5 Minutes for Books: The Happiness Project
Are you happy? Would you like to be happier?
I’ve always been a fairly optimistic, roll-with-the-punches, glass half-full kind of person. I’m happy. But even before reading Gretchen Rubin’s yearlong exploration of happiness The Happiness Project, I knew that there were choices I made and habits that I have that interfered with the goal of happiness — not only my own, but also the people who share life with me.
This is the time of year that people reevaluate their lives and examine the changes that they should make to make it better.
Gretchen Rubin felt like she was a happy person, but she wanted to know why, and wanted to know what she could do to maintain or increase that happiness. As a journalist, she read works by Aristotle and other social scientists concerning the whys and hows of happiness. She decided that she would devote each month to exploring one particular area of her life that she hoped to improve, such as health, marriage, parenting, spirituality, hobbies etc.
I loved this book (so much so that I’ve added it to our best of the best 5 Star Reads list at 5 Minutes for Books). While the areas that I would choose to explore would differ slightly from Rubin’s, I laughed as she shared her personal journey. For example, while focusing on her marriage, she treated her husband (without telling him) to a “week of extreme nice.” But by the end of the week, she found herself irritated that he was not more appreciative and observant of how she was going out of her way to please him — thus defeating the happiness project.
The book was a great balance of personal experience, journalistic research and facts, with plenty of humor thrown in. It’s quite readable and interesting, and it definitely inspired me to work harder at being happy and appearing happy to those around me.
Want more info? Check out The Happiness Project Blog where you can even sign the petition to make 2010 a happier year. But this is a book I strongly recommend that you buy.
What’s even better — two of you (U.S. or Canadian shipping addresses) will win a copy of The Happiness Project. Just leave a comment. If you’d like to tell me one area of your life you want to work on in 2010, please do. You can check out my goals, inspired or solidified by The Happiness Project, check out my blog entry where I talk about my own Happiness Project.
We will announce the winners in next week’s column.
The winner of the Simon and Schuster big book giveaway is #88 Amy.
Book blogger Jennifer Donovan manages 5 Minutes for Books and blogs at Snapshot. She thanks Harper Collins for the review and giveaway copies of the book.
131 Comments
In 2010, I plan on working on enjoying life more and not being so serious.
I would like to focus on getting in shape and trying to lose about 10 pounds.
I’ve got so much I want to work on – it’s hard to narrow things down! I guess I’d like to get organized and prioritized…
janemaritz at yahoo dot com
We posted about this giveaway at Winning Readings: http://winningreadings.blogspot.com/2010/01/happiness-project.html
I need to focus on my cleanliness/organization. My apartment looks like a tornado hit it on most days.
I’ve followed Gretchen Rubin’s blog for 2 years now, and her ideas have helped me to try to gather my thoughts and get motivated in ways that work for me to add some happiness to my otherwise “scrambled” life. What I would like to do in the very near future is to get myself and my home organized, and get rid of things that I tend to hold onto because of emotional attachments, and not because I need them for anything.
Raych:
Maybe you could post a note on your library bulletin board requesting to borrow a copy of the book if anyone personally owns one. Anyone who reads a great book like this would be glad to share with another, I would think.
If you can find a way to save up the $14.00 by cutting back in other areas, such as buying “special coffees,” lottery tickets, smoking, etc. (I’m not saying that you do these things, but if so, it’s a way to save money.)
Do hope that you can get your hands on this book…it’s worth the read. I’ve followed Gretchen’s Happiness Project blog by RSS feed and have also read excerpts of the book by Googling in “excerpts of Gretchen Rubin’s latest book” and there’s information on a lot of sites.
I don’t have the book yet, but plan to get it for my grown daughter…but not without sneaking a read of it first myself!
Oh yes, maybe you could split the cost of the book with one or two friends.
Just a few ideas. Good luck!
My health…excercise more, eat healthier, get checkups!!
I’ve been following Gretchen’s blog for a few weeks now and really enjoying her journey toward happiness.
I want to work on being more organized!
I have so many areas that I want to work on in 2010. One major goal is to be healthier by eating less junk and being more active. I think that would make me feel a lot better and be happier.
fionen_ftw @ fionen dot com
I want to work on getting more sleep!
Ive been having trouble sleeping for a while, and I really need to get past it.
This looks like a really interesting book. I’d like to work on appreciating the moment and not worrying so much about things that are out of my control.
Im pretty sure this is goin to be the happiest year of my life. I would love to enter.
I want to work on being more productive.
This looks like a great book. I would love to read it.
Thank you for the AWESOME GIVEAWAY.. Please count me in
This looks great! Please enter me!
BethsBookReviewBlog AT gmail DOT com
I am working on spending more time individually with each of my children so they have a chance to have some one on one parent time without being interupted by siblings.
Please enter me
I need happiness! 2009 was a very depressing year. I would like to bring more happiness into my work life!
I recently saw the author on the Today Show & what she said really hit home – I’d love to read the book.
I love Rubin’s site and I can’t wait to read this book and begin my own Happiness Project. After the 2009 I’ve had, I am in great need of it! I have several areas I can think of off the top of my head I want to work on: Organization, Getting Healthier, Communication, and Having More Fun in Life. Thanks for the giveaway!
Finding a better job.
I need to work on my finances.
I’m trying to work on my health. Particularly smoking!
family that is what I want to work in since my children are all growing and soon will be leaving the nest i want to make all the memories I can
shopannies@Yahoo.com
Sounds like a great book! I need to work on my optimism.
My goal is to focus more on taking care of me and my buisness
I want to work on my health. Eating, fitness and mental.
Discovered this book last week and would LOVE to win!
I spent Christmas with my parents, whom I love dearly. But Wow – getting older has made them grumpy and negative. Perhaps when I get to my 80’s I will have earned the privilege to feel that way if I please, but for now I am going to make sure that I keep my comments and reactions to others as positive as I can.
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[...] at Reading to Know and Reading My Library and of course 5 Minutes for Books. The winners of The Happiness Project are #84 Lori Taulbe and #20 Melissa Nunley. Comment [...]