The Happiness Animal

The Happiness Animal goes into depth on how to be happy with theoritical scenarios, exercises, famous quotes, and the author's real life experiences. It goes on to say how someone wears a superficial mask in order to become more like the person they think they should be, not the person that they want to be. It also goes into detail about tolerance, forgiveness, pride vs self-esteem, and anger. This book is good for someone looking for happiness internally as opposed to externally. The author put a lot of love and work into this book, and it shows. One quote that I noted in particular is "pleasure is only a distraction from unhappiness." I think this sums up a lot of what this book is about. The reason people are unhappy is because they're seeking it in the wrong places, such as external things or expectations of reality.
So this book relies a lot on exercises, going into detail about how each exercise will effect you. According to the book, your Happiness Animal is much like another body of yours. It needs certain attention given to it in order to perform its best. The exercises here are a lot like exercising in general. It's a way to make you stronger, so that when you have to handle a stressful situation, you'll be ready. The theoretical scenarios all have examples of behaving appropriately and not so appropriately in stressful situations. If you find yourself thinking that you'll be happy with more time, money, or anything else external, then this book is for you.

First of all, this book surprised me in many ways. I was expecting to read a book telling me how to be happy. That was not the case at all. This book can help you to find your own happiness and to be a better person. Each chapter starts off with an uplifting and positive quote or two. There are exercises and activities throughout this book, such as making a list, and then reflecting back on what you wrote. I found the list/writing exercises to be a mind-opening experience. The author breaks everything down in to easy to follow steps. 

What I really liked about this book was that it was relatable. It felt as if the author was talking to me personally. I actually used some of these tools mentioned in the book, and I found that I'm not as stressed as I usually am. I started to keep an upbeat attitude and realized that people seem to be happier around me, which makes my daily situations more pleasant. Whether you find happiness or not, there is no doubt that this book will give you what you need in order for you to have a more positive outlook on your own life.

The Happiness Animal is an eye opener. Many of the things that you think make you happy are not really making you happy and Author Will Jelbert makes you understand that in this book. With personal stories and all the research done for us, Jelbert writes a exceptional book.
He focuses on the most important five muscles which are honesty, kindness, tolerance, awareness, and courage. These are something that I yet hadn’t noticed before to be happy. It is not like any other self-help book, I found that this one made me more aware of what was what truly makes me happy. With famous quotes in the start of each chapter, this book is very easy to read and very interesting. It honestly made me realize a lot of things about myself that had to do with happiness, and although I cannot say that I am one of the people that search for physical things to be able to be happy, I still very much enjoyed this book and loved it. It was still an eye opener and would recommend it to everyone I know. If you are someone who is in search of happiness or know of someone, get this book. It will change your life for the better. Reading about Jelbert’s entire experience with how unhappy he was and what he went through, it is just life changing. So if you are looking for a life changing experience towards happiness, get this book. You won’t regret it.

The Happiness Animal is a guide to help everyone find their happiness in life. I have never been one of the people that thought they would read a “self-help” or how to be a better person book, but I enjoyed this one.  I work in a field that is surrounded with death and this had helpful exercises to being able to find the happiness even when surrounded by unfortunate circumstances.  The author, Wil Jelbert, has been through some unlucky events in his life and this book is to summarize how people can still obtain the happiness even through these events.

The book describes the five components that make up happiness:  awareness, courage, honesty kindness and tolerance and how he was able to achieve these in his life.  Most of the advice the author gives throughout the book can be applied to life easily.  It might take some practice to fully follow the advice, but it is practical.  Everybody thinks that happiness is hard to achieve without money or success, but this book makes you realize that it is the simple things that can change your perception of life.

The book was somewhat slow reading for me through the first couple of chapters but then picked up after those. I enjoyed how there were exercises that were in each chapter to help find your own happiness animal.  I cannot say that I was able to complete these exercises as of yet but I am willing to try to figure out my own happiness animal. 

I already feel happier after reading this book Lol. I wish every emotion I experienced came with a users guide like this book. I learned so much about myself reading this book, a very happy surprise. The author lays out the book by mapping out critically important values to cultivate in order to experience and live in true happiness. Happiness exists in a symbiotic way with attributes like frankness and integrity. I found myself nodding and smiling at many junctures in the book-it made so much sense!

I go to the gym to work out my body and consider it integral to my overall health. After reading this book, I have a cadre of exercises to keep my happiness muscle tight and right as well. Reading this book was like giving myself a present. What I learned has helped strengthen every relationship in my life, highly recommend.

