Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment

This book is a reality check about happiness. It is extremely well written and it has concrete exercises for the reader to apply in everyday life. I learned so much, and the biggest lesson is that happiness doesn't just knock on your door and stay forever....we have to work hard at bringing happiness into our lives and keeping happiness around like a close friend who isn't with you every day, but is loyal throughout your lifetime.

This is a great book. I would highly recommend it to anyone searching for answers on how to bring more happiness into their life. It has real-world examples, and ideas for how to be more receptive to happy situations. Great read!!!

Tal Ben-Shahar has made positive psychology interesting and practical. I found the exercises (instead of time-outs, he calls each of them a "time in") to be simple, easy to implement and thought-provoking. His writing style is interesting, as well, and he relates this content to work, relationships, and other important areas of our lives. While the book's footnotes are full of great research papers, articles, and books, I did have trouble (just several times) understanding which statements were based on research and which were his professional opinion. But, that might be the price you pay for writing a book for the masses. Either way this is a great book which I plan to re-read many times.

HAPPIER has something for everybody. It is a brief guide to increasing happiness no matter how happy you are when you start reading. The tone is cheerful throughout. It is filled with exercises to help increase happiness on a daily basis while pursuing long term goals. If you have research interests, the bibliography will peak your curiosity. The little book is a philosophy of life which allows for ups and downs without having to give up present and future happiness. While other writers on happiness have said much of what Tal Ben-Shahar has said, and in more detail, the author has put the information together in a way new. A way that makes being happier accessible now.

Being a natural sceptic of American popular psychology and the lack of authenticity of self-help gurus, life-style coaches and the like, I approached this book rather apprehensively. Luckily, this is a good read. Through years of dedicated study as well as teaching, the author has written a clear, concise, and very practical guide to living a happier life. The author engages his audience by sharing personal experiences and providing exercises to aid reflection on concepts. Through practising meditation and self-cultivation, reflection and journaling and by expressing gratitude, we are given the tools to achieve a happier life.
The author defines ‘positive psychology’ as the scientific study of optimal human functioning. Positive psychology is described as the happy medium that bridges the gap between ‘pop psychology’ (the hugely successful world of self-help books, which have variable success in achieving happiness goals) and academia (the ivory tower with all the rigour of scientific study, but unapproachable to most people). This book seeks to change our perception of the way we live our lives, plan our future, make career choices, and view our jobs and relationships.
Happiness is described as the ultimate currency, the very reason for our existence on earth, which trumps the pursuit of material gain. In this book, the author introduces a different way for students to perceive their lives, workers to view their jobs, and people to view their relationships. Most people fall into three distinct types of behaviour: the rat-racer (those who pursue their goals with fierce intensity, without postponement of immediate pleasure for long term success), the hedonist (those who pursue activities for instant gratification, with no thought of future gains) and the nihilist (those that expect neither immediate pleasure nor future gains from their activities). Though our behaviour may routinely fall into one category, we may have played different roles at different points of our lives. To achieve a happier life, we are urged to rethink our priorities and embark on activities and relationships that yield both immediate pleasure and have meaning in the long term.

If not for the Harvard pedigree, this book would not have garnered all the attention it doesn't deserve. The Harvard connection is just a gimmick to sell more books. I know, because that's what suckered me into buying it. The material is neither new or refreshing. I've read much better books on the subject. I could only have been Happier if I saved my money and waited to look it over at the library.

I'm thoroughly impressed by and grateful for this book. This is a very solid book on happiness, and I'd say it's one of the best in this important genre (what could really be more important?). I can readily see why Ben-Shahar's corresponding course is the most popular course at Harvard.

Ben-Shahar has masterfully distilled and synthesized a wide range of insights and advice related to happiness from a wide range of sources including wisdom traditions, philosophy, experimental psychology, and his own personal experience and deep reflection. As my review title indicates, the result is a book which is brilliant, wise, honest, and pragmatic. The book is also well-organized, clearly written, and unpretentious in the best self-help tradition.

The book covers too much ground for me to try to summarize its content, but I'd like to note that its insights and advice ring true with my personal experience. The thing is, though, it took me a couple of decades of adult life to stumble on much of what Ben-Shahar teaches, and I wouldn't have minded learning many of these lessons long ago, via the help of a book like this! Moreover, there's plenty in the book which never dawned on me before, so this book will surely help me in the future.

