The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun (Hardcover) Review

This book is part memoir, part thinking person's self-help book.I like the fact that it draws not only on recent research in the new field of positive psychology, such as the work of Martin Seligman, but on the wisdom of thinkers as disparate as Samuel Butler and the ancient Stoic philosopher, Seneca.Many wonderful and wise quotations are included in the text.Gretchen Rubin has done a lot of research and reading, and distilled it all here, attempting to answer some vital questions.Is it possible to become a happier person?Is happiness a meaningful and worthwhile goal?She comes to the conclusion that while we may have a happiness set point, and a great deal of our mood is--researchers believe-- determined by heredity (50% or so), to some degree it is under own control (perhaps 30%).It may seem that someone who is not suffering from a painful mood disorder should be focused on other (more worthwhile?) goals than mood elevation.But happiness, after all, is something just about every human being wants, the goal that motivates much of our day to day striving.And rather than suggesting a life of self-centered hedonism, research indicates that the very factors that make for a meaningful life--good relationships, acting in a loving and generous way, engaging creatively with the world--contribute to happiness.

Will revamping your life and taking a systematic approach to seeking happiness work?Research indicates that it may."I really am happier," says Rubin after a year of following through on her own personal happiness plan.She goes into enough specific detail here about how she got to her more happy state that I have no trouble believing her.

Very responsibly, Rubin points out that her intent is to help people who are well become happier, not to treat a medical condition, i.e., depression.I can imagine her book, however, being an aid for those who are mildly depressed, perhaps as an adjunct to medical treatment, though perhaps they need to be a bit easy on themselves and not follow the plan in a perfectionist, pressured way.

I'm with Rubin when she says that even though we are all very different, learning about someone else's successes and failures can be a better catalyst for change than studying ideas in the abstract.She is generous about revealing the details of her own life--her own "happiness project."What is most transferable is not the specifics--particular actions she decided to experiment with in order to become more happy--but the idea of identifying potential sources of joy, designing steps to take to become happier, making monthly resolutions, carrying through and being accountable--i.e., quantifying the results.The average reader is not going to be as thorough and focused as Rubin was--but in my view that does not negate the value of this book.I'm into progress, I guess, and I believe that even a couple of changes modeled on the plan could make a difference in people's lives.

The book is written in an open, engaging, often humorous style. There is no posturing--Rubin is if anything self-deprecating-- but the writing crackles with intelligence.I found the THE HAPPINESS PROJECT a pleasure to read, and I can imagine people reading it with enjoyment even if they are already happy as clams and have no desire to get with the program.Rubin includes a specific guide for those who want to construct their own happiness plans, and also directs the reader to tools on her web site--nice helpful touches.All in all, a terrific book.


Click Here to see more reviews about: The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun (Hardcover)



Buy cheap The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun (Hardcover) now Get 42% OFF

Mornings with Mailer: A Recollection of Friendship [Paperback] Review

The story is touching and honest. The depiction of Provincetown is spot on without being trite. Having grown up on Cape Cod I often see stories set on the sandbar that play too much into the quintessential view of the iconic summer playground and as a result lose the essence of the experience of really being there. This was not the case in Mornings With Mailer. I was most impressed by the way Raymond crafted the story of a young man who lost his father in his early childhood befriending an elderly man in his final years. The raw truth on Raymonds part of woe that preceded the friendship, the drinking and "lost years" provided a backdrop to the fertile ground on which the friendship grew. Following Raymonds process of healing in which he and Mailer developed a companionship that at once filled the father void and gave focus to Raymond after an extended period of searching, provided an interesting view of what it is to be male in a culture that too often sees our boys growing up without a strong male role model in their life. Adding to this poignant tale the fact that the octogenarian is the iconic Pulitzer Prize winning Norman Mailer. The book allows those of us who knew the legend to sneak a peek into the reality that was Norman Mailer. A pleasurable read. I would highly recommend it!

Click Here to see more reviews about: Mornings with Mailer: A Recollection of Friendship [Paperback]



Buy cheap Mornings with Mailer: A Recollection of Friendship [Paperback] now Get 20% OFF

Saturday Morning: A Novel [Paperback] Review

Lauraine Snelling has produced another treasured book for and about women in Saturday Morning. It is the story of a group of women who band together to save a San Francisco women's shelter. Hope Benson tries to save the shelter from developers who want the property. Her pregnancy makes her unable to keep the shelter safe, so she is joined in the fight by three other women who meet at a farmer's market.

This novel, published by WaterBrook Press, is about the power of friendship. The four women who are the main characters of the story all have some dilemma, but they work together to save the shelter and to keep it in its original location where the farmer's market sets up. The forty-three chapters tell of Andrea's search for a happy marriage and career blend, Hope's struggle through a difficult pregnancy, Julia's search for her missing daughter, and Clarice's dealing with the disappearance of her husband.

One stirring episode involves a police raid on the shelter's Sunday church service and the discovery of drugs on the premises. Andrea, "Andy," is the strongest character and she starts a successful business selling herbs; just as the business takes off her husband decides to move. Andy's husband nearly dies with heart trouble, yet she takes care of him and they come to grips with some of the problems in their marriage.

The women become treasured comrades as they each struggle in their own unique set of circumstances, while ministering to the shelter's clients. They learn to trust God and each other. The characters are strong and believable, and it is written with good dialogue and scenes that portray the situation realistically. Saturday Morning infuses a spiritual message which makes it worthwhile reading. I recommend it to women who know that life is seldom of the "Leave It To Beaver" variety." - Elece Hollis, Christian Book Previews.com


Click Here to see more reviews about: Saturday Morning: A Novel [Paperback]

Product Description:
Broken by life's disappointments, four women forge a friendship that leads in unexpected directions.

Hope Benson is determined to do all she can for the broken souls who come to Casa de Jesus, a women's shelter in the heart of San Francisco. When a difficult pregnancy forces her to relinquish control, she draws support and strength from an unlikely group of women, each struggling with her own heartbreak.

Andy Taylor, a reluctant transplant to California, was compelled to leave behind her lavender-growing business and her home of twenty-some years to support her workaholic husband's pursuit of career success. Attorney Julia Collins is searching for her teenage granddaughter, believed to be living on the streets. And Clarice Van Dam's life has been shattered by the disappearance of her husband, who appears to have relieved her of all earthly possessions except a fur coat and her overnight bag.

Drawn together at the weekend market held in the shelter's parking lot, the women pool their resources to fend off an unscrupulous conglomerate that threatens to replace the facility with a commercial development. As they fight to retain this haven for women in need, they find their own longings for home answered by the solace of faith and friendship.

Buy cheap Saturday Morning: A Novel [Paperback] now Get 15% OFF