This author explains that we can achieve happiness from thinking positive. This is something I believe to be 100% true. The energy we put out into the universe is what we get in return. He expressed how changing your thought process will help you to get better results in life.  After finishing this book, I plan to fully implement this way of thinking into my life. The author shares personal experiences throughout this book, which  are very encouraging. He tells how he changed to achieve happiness and used that to inspire others. Change, even though many shy away from it, is a good thing. He explains what to do and what not to do to achieve this happiness. This is definitely a good book for the sad or pessimistic people of the world. I have been depressed with my life for many years. Now I see there is light at the end of the tunnel, which makes me feel good. I feel inspired by this book to be a positive influence in the world and to help others. The book is definitely worth the money and time. Well done, 5 stars

Overall, I thought this book had some helpful exercises and tips. The myths about happiness in the beginning felt intuitive; who honestly hasn't heard that money can't make you happy? Or that material pleasures are ultimately meaningless in the grand scheme of things? But beyond this, the muscle exercises felt like meaningful mental reminders that someone could use to their advantage in daily life. Reminding yourself to be honest and kind is surely something everyone could do from time to time. Some of the more precise exercises (trusting body language and recognition and appreciation, for example) were conceptually sound, but seemed a bit odd in practice.

In the end, it wasn't a very difficult read and I thought it had a refreshing take on how to be actively happier.

I found the Happiness Animal to be an interesting read. It’s part self-help, part motivational, part philosophical. The book helps you understand how to train and strengthen your ‘Happiness Animal’, the part of you that is built and designed to be happy. The book’s theory is that we allow our happiness animal to get weak through a lack of exercise, just like any other muscle, and that through training and focus, we can train our happiness animal to maximize our potential happiness. There are exercises included in the book to help you learn methods of training your happiness animal, and I enjoyed taking time to focus a lot of attention on something that for most of us is a secondary consideration. A lot of the exercises focus on honing one part of what it takes to be happy, be that honesty, trust or authenticity. The exercises are pretty straightforward, I was able to do some of them in the car or at my desk at work. There’s a lot of focus on the senses being the driver of truth, and that being key to finding happiness. I wasn’t totally on board with that theory, but I found the concept very interesting: the assumptions, connections and pressures we carry around negatively impact our 'true' perception of the world – available only through our direct senses – and if we can get back to a childhood state of relying primarily on our senses to guide us, that will bring us happiness. This book was an easy read, but a thought-provoking one!

If you are an actor, like I am, then it’s likely you’ve suffered from crippling depression at some point in your life -- such as the artist stereotype goes. It is also likely that The Happiness Animal will resonate strongly with you, as many of the exercises Will Jelbert chooses to include in his book are quite similar to the training and warm-ups you might encounter in an acting class or in a theatrical production. In his book he calls his readers to be present in their daily lives, rooting that presence in our immediate senses. He then offers ways to find happiness in our present situations through cultivating honesty (with ourselves and others); realizing that our kindness to others is inextricably connecting to being kind to ourselves; learning how to tolerate the hard times (pain and fear) as well as you embrace joy in your life; maintaining a strong sense of awareness of things, people, and/or situations that may or may not be good for you; and finding the courage to be completely and 100% the person that is you.
What I really appreciated about this book is that Jelbert opens the book with a very personal story around his own struggles with happiness, which allowed me as a reader to unapologetically question my own. There is, however, an abrupt switch in voice from what felt very personal to somewhat “preachy;” however, read on and you will come to know this new voice as quite helpful. Regardless of whether or not you are an actor, Jelbert offers a simple system for feeding our “Happiness Animals”, backed by some of my personal favorite theorist in happiness studies. Through these theorists he reveals the complexities of our very human struggles with happiness, and simplifies those struggles into palatable exercises for anyone.

Happiness has always seemed like this aloof concept to me, and I’ve heard a million different strategies and theories on how to achieve it. For being such an essential part of our lives, the concept of true happiness has always seemed complicated and lacking a straightforward path. The Happiness Animal provides a solid foundation for beginning to understand the complexities of happiness, as well as all of the characteristics and strategies that go into finding it.
I’ve always been an anxious person, and what I found most helpful about Jelbert’s book was the advice on how to deal with stress and anxiety. He explains where these feelings come from and how we can tame them, all relating to our own happiness. I found myself really tapping into my inner thoughts and imagining what my true self actually looks like. I’ve started evaluating all of my never-ending to-do lists, and thinking about Jelbert’s words: “It’s like trying to dig a hole in the sand with the tide coming in. But you can float in a boat and come back when the tide is out.”
This book really opens your eyes to what it means to be human; how important it is to trust and forgive others, to take risks to be happy, and even just taking time to hug. There are some good exercises that tackle specific areas you might want to work on, like forgiving people, understanding your fears, or how to be fully present while listening. All in all, a solid book on happiness.

The Happiness Animal is a colorful and completely unique experience. It depicts one man’s journey to find true internal happiness amid life’s many pitfalls, earthly possessions and emphasises falsely disguising themselves as happiness. Author Will Jelbert explains his own pursuit of happiness in detail throughout the book, illuminating the self discovered truth that he wouldn’t be able to help anyone until he was able to help himself. He states that what cultivates true internal happiness for all is universal. His voice and personality come through vividly in his writing. Page after page defines an “animal” that embodies happiness and dwells in each of us. He then goes on to instruct how to care for it.
He explains that the animal has five main muscles that need to be exercised. By utilizing these muscles, true happiness is attainable. The animal’s muscles are honesty, kindness, tolerance, awareness, and courage. His approach as a physical regiment makes the fleeting feeling so many seek seem far more tangible. Jelbert’s work sheds new light on what it means to be happy.