The only potential criticism I could offer is that Ben-Shahar doesn't really address the skeptic who seeks a meaning/purpose of life which has an infallible ultimate grounding. But I think it would be very unfair to expect him to address such a skeptic, since no one else has succeeded in doing that either, so I think that such a goal is well beyond the scope of a book like this. So, yes, Ben-Shahar does leave it to us as individuals to identify the "ultimate" meaning/purpose of our lives, but he still gives a very valuable and effective set of tools to live happier lives once we've done that, and that's a huge contribution.

I very highly recommend this book, and I can't think of anyone I couldn't recommend it to. In fact, quite a few people will be getting a copy of this book as a gift from me.

Dr Ben-Shahars work and lecture is phenomenal.
I was going though an interesting phrase of my life. His book and lecture helps me understand why I am unhappy and what I can do about it. I'm suffering from unhealthy perfectionism. Have high expectation on myself and others. As a result oriented person, i always focus too much on end result. Ignoring what's important along the way. As a matter of fact, getting the result actually bring about more emptiness. Ok here I am now. What's next? It's a rat race and consumed myself and my loved ones.
With his work, at least I am aware of what's going on in my mind. What can I do about it

Here are few good aspects:
1. Acknowledge your perfectionism and observe it
2. Exercise. Yoga, aerobic exercise
3. Meditation
4. Shift prospective consciously
5. Learn to appreciate

There are so many more good insights and suggestions he made in his lecture.

We are all in search of happiness and growth in the world. Thank you Dr Ben-Shahar for your guidance

Happiness is known to be elusive, but Tal Ben-Shahar has really done his research here! Using his own observations, his knowledge of positive psychology and the concepts of many wise people, he has developed insightful questions, thought-provoking, life-changing meditations, and effective suggestions to allow the reader to make his/her life happier. Many books have been written on this topic, but this is the definitive one, the one that will make the difference!

This is a timeless book for coaches, managers , leaders anyone who wants their people and their clients and themselves to be happy! “
It focuses on the psychological aspects of leading a truly fulfilling and flourishing life. Topics include happiness, self-esteem, empathy, friendship, love, achievement, creativity, music, spirituality, and humour.” I would recommend this to everyone !

Who can't be a little happier--especially during these tough times? Tal Ben-Shahar's book, "Happier" couldn't have been published at a better time!

The main idea is: enjoy the journey, not just the destination. Yes, we've all heard it before, but Ben-Shahar conveys the idea uniquely, using such concepts as the "Hamburger Model" and "Lasagna Principle." I, too, appreciated that he shared his own candid story. I mean if this highly esteemed, over achiever, "perfect" kind of guy has suffered some unhappiness in his life, wow, that gives me a lot of hope; that idea within itself made me much happier.

I have read Daniel Gilbert's `Stumbling on Happiness' and Sonja Lyubomirsky's `The How of Happiness.' Of them all, Happier is by far the best book in the area of positive psychology because it provides practical exercises and information that will really allow you to achieve happiness and view life in a different way. Happier is extremely readable because it isn't filled with statistics, anecdotes, or testimonials. Unlike Lyubomirsky's book, which has garnered much more media attention, Ben-Shahar of Happier doesn't force his theories and research at you; the book reads more like a comprehensive lecture of the subject of happiness. I really enjoyed the author's writing style, the way in which he presented the information, and the helpful tips he gave to increase my personal happiness. In my opinion this is the best book dealing with positive psychology because it doesn't just describe what positive psychology/happiness is, but allows you to start being happier right away. If you're looking for theories/research about happiness then I'd suggest Sonja or Gilbert but for practical advice, Happier will make you very happy.

This was a very fast reading book, although not because of a lightness of ideas. The writer includes his theory of happiness and how to find it. He is a Harvard academic which is evident in the way that the principles are laid out so theoretically, with illustrations and key concepts. He makes several practical suggestions based on his ideas and that is what I found most useful. He recommends some contemplation exercises and stresses that happiness is the critical "currency" that society should be emphasizing. Definitely, if you are interested in being happier, read this book. It is very interesting and will help. I must say that my absolute all-time favorite and most helpful book seems even better to me after reading "Happier". That one is Effortless Wellbeing: The Missing Ingredients for Authentic Wellness. "Effortless Wellbeing" weaves several of the ideas (and many more) represented in "Happier" into its suggestions and practices, but without the academic feel. I see even more brilliance in "Effortless Wellbeing" after reading Happier. But, both would be an excellent approach on route to happiness.

