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 |
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| Title: | 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 |
| Author: | Gretchen Rubin |
| Publisher: | Harper |
| Type: | Book / Hardcover |
| Publication Date: | 01 January, 2010 |
| ISBN / ISBN-13: | 0061583251 / 9780061583254 |
| List Price: | $25.99 |
| You Save: | $10.40 |
| Amazon Price: | $15.59 |
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This book is also available, brand-new, from 3rd-party marketplace sellers at Amazon.com, from $11.50.
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Editorial Review / Publisher's Information:
Product Description
Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places: a city bus. "The days are long, but the years are short," she realized. "Time is passing, and I'm not focusing enough on the things that really matter." In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project. In this lively and compelling account of that year, Rubin carves out her place alongside the authors of bestselling memoirs such as Julie and Julia, The Year of Living Biblically, and Eat, Pray, Love. With humor and insight, she chronicles her adventures during the twelve months she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier. Rubin didn't have the option to uproot herself, nor did she really want to; instead she focused on improving her life as it was. Each month she tackled a new set of resolutions: give proofs of love, ask for help, find more fun, keep a gratitude notebook, forget about results. She immersed herself in principles set forth by all manner of experts, from Epicurus to Thoreau to Oprah to Martin Seligman to the Dalai Lama to see what worked for her—and what didn't. Her conclusions are sometimes surprising—she finds that money can buy happiness, when spent wisely; that novelty and challenge are powerful sources of happiness; that "treating" yourself can make you feel worse; that venting bad feelings doesn't relieve them; that the very smallest of changes can make the biggest difference—and they range from the practical to the profound. Written with charm and wit, The Happiness Project is illuminating yet entertaining, thought-provoking yet compulsively readable. Gretchen Rubin's passion for her subject jumps off the page, and reading just a few chapters of this book will inspire you to start your own happiness project.
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Customer Reviews:
• Save Your Money
27 July, 2010
Not really worth the price. Most of the information has already been said and done countless times by other more prolific writers. A complete waste of money.
- Amazon Customer Review
• A Year Long Journey Out Of Malaise
20 July, 2010
Gretchen Rubin feels a general sense of malaise with her life, leading up to some sort of midlife crisis. Thus, she decides on a new undertaking, researching ways that she can make herself happy. She decides to work on several different resolutions, picking a new one for each month and crafting her own "splendid truths."
I really enjoyed following along Rubin's journey from January all the way until December. Most of her resolutions are ones that I wish that I had the heart to follow myself. I want to pursue my passions and be a better person by not snapping at people all the time. At the same time, there is a certain philosophical view of being happy, whether trying to measure happiness will change one's happiness somehow, or if even things and resolutions can truly lead to happiness rather than a happy moment.
At the core, though, I feel like Rubin's happiness project really tells of a story of a woman who breaks from the mold of her life and dares to try new things in order to feel better. To me, that goal is quite worthy of a year's worth of work and it has inspired me to attempt my own happiness project. I would highly recommend this book, both for the inspiration that comes out of it and for the actual memoir itself. Rubin writes well and I find it interesting to read about her life and the changes that happen through her happiness project.
- Amazon Customer Review
• Not What I Expected
30 July, 2010
I wanted to like this book. I tried to read it, but would invariably fall asleep. Although I think the author put a lot of research in to the topic of happiness, it wasn't fun to read. It didn't inspire me to be happier. It seemed like being happier was a lot more like work. Sorry--just not for me.
- Amazon Customer Review
• Fairly Self Absorbed But Some Good Quotes.
16 July, 2010
I also have to wonder if some authors got paid for product placement on that Jo Malone candle. It sounded intriguing so I searched it on Amazon and saw that no fewer than 4 novels mention the candle, by brand name. Forget it, I'm not buying it.
- Amazon Customer Review
• Concept Gets An A, Author Gets A D-
27 July, 2010
I enjoy any book that tackles the task of being happy. I further more enjoy books that find that in every day life by taking control of the things we have control over, namely ourselves. In that regard this book is worth reading. I was inspired to create my own list and focus on the little ways I could improve my own happiness.
However, those inpiring moments were a little bogged down with the Author. This woman reminds me of the type of woman I don't want to know, I avoid at all costs, and while I appreciate her honesty about herself and kudos for that, I can't relate to whatsoever.
She is a know it all, belittling, judgemental, rude to children and spouse, obnoxious, woman who practically pushes her insufferable hang ups from the bag onto my own life. The type of person I tend to tune out until they've taken a breath between their righteous pushy rants.
Beyond that the book itself really lulls at spots, and the inclusion of people's opinions seemed more of a cope out and way to length the book than useful. Also the manner in which she is inconsitently unwavering in some aspects of the project and casually disgarding of others is frustrating to me, and reduces the overall credibility of what it was she even set out to do.
I was most upset when it dawned on me I bought this book and she gets some profit from that. My advice, if you're interested in this book, borrow it from a friend or check it out from the library, and go in prepared to skim, because there is a fair amount of fluff.
- Amazon Customer Review
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