The cover art is the first thing that caught my eye and interested me—it’s just happy. “The Happiness Animal” is a guide to being happy. It outlines steps that you can do to exercise the five muscles that help empower you and let you experience happiness. These five things are honesty, kindness, tolerance, awareness, and courage. The author lists the typical “happiness traps” that people fall into: that money, material things, comfort and luxury can all bring you happiness. The book is basically a guide to being happy without falling into one of these traps.

At first it took me a little bit to get into this book—I don’t typically read anything from the self help genre—but I do feel that this is a good book for anyone trying to better themselves and truly be happy. Much of what the author writes about on how to be happy is so obvious, but that doesn’t mean people do those things. The way he writes is so clear and simple it makes you wonder why you haven’t been taking these steps towards happiness this whole time.

The book lists a website you can go to for “The Happiness Animal” that contains a bunch of information. One nice touch is that you can sign up to receive a “daily dose of happiness” via email. Now who doesn’t need a little more happiness in their life? If you’re looking to better yourself, give this book a shot.

Numerous people struggle with being happy and have asked the infamous questions: 'how can I be happy? Where can I find happiness? What does it take to be happy?' Jelbert dives into what it takes to be happy and where to find happiness. He even use this past and present or even future experiences to figure out why happiness is so elusive or how he found happiness in that moment. He writes and explains how it happened and he gives the reader ideas on how to find their own happiness when they are struggling. He debunks the saying 'money can't buy you happiness.' He even debunks numerous other myths about what you can do to he happy (for example, having more money is not one of them). He adds his own experiences to make him connect more to the reader. Personally, reading his book has helped me when it comes to finding happiness for myself.

Will Jelbert’s The Happiness Animal is a great book which outlines five things that he has researched that build what he calls your happiness muscles. By exercising each of these muscles, he says, you become a happier, more enlightened person who doesn’t worry about what the world thinks but is happy with himself.
Jelbert takes a chapter to talk about each of the happiness muscles: honesty, kindness, tolerance, awareness, and courage. Each chapter starts with a story to help you see what the lack of each characteristic looks like in real life. Then he uses that example to show how to build and improve your happiness muscle. Each chapter also contains several exercises, practical ways to improve your happiness muscle.
I don’t think this book should be read in one sitting, or even in one week. To get the most out of what he is saying here, you need to take the time to really discover yourself, your weaknesses, and your strengths. Jelbert’s book is well written and easy to read. He even uses his own personal stories and experiences in several cases, which makes you feel like he knows what he’s talking about because he’s been there.
If there’s any part of you that can say “I’m not truly happy”, then this is a must read. The person who really works with the words in this book can improve himself and find how to exercise his happiness animal for a more rewarding life.

In The Happiness Animal, Will Jelbert looks at happiness as a muscle of the body – or rather a group of 5 muscles – that need to be exercised. Taking time to re-asses his own happiness led him write the book, or rather a condensed, applied version of current psychological theories, on “happy.” He looks at each of the 5 muscles individually, giving anecdotal examples of man’s struggles, and offering exercises that the reader can do to identify and strengthen each of the muscles.
Reading the book – in my opinion – was a bit like physical exercise; there were moments where I was engaged, motivated and energized by his perspective. There were also times where I had to talk myself into picking it up and turning the pages. Overall, though, I find that I’m not disappointed that I stuck it out and finished it. I found myself questioning my own negative attitude towards certain moments in the book and re-evaluated my expectations – much like Jelbert encourages us to do in his text – to find myself exercising those Happiness muscles.

The idea is good. The realization is not perfect. There's a gap between physical muscles and emotional life. I understand the idea to practice happiness like a muscle. But still, it's a bit awkward. The frequent use of words invented by the author complicate the read more than it simplifies it unnecessarily.

The Happiness Animal is such an interesting book which helps us understand what really makes one happy through short stories which are so real and believable. Will writes in such a simple way which helped me visualize everything he said. I read the book in one go and I will be reading it again and again so that i can start exercising my happiness animal properly

There is lots of interesting information in the book which will help us realize the true essence of happy living

I am happy that I read the book and hope you all will enjoy reading it too

The Happiness Animal

By; Will Jelbert

I found the Happiness Animal (HA), to be quite the eye opener for me personally.

If you are looking to better the quality of your life, I highly recommend this book.

The (HA) is a reminder to exercise the mind's muscles that control happiness in one’s life. The author illuminates certain behaviors by drawing the reader to take a more truthful look at themselves and their actions, along with the “why” of their actions, creating a more authentic view of self and others. In return you gain experiences that are more in harmony, when in the presence of one another, creating a happier (Happiness Animal) life.