I selected this book off of a library shelf because of the bright and happy yellow spine. Was intrigued by the title and the words "Harvard". I figured it would be a nice and playful read during my leisure time. I enjoyed the author's theories about how we approach life and goals that seem important, but have insignificant intrinsic value. This book offered a nice alternative perspective on a pretty good season of life that I was experiencing at the moment.

Little did I know that my world would crash right before me in the matter of a few months. When I thought it could not get worse, life did. Luckily I had this book to help me reframe the tragic occurrences in my life to be "privilleges of hardship."

This book definitely has something for everyone. No matter where you are in your life.

Definitely do the activities. It helps you focus on looking at yourself in ways that you may have been afraid to before. Knowing yourself makes it easier to change things, if necessary. I had to buy my own copy to revisit the ideas because they are that meaningful to appreciating the journeys.

Enjoy!

I approach 'self-help' books with a healthy skepticism. I read this book because it was recommended to me by a group leader. I went to the bookstore, browsed it, and couldn't put it down. This book asks questions and it gives ways for each of us to provide our individual answers for our unique living circumstances. It's difficult to live a meaningful life in our world today when our attention is pulled in so many by the demands of family, friends, jobs, media, and the rest.

This book helps one to take stock of what it means to live a meaningful life in the midst of distractions and competition for our eyes and ears. It gives some general answers based on research, but each reader has to work to come up with their own answers to the questions the book poses. It's easy to read, but hard to put down. Above all else, it's fun to read and to change. I went from being a skeptic to being an advocate of this book.

I like to read self-help books because they always help me to evaluate my life. I don't think a book can change your life but I do believe that some books give you that one nugget of advice --that one statement that you can reflect on and hopefully apply to your own life. If a book has just one nugget of advice that can change your life for the better, then I think the book was worth the read.

I heard about Tal-Ben Shahar from someone who recommended I read his other title, "The Pursuit of Perfect." I then saw Tal-Ben Shahar on "The Daily Show" and I kept hearing about how the class he taught at Harvard was supposedly the most popular in the school's history. So I said, this book must be something special then.

The cover of the book is really cool, it's a bright yellow with shiny red, raised letters. It looks awesome on my book shelf. Unfortunately, that is it's only redeeming quality. The book is incredibly hard to read and has zero flow and structure. After finishing it, I was still asking myself what the secrets to being happy were. It's only 168 pages long but I had to keep stopping because it was so boring and every time the chapter ended, I couldn't figure out the main point.

My biggest issue with this book is that the author quotes other self help books constantly. For example, he quotes Mihaly Csikszentmihaly at least three times and constructs his arguments regarding certain aspects of happiness, like education and work, based on Mihaly's book, "Flow." He also quotes Martin Seligman and Nathanial Branden to name a few. I got the feeling after reading this book, that happiness is probably better explained by these other authors.

Ben-Shahar sums up happiness at the end of the book by saying that it is not the result of one single thing -the perfect job, the perfect relationship, more money, etc.. He says that "We are living a happy life when we derive pleasure and meaning while spending time with our loved ones, or learning something new, or engaging in a project at work. The more our days are filled with these experiences, the happier we become." This is a platitude at it's best. I can't believe they are teaching this at Harvard.

My impressions after reading this book are that I didn't come away with an understanding of how to make my life happier and I didn't learn anything new about happiness. Whatever Ben-Shahar was trying to explain was just common sense and it's been said before. Unless you are young, you already know things like money does not buy you happiness or you will do better in school if you enjoy learning. This book should have been more about all the things that can bring different people happiness and how we can make them a part of our lives. He should have also talked about things that rob you of happiness. Beyond that, the book does not even progress properly. I don't know if it's his writing or the fact that he was trying to discuss a subject that might be a little too broad for 168 pages. Come to think of it, this book reminds me a lot of my cognitive psych class from a few years ago; it sounded interesting but was beyond boring. I mean studying happiness is just as boring as studying the mind because it is hard to do either.

I'll try to read the book again and force myself to find something good to say about it. For now, my two star rating stands. If this is your first positive psychology book, you might be blown away by it's revelations. I've read several already and a lot of this information is rehashed. As far as happiness, I think this is something that you'll just have to figure out on your own, you won't learn it at Harvard or in a book. What makes me happy might not make you happy. The main point of my review is that this is not a bad book with bad advice but it is more of a feel good book with common sense advice. If you have common sense and you are looking for something more, you will not get that here.

