Product Description

Can you learn to be happy? Yes, according to the teacher of Harvard University’s most popular--and life-changing--course

One out of every five Harvard graduates has lined up to hear Tal Ben-Shahar’s insightful and inspiring lectures on that ever-elusive subject: happiness. Grounded in the new "positive psychology" movement that’s sweeping the world--as well as years of researching the works of scientists, scholars, and philosophers--Ben-Shahar’s revolutionary approach helps you understand what happiness really is and how to strive for it in your daily life. Whether you are a stressed-out "rat racer," a pleasure-seeking "hedonist," or a ready-to-give-up "nihilist," you will get a complete crash course that will help you live the life you love and love the life you live.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #31967 in Books
• Published on: 2007-06-01
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 224 pages

Management Today, May 2007
This book is not airport flotsam, but a serious, practical attempt
to address the ennui of affluence

Management Today, May 2007
Recommended most strongly to all who are serious about the question, "what
constitutes a worthwhile and happy life?"

sixtyplussurfers.co.uk, June 29, 2007
An uplifting and life-changing book ... it will help you achieve more
pleasure and meaning in your life.

Customer Reviews

No-Nonsense Happiness Info
I really liked this book. While conducting my ongoing research on the subject of happiness, this book caught my eye with its bright red and yellow cover. Glancing through the book, the information caught my attention.

I guess what I liked best about it, and what sets it apart from the rest of the happiness books on the shelf, was the author's approach. Right off the bat, the book makes it clear that one's goal should not be to merely strive for a great state of happiness. As it points out, this approach suggests happiness is a point you try and reach, and then you've "made it"- game over.

Wrong. Nobody goes around in a perfectly blissful state all the time, and pursuing such a goal is doomed to fail.

Instead, our approach should be to try and continually work on being "happier" (hence the reason for the title of the book). The trying to be "happier" approach leaves us with a much more realistic goal- and suggests that it is more of an ongoing process in life we should be shooting for, rather than trying to reach a state of happiness and then you're good to go forever. So just how does the book intend to make one "happier"?

In two words, the research. Since the author teaches a class in positive psychology at Harvard, the book's tips to increase your happiness, such as setting goals and expressing gratitude, stand on solid ground. I also believe most readers will find them pretty doable.

When all was said and done, I found this book to be pretty good read with a sensible approach to becoming happier. Not only does it explain the happiness research in a digestable language, and give you practical happiness boosting tips, it's biggest asset to readers just might be that it helps re-frame the whole idea of how we should go about pursuing happiness. Readers who like this evidence-based book may also want to check out Finding Happiness in a Frustrating World. Happy trails!

A sensible self-help book!
This book is terrific. Terrific. I'm raving about it to everyone I know! I usually avoid self-help books like the plague, so I wasn't expecting to feel so strongly about it but it is so well written and the ideas are so delicately expressed that it has completely won me over. It explains theories of happiness in an intelligent and interesting way and gives concrete ways that I can apply them to my own life and actually become happier. I didn't think I needed a book like this -- but I really think it is improving my quality of life :-)

A no-nonsense, simple book
Tagged as being based on the most popular course at Harvard, this is a short, clear book that challenges you to consider how you can make your life happier.

There are no gimmicks or secret formulae. It is all obvious stuff but set out in a simple and logical way that is rarely seen in self-help books.

I would like to have seen a bit more depth in the book, hence 4 stars not 5. Its message is essentially that, if you want to be happier, do more of the things that make you happy and less of the things that make you unhappy. However there are some really good ideas here and it is well worth a read, whether you are trying to break out a cycle of unhappiness or just feeling great and wanting strategies to stay that way.