The author encourages the reader to be in tune with focusing on their own behaviors, along with those that they come in contact with, during their daily lives. Being attentive to one another will create altruism and cause more of a unity. Teaching to be grateful and exercise all of your God given emotions, to create better overall health and happiness.

The author gives many examples and shares many exercises (tests) to helping one be more aware of the readers actions and in turn shares the outcome of certain behaviors, and then gives a solution or an alternative answer to solving certain issues, that might be more harmful, than helpful to oneself (creating a negativity in the life).

A self-help book, with many theories and many tested solutions, so it’s worthwhile to read.

Although, I have a different view on some of the theories mentioned, it is quite apparent, that much thought and research has gone into this book. It makes for an interesting read.

Reviewed by;

Renita Newman

A profound self help book. I loved it and read it twice, skipping the personal stories that detract from the author's principal content that is otherwise most illuminating for a guide to happiness. If everyone followed a few simple guidelines from the book the world would be a far more peaceful and happier place to live.

Very insightful, also supported by significant research and studies. The author shares a lot of personal stories, which adds a layer of credibility and also helps the reader to connect and relate. He also offers a lot of suggestions, some modern, some based on ancient wisdom from Roman Philosophers. It was overall, very solution-oriented, and progressive. I particularly enjoyed reading about the author's own struggles and how he was able to overcome them--which really set this book apart from the other Happiness books for me. Great read!

"The Happiness Animal" by Will Jelbert is a book in which Jelbert talks about you five happiness muscles. Although that does sound a little odd this book has a lot of truth, good advice, and power in the words written inside the book.

I appreciate that Jelbert doesn't just tell you what these five happiness muscles are but he also includes good ways to build on them.

Jelbert doesn't just tell you what these five happiness muscles are or how to build on them. He wen't the extra mile and at the end of almost every chapter there is a workbook page! The workbook page is for you to review what you learned and begin practicing what you learned immediately.

Thinking this cant get any better? Oh, but it can. As mentioned before Jelbert gives you exercises to build up your five happiness muscles but he didn't just include ones you can do solo. He also provided exercises you can work with a partner on. As well as some you can do in a group.

Each chapter begins with a small story that shows the point of the chapter. He then proceeds to break everything down into smaller points. He goes through and explains each of those points.

He also gives scientific explanations as to why these exercises work. So you don't have to just completely take his word for it. When there is scientific proof how could it be wrong?

The book is very well written and easy to understand. Jelbert doesn't just throw facts at you and tell you this is what you have to do. The tone is fun and encouraging.

I think this book is a way to better yourself and your life. I believe we all want better. We all could have and do better. That starts with change. One of my favorite quotes is “By changing nothing, nothing changes.” -Tony Robbins. Iv been taking that to heart lately. Just think about it. I know my change starts now.

Happiness is one of the most sought-after emotions or states of being by the human race. Period. Almost anything anyone does is motivated by the attempt to make themselves happy. Some people may have found their own “secret” to happiness, but there are countless people still searching for it.

I generally consider myself a happy person and I was curious as to what this book was about. When I picked it up and started to read, it made me reflect upon my own life: my motivations, my goals, everything that I do and why I bother to do it. I realized that many of the things that I work towards such as nice things, a good future for myself, and time relaxing rather than working, are all things that in the end, will most likely not make me happy. I feel like this book, like it will for many others, made me better as a human and while it may not have made me any happier, the lessons learned are very applicable to every day life.

Will Jelbert examines not only the concept of happiness and the myths and fiction that we have created about it, but goes into the depths of how to nurture and exercise the human soul to make yourself happy. He provides different areas of the human spirit to exercise on an every day basis like honesty to make yourself happier internally rather than through external means because, as he explains in his book, you can’t furnish your soul with anything physical.

This book not only is philosophically and psychologically ingenuitive and intelligent, but it is very user-friendly. It’s not just a dense book of philosophical ideas like you might find with Plato’s “Republic” or Machiavelli’s “The Prince”, it’s a guide that helps you understand your own sources of unhappiness or discontent and provides you with the means to cure you from unhappiness. There are anecdotes and exercises galore provided by the author and are extremely helpful because they make you ask yourself tough questions and get to the root of human soul and solve any problems that you might have. There is also an element of accountability that is phenomenal as some of the exercises, although not required, suggest enlisting the help of a friend or loved one to walk through this journey to the essence of happiness with you.

The stories, analogies, and anecdote from the author’s own personal life make this book reliable and helpful because rather than someone just telling you how to be happy, it comes from someone who has been unhappy and has researched countless hours, performed studies and surveys on this idea of happiness, and compiled all of his findings into this book for the reader so that they can also find happiness like the author was ultimately able to. The research that the author provides from psychologists and doctors from all over are incredible and astounding in what they found and genuinely surprised me and made me see what was being discussed from a different point of view. One example is that it was found that once basic needs are met based on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, any luxury or dollar amount added doesn’t provide any more additional happiness.