I'm not saying that you shouldn't read this book, I'm just saying that, considering the price, you shouldn't buy it at full price. If you're library has it, or if somebody lets you borrow it, do that instead. If you choose to pass on it, then you wouldn't be missing much. I would buy "Flow" by Mihaly Csikszentmihaly instead because Tal-Ben Shahar obviously likes that book.

Very simple and striaght forward approach explaining why we seek happiness; it is the ultimate currecny. This book is easy to read and follow, no out there ideas or ways to think. Great tool to put things in perspective. There are some exercises too that the author encourages the reader to do to help increase the reader's level of happiness; if you don't even atempt those activites you will not get much out of the book.

This book certainly introduces some central concepts which I found illuminating and useful. There are quite a few exercises ("time-ins") which everyone should do at some point in their life, if not regularily. I found some of these to be better than others whilst a few appeared to be there just for the sake of filling up space.

The writing itself is a little self-helpy which is something I couldn't quite get over. I would've liked to have more hard data and information to challenge me in my thinking around the topic. Much of the book is also repetative and I felt it was at times patronising.

It took a bit of concentration to get over the writing but once I focused on the topic at hand, I found the information quite illuminating.

All in all however, if you can get over the writing and into the crux of the topic, I think it's a very useful book and definitely worthy of a good read. Some of the exercises and meditations are useful and are things I would encourage any person to at least try.

I read this book after seeing that the author had provided an endorsement for the wonderful 'Serendipity's Secret', a book I absolutely adored. 'Happier' didn't disappoint either! It is, alongside 'Serendipity's Secret' one of the best self-help books I have read as it tackles the crux of the matter - what makes us happy. Afterall, what is the point of overcoming our fears, setting goals and achieving our dreams unless we are happy at the end of it? It is also great as it talks about how to gain moment to moment happiness which is, afterall, where we spend all our time ie in the now. Again, the pursuit of goals is pretty fruitless if we are not enjoying the journey along the way. I also liked the way it analyses the science of happiness, which I found in itself absolutely fascinating.

The book is really well structured and I found it a complete joy to read. I am now much happier as a result!

Shahar's recent text is incredible! This book follows the recent explosion in the positive psychology movement by employing a science-based approach to the concepts of happiness and well-being.
Shahar's text is very informative and, more especially, very perscriptive. If you have ever read a self-help text that left you without directions for direct application, this book can rescue you. Shahar took great effort to ensure that the reader would not miss the multitude of applications available from his book. Each chapter has instructions for the reader to apply what he has so wonderfully written.

The recent surge of positive psychology is largely credited to texts like this. This book is definitely going to join the canon of positive psychology texts because of its rational arguments, its plain and clear style, its scientifically based research, and its allotment of applications.

I recommend this book to anyone curious about positive psychology, happiness, or the pathway to better living. For you, this is money well spent and this book is certain to make the willing reader happier.

This is a must read for anyone searching for peace, happiness, and meaning.

[...]

There are countless books written on the subject of happiness. There are also countless motivational books of this genre. However, if you read, understand, and act on the principles in this book, you are on your way to living a happier life.

One of the keys to happiness is to appreciate that life is a journey. One must experience pleasure along the way, as well as have goals that are meaningful to be happy.

A small book packed full of insights.

This book felt slow at points, but the last several chapters really made it worth while. They presented the topics and suggestions through the book in applicable ways that made the concepts click for me.

Happier really interested me. I had heard its author interviewed on NPR and he sounded different that other authors of what might be called "self-help" books. After reading "Happier", my observation seemed to be correct. He offered no magic bullets, no three step or 5 or 10 steps to a happier you. What he seemed to be interested in discussing was the nature of happiness.

The book is no disappointment from what I expected. Each chapter includes activities that allow the reader to reflect upon what has been successful or unsuccessful for him or her in terms of happiness. Quite unlike an instructional work, "Happier" suggests that the nature of life, the purpose of life for all of us, is to be happy. So much of what is offered in this brief time we have here on earth seems to be duty, to be impositions upon us by others. Just to accept the fact that our purpose here is to be happy, to enjoy our lives, although a seemingly ordinary thought, is really quite revolutionary.

If you are interested in reading a book that truly is thought provoking, one that asks you to consider ideas presented, and will lead you to an outcome suited to you, then this is for you.

