of her on this point.
I'm glad I didn't quit reading, it got better. I think if you are the sort of person that uses #blessed with no irony and enjoy when others do the same, she's your lady. The book is not without it's merits. I found the book, "The How of Happiness" to contain more and better information but was more work to read. I am happy for her and glad she took on this project. I hope it finds an open and receptive audience.
I loved all of the research provided in this book. I have a gratitude journal but this book gave me other ideas of ways that I can incorporate gratitude in my life and I’m thankful for that. I’ve already found myself thinking differently about things since starting the book.
Some good nuggets and research, but quite cheesy at times!
hopeful
informative
inspiring
slow-paced
Este libro es buenisimoooo me hizo retomar mi hábito de agradecer , me encanto es ligero de leer
Sometimes books like this (A year of..) can be annoying or corny but this one was encouraging and inspiring! I think I’ve always been a glass half full person but I see where I can be even more grateful and I enjoyed this book!
I seriously LOVED this book. Janice Kaplan made this so readable and so relate-able, and I immediately felt drawn into noticing how I can notice something positive about everyday events. I began a nightly gratitude diary, and find myself noticing the good in situations where perhaps before I'd grumble or get irritated.
Awesome, inspiring book.
Awesome, inspiring book.
This was a well-written book that I was able to zoom through. It seems well-researched and might might work well as a book club book where members try out keeping journals and being grateful, tracking how it works for them.
However
----------------------------Do not read if you enjoyed the book ----------------------------------------------
One of the main complaints I read about "TheHappiness Project" was that the author was a rich, white woman writing about her problems. I had the same problem with this book and it just started out by grating on my nerves when the author tells of a series of events that should have frustrated her but then explains how she was able to turn it around and be grateful for every single one. Every… single… one. This sort of forced gratitude doesn’t seem like a pleasant sensation to me. It seems wrong, like she was putting up a false front. And the name dropping! But I kept reading. That, and the fact that, objectively, I could tell this was a well-written book was why it ended up with three stars. It's nothing new under the sun but readers new to the idea of gratitude should really enjoy this book.
However
----------------------------Do not read if you enjoyed the book ----------------------------------------------
One of the main complaints I read about "TheHappiness Project" was that the author was a rich, white woman writing about her problems. I had the same problem with this book and it just started out by grating on my nerves when the author tells of a series of events that should have frustrated her but then explains how she was able to turn it around and be grateful for every single one. Every… single… one. This sort of forced gratitude doesn’t seem like a pleasant sensation to me. It seems wrong, like she was putting up a false front. And the name dropping! But I kept reading. That, and the fact that, objectively, I could tell this was a well-written book was why it ended up with three stars. It's nothing new under the sun but readers new to the idea of gratitude should really enjoy this book.
My therapist recommended this, and honestly I expected this book to be a bit fluffy. But Kaplan poses some tough questions and it really made me think! My greatest takeaway from this was that “appreciating the world around you makes you more eager to make it better.” Being mindful and thankful for the good can go hand in hand with ambition and drive, and in fact can create more!
Some things were straightforward - being grateful for your spouse will lead to connection and make for a better relationship. Duh.
But being grateful for your body and each meal... can help lead to more mindful eating and motivation towards health? Well, NOW it makes sense!
I LOVED this book. Between anecdotes about life and quotes scientific studies, I really got everything I wanted from it. And I’m feeling motivated to practice more gratitude in my own life!
Some things were straightforward - being grateful for your spouse will lead to connection and make for a better relationship. Duh.
But being grateful for your body and each meal... can help lead to more mindful eating and motivation towards health? Well, NOW it makes sense!
I LOVED this book. Between anecdotes about life and quotes scientific studies, I really got everything I wanted from it. And I’m feeling motivated to practice more gratitude in my own life!