While this isn’t a book that you read to relax and dive into a story, it’s a book that I think everyone should read. It helps you realize that happiness isn’t something that can be bought or obtained by any means other than you making yourself happy through strengthening your spirit. This book makes you ask yourself questions and is very thought-provoking. Even if you just love philosophical quotes, this book is for you. I can’t wait to finish reading the rest of it and I highly recommend it for anyone regardless of your stage of life or your position on the happiness spectrum.

The Happiness Animal is a good book to read if you are looking for more ways to be happy. Life can be difficult and stressful, so it always helps to find out ways to be happier. The author includes a good point about how there really is no word for the opposite of demoralizing. Think about it. The word moral doesn't mean the opposite of demoralizing. The author presents different things that you have probably already heard don't make you happy. But the author writes in a way that really gets the point across instead of simply saying something like money doesn't bring you happiness. I agree that materialistic stuff doesn't make you happier. Focusing too much on things in life that you can buy or want to buy that you don't need can make you miserable. My favorite muscle in the book was the kindness chapter. When I first started reading this book it was not what I was expecting. But that is a good thing because the author presented a bunch of useful information. I liked how there was various quotes to move the book along to the various points. I feel like I learned a few new things from this book. I thought it was interesting that once you reach the end, you can further your happiness animal journey by visiting the included website. It doesn't feel forced on the reader even though it is selling something.

Was great reading validation of my personal values on life ... very enlightening ..... loved it ... would ease the life of many if they have the drive to read it....... need to read it again to keep the naimal happy :)

Human beings are on a constant quest to find happiness. Happiness is connecting well with existence, to inspire and be inspired. Happiness is never about what is owned, status quo or physical appearance. Happiness comes from within. The concept of happiness has been narrowed down to five aspects. This book is a guide on how to sharpen and hone those five happiness muscles to achieve maximum happiness. The muscles being: honesty, kindness, tolerance, awareness, and courage. Can a human being be truly happy? Is it possible to gain full and ultimate control of one’s happiness? What steps does one need to take to be in possession of their happiness reins?
The Happiness Animal by Will Jelbert is an essential tool in finding and nurturing one’s happiness animal. To enjoy and benefit from this book, the reader needs to clear their head of everything and approach the lessons therein with a sober and open mind. The tone of writing is conversational and the reader feels as if they are having a conversation with a trusted friend or brother. The author incorporated practical experiences and quotes. The information and lessons in this book are backed by in-depth research into all matters happiness.
The book is hard to follow in some parts and could have been edited better but no matter. This is a necessary read for everyone. It arms the reader with important information in the quest for happiness and peace. The reader, once done, will crave for more. This book will leave one very inspired and ready to, finally, be happy.

Looking at the cover, I really wasn’t sure if I could take this book seriously or not. However, upon the initial reading of the first few chapters, the author explains the process of recognizing our own limiting thoughts, beliefs and misconceptions about happiness. I mean, how many of us truly believe that we are, inexplicably, the only ones that control our happiness? I definitely recognized my own dark and negative thoughts that popped into my head, especially throughout the remainder of the reading. The hard part is accepting that it IS our own thoughts that do limit us and restrict or encourage the outcome. But trying to re-wire what has already been hard wired into our upbringing will be the most difficult task that we ever will have to do. I can’t say if the advise and encouraging words will be successful, at this point, but I can already see how beneficial it Could be. That being said, I know whether the success or failure is completely of my own doing and choosing. It’s going to be a challenge to actually be mindful of redirecting my own thoughts but I’m always up for a challenge. And on a side note: this actually brings up some more re-directing thoughts, on my part. The challenge of being able to change the direction, As they occur, absolutely reminds me of meditation and Yoga and being in tune, not only with myself but my surroundings. That, in itself, could Be considered my re-direction
Finishing the book, I had this sinking feeling in my gut that there should be more and could be more, even though the last word had been read. I believe this could really be a great tool for a new direction in the school system. Thank you for the insight into a new direction and to true happiness

Connecting to this writer’s style is essential in order to grasp his message. For some, it may be their first time in reaching out to verify information about HAPPINESS. There is current research sited on managing one’s emotional life as relates to HAPPINESS, which is important.
Several important ideas are shared with our global population on this subject.

For some, this is a fun read because it is great to re-visit and be reminded of ideas pertaining to our personal HAPPINESS. Moreover, this is a younger man’s perspective offering delicious cultural spins and twists given this person’s various geographies, opportunities and privilege’s being offered to today’s younger professionals.

Be this as it may for some, this writer clearly displays a passion for helping other’s grasp the concept of HAPPINESS. For many reader’s, this work offers a “fast track” in connecting and verifying your personal and evolving realization of your enormous power, as an individual, in achieving tremendous HAPPINESS – today- if only an individual will take personal responsibility through critical decisions – to make it happen, generally speaking.