I thoroughly enjoyed "Happier". I will read it again. I will read selected parts, those I highlighted, again.I will rework what is presented as "Time-ins", those portions of chapters that ask how what was written applies to me. To me, these were the very best parts of the work. They allowed me to use what was given to me in the preceding pages.

There are no promises with this book. But,if you read it, and you work with it, you can make your own.

So, I'm The Executive Happiness Coach® -- I HAVE to read this book, right? I was very pleased. Though Ben-Shahar's book contains the requisite amount of research and mind-numbing data that college professors (by universal decree) must put into any book they write, I was thrilled with how accessible his theories are. And the exercises! Tons of very useful exercises to help the reader, student, client, etc., build more resilience and strengthen those positive emotion muscles! Of the many academic tomes on Happiness published in the past year, this is the one I most recommend.

If you want to change your perspective to a better view this is the book for you. If you want to wallow in sorrow and continue to complain about your lot in life, don't bother reading this or you're in danger of loosing your self-pity and improving your life. This book drew me in page by page. If you want descriptions of the book read some other reviews, but if you want an honest opinion of whether this book can help you on the road of personal and professional development take my advise and read it. If I had any suggestions at all about making the book even better it would be adding just a touch more humor. This is a five star book and as a five star person you owe it to yourself to read it.
David Jacobson: Author of "The 7 ½ Habits of Highly Humorous People"

This book has changed my life. no doubt about that. it is one of those books that you can help but to share with others. It is a easy read and there are activites in the book to help you apply the principles your read about. the author is very very inclusive and looks at all options. I have been a happier person since and plan to be one and to help others. it is amazing best money i have spent in a long time!!! a most read. oh ya and its for those who are happy and non happy alike.

Happier is based on Tal Ben-Shahar's positive psychology primer - the most popular class at Harvard and attended by about 20% of all Harvard graduates.

Ben-Shahar wisely suggests that a better question than 'Am I happy?' is 'How can I be happier?', since this recognizes happiness to be an ongoing and lifelong process.

He positions his book in contrast to self-help guides which, because they aren't subject to the scientific method, tend to 'over-promise and under-deliver' (page xi). Findings published in academic journals, he says, have greater substance.

Part 1 seeks to define happiness and identify the components of a happy life. Here purpose plays a large role in reconciling immediate and delayed gratification, as well as meaning and pleasure.

Part 2 applies these ideas to:

* Education - suggesting a 'lovemaking model' for more enjoyable learning
* Work - happier work gives meaning and pleasure and also uses a person's strengths
* Relationships - we may need to cultivate rather than find the relationships we want.

Part 3 contains Ben-Shahar's reflections on the nature of happiness and its place in our lives.

Rather than simply surveying the research, Happier seeks to help the reader become happier by incorporating interactive elements:

* Time-ins (as opposed to time-outs), which ask the reader to apply the ideas to their own life - for example, What are the things that you really, really want to do? (page 77).
* Exercises, which include journal-writing, meditations and tasks such as reading a particular book or joining a class.

In short:
Happier argues for a balanced approach to life - balancing present with future wants, pleasure-seeking with meaning-seeking, and self-interest with altruism. The combination of research, anecdotes and exercises give the reader a sense that being happier is an achievable and worthwhile goal.

Although Ben-Shahar's writing style is certainly not hard work, for some readers the book may be. There are so many concepts and tasks that the whole project may come to feel onerous after a while.

For readers really ready to get happier and looking for the information and exercises to follow, this is a good guide.

Happier is based on Tal Ben-Shahar's positive psychology primer - the most popular class at Harvard and attended by about 20% of all Harvard graduates.

Ben-Shahar wisely suggests that a better question than 'Am I happy?' is 'How can I be happier?', since this recognizes happiness to be an ongoing and lifelong process.

He positions his book in contrast to self-help guides which, because they aren't subject to the scientific method, tend to 'over-promise and under-deliver' (page xi). Findings published in academic journals, he says, have greater substance.

Part 1 seeks to define happiness and identify the components of a happy life. Here purpose plays a large role in reconciling immediate and delayed gratification, as well as meaning and pleasure.

Part 2 applies these ideas to:

* Education - suggesting a 'lovemaking model' for more enjoyable learning
* Work - happier work gives meaning and pleasure and also uses a person's strengths
* Relationships - we may need to cultivate rather than find the relationships we want.

Part 3 contains Ben-Shahar's reflections on the nature of happiness and its place in our lives.

Rather than simply surveying the research, Happier seeks to help the reader become happier by incorporating interactive elements:

* Time-ins (as opposed to time-outs), which ask the reader to apply the ideas to their own life - for example, What are the things that you really, really want to do? (page 77).
* Exercises, which include journal-writing, meditations and tasks such as reading a particular book or joining a class.

In short:
Happier argues for a balanced approach to life - balancing present with future wants, pleasure-seeking with meaning-seeking, and self-interest with altruism. The combination of research, anecdotes and exercises give the reader a sense that being happier is an achievable and worthwhile goal.

Although Ben-Shahar's writing style is certainly not hard work, for some readers the book may be. There are so many concepts and tasks that the whole project may come to feel onerous after a while.

For readers really ready to get happier and looking for the information and exercises to follow, this is a good guide.

This book is a wonderful confirmation of my 77 years on earth. I have given three copies to my psychology compatriates. The basis for happiness is located inside and as with humor, wonder and curiosity fed by our contained energy part. So watch the drains (also in others). Thanks to the author I have freed myself even more from the jealousy of others.
Pieter G. Kuipers,
Sneek, The Netherlands

Coaching front-line leaders for a number of years with the concept of Flow by Dr. M Csikszentmihalyi and Emotional Intelligence Competencies by Dr. Daniel Goleman and his associates, this book will give us lots of
practical and tangible benefits. References about the calling instead of job and purpose-oriented job crafting will certainly help enhance self-motivation and meaningfulness. This book gives me a renewed pleasure and passion of what I have been doing. Thank you for this great book and the author.

I bought this book hoping for a primer on positive psychology. Instead, I got a self-help book which told me pretty much nothing new. A couple of the meditations in the last section were interesting, but overall this book was fairly disappointing.

Also, that whole bit about referring to happiness as the "ultimate currency?" The first time the author mentioned it, it was so stupid and corny I wanted to cry. The fact that it was mentioned again on practically every page from that point on really didn't help.

One good thing though - the author does spend a decent amount of time talking about Czikzhentmihalyi's concept of "flow," which everyone really should get familiar with at some point. It's nice to see it there, but it still doesn't justify buying this book.

.....and there are better follow-ups after your introduction.

This does descend into mimicking the self-help genre pretty quickly.

I think my issue with this book is that the author underpins his reflections and conclusions too often with, with, well, not with much other than his opinion supported by Samuel Smiles type aphorisms.

This is a shame, because the field of Positive Psychology (capital letters employed deliberately) has so much going for it, not least a substantial serious wealth of empirical data to support it.

I understand that the author's lectures at Harvard are incredibly well-attended and indeed well-regarded. Not quite sure why, on this showing.

It's not a pure example of the self-help genre (thank goodness), but neither is it sufficiently scholarly or referenced to be much more.

In fact one of the books that Ben-Shahar should have included in his bibliography, but for some inexplicable reason didn't, would be a far better introduction: "The Happiness Hypothesis", by Jonathan Haidt (a definite 5 star read) is everything this book should have been, but was published a least a year earlier.

An alternative introduction, more practical but better-referenced than "Happier" is Ilona Boniwell's "Positive Psychology in a Nutshell", which I can also recommend whole-heartedly.

Excellent book that explain in simple terms how to become a happier person. The book is full of examples and guidelines and it is well docummented with excellent references. I recommended this book to any person interested in finding a different perspective on happiness.

EGR

Great book - good advice that everyone could benefit from. Give it a chance, do the exercises. It may take a while to make significant changes in your life, but it'll be worth the time and effort. We all need to stop living for the collection of money or prestige and start living for the ultimate currency: happiness. The world would be such a better place if we did.

HAPPIER has something for everybody. It is a brief guide to increasing happiness no matter how happy you are when you start reading. The tone is cheerful throughout. It is filled with exercises to help increase happiness on a daily basis while pursuing long term goals. If you have research interests, the bibliography will peak your curiosity. The little book is a philosophy of life which allows for ups and downs without having to give up present and future happiness. While other writers on happiness have said much of what Tal Ben-Shahar has said, and in more detail, the author has put the information together in a way new. A way that makes being happier accessible now.

This may sound overly simplistic, but the one important reminder I got from this book is that in our busy work-to-achieve-profits world we often forgot how to take a more active role in pursuing what the author calls the "ultimate currency."

Very affordable material. I do recommend this book at least if you have interest for a meaningful journey in your inner world. Cherry on the cake : you will likely make yours some practical tips to become happier day after day.
Enjoy!
Jean-Charles