I feel a kind of relationship with the reading material … as if Jelbert (author) presents perhaps as a son, brother, friend or grandson in communication with me. Also, as a hyper-vigilant person, when I entering into “client” relationship - without a personal visit to the professional office- call me “old school” I am cautions and extremely careful! Certainly take a read with the realization that there are truths shared in the content which will set you free to own your personal Happiness within the time it takes to read Jelbert’s content.

The Happiness Animal is a life changing experience. Author Will Jelbert delivers an insightful and intelligent look at what happiness is and how to achieve it. The book delves into philosophy, science, psychology and introspection while providing excellent guidance on how to achieve happiness in your life.

Jelbert’s engaging anecdotes allow the reader to relate to each situation and learn the happiness components demonstrated in them. Reading this book is like talking with a dear friend and receiving the guidance and care you need. Learning that happiness is obtainable and that it is something you can have now is inspiring. Jelbert explains that many people spend their lives thinking they will be happier if they have more time, money, et cetera, but the truth is you can achieve sustained happiness now. The exercises provided in the book are mind-opening and truly helpful. They will help strength your happiness animal and enrich your life. I am so happy to have discovered this book and to have the tools now to make myself truly happy. I am grateful to Will Jelbert for sharing this brilliant guide with the world. I highly recommend it!

The Happiness Animal by Will Jelbert is an interesting book based on the theory that within each human being, there is an inner facet of ourselves that is responsible for happiness, peace and inner balance. When we are unhappy or unsettled, the “Animal” is not content.
Author, Will Jelbert, shares his personal experiences and the lesson’s he learned. He then goes several steps further in explaining how he progressed from days of seemingly impossible struggles to the realization of what needed to be done to change his path. From cover to cover, Jelbert specifically outlines the lessons that he has applied in his own life to feed his own “Happiness Animal”. These lessons are founded on years of Jelbert’s research into factors that create a true sense of happiness. He clearly outlines the key points that can be applied to one's life in order to reach a mind/body balance. As the reader journey’s through the pages, it becomes evident that those key points are essential in feeding the reader’s own “Happiness Animal” thus creating and/or balancing what is unsettled.
Will Jelbert has succeeded in offering his readers an extremely clear and concise blueprint to inner contentment through guided lessons in his trademark style of inspirational self empowerment.

Unfortunately, I did not feel this book quite delivers the message it seems to want to deliver. Though I was motivated and interested in the topic, I found my mind wandering as the points being made seemed to "jump around" and lose momentum. It's rare that I can't finish a book, but I had to give up on this one. :-(

There could possibly be something helpful here, but its so buried in laborious, overly wordy, random drivel I couldn't get past chapter 1 to find out. Getting to the point isn't the author's strong suit. This book seriously needs an editor.

Very easy to understand and implement once a certain level of EQ has been achieved, but doesn't deal with physical trauma that one deals with and can set the emotional state into negative feedback loop.

A valuable read. I learned a few new things. The ideas in this book can help a person overcome many obstacles to their happiness. Not only does the author share with you his knowledge and thoughts, he presents the information in an easy to read style.

I feel like the actual information in the book was helpful and pointed out a lot of things that people can work on, but the way it was written really made me drag my feet on finishing it. It didn’t have that anxious urge to read all the time like I do with a great book. I don’t regret buying it, but I wouldn’t read it again.

not bad.quality of chapters are not even. best sentences are usually the quotations. for that I will consider rather reading the books in the reference list. though not a professional writer in this kind of book, the author's efforts are noticeable. in sum, good perspective in a modest readability.

Crass and uses foul language. Probably has some good advice but I didn't find it uplifting and opted not to finish it. There are better, more inspiring self-help books out there. Try Brene Brown books.

I like the self-help genre and who isn't interested in learning to feel or be happier?

However, I found this book impossible to get through.
After struggling to get through the first 50 pages or so I began to skim through it, thinking at some point it might get better.

It didn't.

So what's wrong with this book about learning to be happier?

Well, first of all it's poorly written. The author doesn't know how to write in an engaging way, and more than anything the book lacks an Editor, someone to go through it and say "This could be more to the point." "The book is too long." ." You need to tighten it up here." ." Lose this section." "Shorten this story.". "Make this more clear and easy to read." Etc.

The book is 300 pages! It should have been 150 at most!

It's not that there isn't good info in it, it's just that the author doesn't know how to take all that info and put it into a nice, fun to read format and concentrate the useful info into a more cohesive plan of action, a more "to the point" set of chapters.

I usually never skim through a book and I hate to write a "bad" review but I thought maybe the author could take my constructive criticism and use it to make his next book better. I really found it very hard to get through and I usually read every single word of 95% of the books I start reading.

So my 3 year old accidentally bought this from my kindle the one time I dared to turn around and do something productive. I am not entirely mad, as it seems to be interesting so far. I'm gonna chalk it up to one of those events where its meant to be

The first chapter was good. After that it deteriorates greatly. It rambles around, became uninteresting, and almost seemed completely incoherent. I stopped reading it and never finished the book. There are so many books better than this one--don't waste your time on this. Most publishers wouldn't publish this book the way it's written.

Well, the concept of the book and the authors perspective is noteable. However, I was greatly dissapointed. The best writings are the quotes- without a doubt. I felt at times the author would really over reach something, trying to make his thoughts fit the examples given and they just didn't click. My mind just kind of felt all over the place while reading this. It almost put me in a kind of irritable mood where I just couldn't wait to finish it and be done (I never quit reading a book no matter how disappointing it is). It's obviously not everyone's cup of tea, as you can tell from the wide ranging reviews. My advice would be the same as another reviewer, better to read the references the author notes through out the book.

This book is a pamphlet fluffed up into a book by an excess of repetitive, talk-show-level pseudoscience and meandering, self-indulgent authorial diary entries in lieu of any concrete support for his approach. Bad writing, and terrible pop psychology. All of the advice is just basic common sense, and the "happiness animal" concept is effectively meaningless. Don't waste your time.

The book titled Happiness Animals by Will Jelbert is an intrinsic read that draws you into the story line from the very first chapter. This book will really have you examining what the true meaning of happiness is which is more than this euphoric feeling of butterflies, the accumulation of tangible items of gratification, or a mere sense of calmness. It is much more than that! Happiness is not dependent on what is “happening” in our lives and the author communicates this well by allowing readers in an interactive way, think beyond their emotions, current knowledge, and landscape of education. I can tell the author has a heart and a passion to see readers be healed, happy, and whole. In my opinion, this book indirectly draws on some cognitive behavioral approaches that focus on the whole person as one unit (mind, body, and soul) and not just on one of the aforementioned areas which is great! The body is connected, what we think, believe, and feel will ultimately impact our decisions, including the decision or choice to be happy. The author provides brief self-assessments in the book which I found to be helpful in determining exactly where I was on the happiness spectrum, if I was on the right track, and if changes in my perspective is needed. Surprisingly, the author takes you on a journey to truly exercise your happiness animal muscles in such a way that encourages, empowers, and moralizes readers to live a happy more fulfilled life. This is a great book and recommend that everyone read it at least once!

Whether you’re an adept or a newcomer to the process of Mindfulness, The Happiness Animal is an excellent tool to gain. The book looks to guide the reader into being better able to handle the world around them as well as becoming more positively attuned to it. Starting from the beginning the author takes an approachable tone and helps structure his method, as titled The Happiness Animal, from the most basic concepts to the top. Not too wordy that it’s incomprehensible, not too basic that an experienced Mindfullness user would have nothing to gain. The presentation of the information moves in a way that builds upon itself. Including several exercises placed at perfect intervals, he does more than just say what to do but offers a pathway to start practicing the system, even before you obtain all the information. The flow of each chapter and it’s subsequent parts feels natural and how one would learn mindfulness through coming to their own conclusions after absorbing all the information. While the Happiness Animal is not the first book to be written in the self-help and mindfulness category, it still does a great job at presenting the topic in a cohesive and palatable way. For those looking to better help themselves, I would recommend picking this book up, and at the very least trying the exercises written throughout. For those looking to connect more with their environment in a constructive way, this book will aid you as well. This is a book that is worth re-referencing later just for the value the exercises provide.

I had to stop reading about half way through. The author makes claims like "looking better won't make you happy" and then provides evidence by comparing countries' self reported happiness with cosmetic sales, or using the "science" of the polygraph (lie detector) to support his claims.

Also, while this book may contain some good advice (avoiding materialism, drugs, etc), some is absolutely awful. DO NOT contact someone you "don't like" and arrange a meeting with them to tell them why you resent them. This is probably the worst advice I have ever read outside of internet forums. If you don't like someone and they aren't in your life, then let them be.

Avoid reading this book, especially if you are happy. At times it almost feels like he is trying to convince you that you aren't actually happy and you need to follow his rules to change.

Will Jelbert reveals in his book ”The Happiness Animal” how to live a happy life. The book is filled with nice anecdotal stories that keep the attention of the reader. The book is a motivational high-spirited book that is much needed today. Are people virtually happiness-animals? Perhaps, according to Jelbert who based his book on both academic research and the advice of experts in the field. It is a great book to read on a plane or while traveling to make sure that when you are at play that is all you think of and when you are work, you enjoy what you do. The book helps people defend against toxic people that can lead you into unhappiness-traps. Great self-help book.

It has helped me through a rough patch recently where I was living in gear of my past and a subsequent fear of the future. Having some muscles to exercise around awareness and paying attention to what's happening right now is invaluable.

PROS: If you're not a very reflective person, or if you have read very little about happiness research, then this is a good beginner's book to the subject. It explains, for example, why being generous might make you feel happier.
CONS: The advice was too general or repeated what other authors have already said too much for my use. There was also a lot of space given to blocks of text defining every little word or repeating exercises that had just been discussed. It looked like the editors were just trying to make the pages more visually interesting, rather than adding useful content in the blocks.

I found this book very disappointing. For one, it was poorly written and edited, although I was prepared to overlook those problems if it had good content. Unfortunately, it felt like there was more filler than useful, actionable content. However, I did find one of the exercises useful, and that at least made it worth my time.

I have no idea what the point of this book was. It was an impulse item from a Kindle advert, and I'm glad I got it for free because after 16% I had to call it quits. I found it very repetitive--and yes I understand stating a few different ways, we all learn differently--and examples ran on ad nauseum. I didn't relate to the sad stories about these miserable people, Ko, Rachelle, Doug, Nadia... I know those kind of people! And you know what?! I steer far away from them in real life, why do I want to read about crappy people in a book--that's not very happy!

The "example people" have zero self-awareness, lack a spine, have little regard for others, are self-righteous, or all the above. I don't think those kinds of people are planning on reading this book.

I have no idea where the animals are supposed to come in, cute on the cover and that's about it.

On a good note, there are a lot of really good quotes, honestly the best part.

I amm sorry i can't pit a one star. i am too nice. i hope the author reads this stuff. I wasted thirty three min. on this. i want my time back. i sampled it so i spent no money. i am sory to say that this is too self centered. it needs action. not stuf about a brain injury and HIS problems. i want to read about how to solve MY problems. i hate being picky but... this was a bad bom. sorry not sorry.

I'm cray in my brain brain cuz my brain brain is so cray cray.
OOH, KNOW WUT MAKES ME HAPPY, CATS!!!!!!!
CATS MAKE ME VERY HAPPY!!!!!! But so does my mom.....
OH! WHATCH DISPICABLE ME!!!!!!!!!
#3 #ME #WASHINGTON DC #......#......
#Ineedalife.

I didn't relate to some of his examples, but the information was very well-written and presented in a useable format. I appreciated the references, and the way the author didn't claim to be final authority on his conclusions.

Still reading this - but the constant inclusion of terms like bull s* is really a turn off. Obviously, this author has put a whole of time and effort into the format of the book - which is nice, but why is it so routine to throw vulgarities into it ? This is not good at all and should have been pointed out by an editor or reviewer - maybe it was ?

While not my usual mystery and thriller type books I read, there were some profound words in this book about respect, happiness and kindness. Wish the whole world would read it and be able to draw something from it.

Profound words "You become happy by existing well. You are well when you are kind, kid when you are honest, honest when you are courageous, courageous when you are aware, aware when you are tolerant".

I love the self help genre. I love the topic of happiness.

I was excited that this book would be an amalgam of wisdom brought together from both the past and present. However, I found the actual result of this book to be poorly written and hard to follow.

To be fair, I think with the proper editor, this book could really shine.

Right now, I think the author is trying to cram too much into one book, and the order of which doesn't always make sense.

Note to the author: keep writing! I love that concepts, you have interesting ideas. Please get an editor though; someone with fresh eyes to comb through your work.

I like this book because it is about animals. My daughter Adelina says that they allow her to calm down if she is mad or frustrated. I absolutely agree with her because animals live in nature and nature has many calming rivers.

...but I just felt sad that I didn't find anything useful. (well, almost nothing)
At 75% I quit.
…I cannot picture asking someone/anyone whom I dislike to sit in front of me while I tell them 'why' - really?… (Might not there a better way?)
WOULD YOU?

Some solid ideas here but lots of editing issues. It undermines the author's credibility and weakens his premise. A couple of the metaphors didn't work, and the vignettes with names overapping was confusing - how many girlfriends did Ko have, anyway? A good editor would have made all the difference. Not taking the time and effort to use one comes off as lazy, arrogant, or simply unprofessional.

I guess I have to give it a star if I want to submit this dumb thing but if I was allowed to I would give it no stars! It is so boring I didn't finish this book. I always read full books! Peeps, take my advice and don't read this stupid book!*_* (that is me asleep)

True happiness is not obtained by physical means.

Although worldly things may bring temporary happiness, this is not true happiness.

And "worldly things" includes books.

Maybe a book can teach you good life principles, maybe it can bring you temporary enjoyment. Maybe people can help you out. But none of these are true happiness.

True joy is obtained one way, and one way only. What is this way? Through Jesus Christ. Jesus said in the Bible, "Come to me, all you that are weary, and burdened, and I will give you rest."

This book is essentially a lie and a scam. There are a lot of positive reviews, but I personally ignore them. According to the negative reviews, this book is poorly written with sad stories and profanity. That's not going to make you "happier," is it? No!

I have not bought this book, and I highly recommend you do not either. It promises to show you the secret to happiness, when all it's going to do is yell profanity in your face and tell you lies. If you are searching for true happiness, don't look here. Look to God.