Bliss to You: Trixie's Guide to a Happy Life
My rating:
didn't like it it was ok liked it really liked it it was amazing
add to my books

Bliss to You: Trixie's Guide to a Happy Life

4.08 of 5 stars 4.08  ·  rating details  ·  385 ratings  ·  72 reviews
My goal is to someday be the person my dog thinks I am. --Anonymous

Bestselling author Dean Koontz says that his dog, Trixie, changed his life and made him a better, happier person. A 68-pound dog who lived close to the ground, Trixie certainly did cast a long shadow. She first became known outside of her own house (dog-house, that is) as a guest blogger on Dean's we

...more
Hardcover, 158 pages
Published September 16th 2008 by Hyperion Books
more details... edit details
There is a good chance some of your friends read this book. Sign in to see!
sign in »

Friend Reviews

To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up.
Odd Thomas by Dean KoontzWatchers by Dean KoontzIntensity by Dean KoontzLife Expectancy by Dean KoontzLightning by Dean Koontz
Best Dean Koontz Books
55th out of 62 books — 316 voters
Odd Thomas by Dean KoontzWatchers by Dean KoontzBrother Odd by Dean KoontzPhantoms by Dean KoontzLife Expectancy by Dean Koontz
Dean Koontz's Greatest Hits
44th out of 59 books — 45 voters


More lists with this book...

Community Reviews

(showing 1-30 of 790)
filter  |  sort: default (?)  |  rating details
Homewood Public Library
Trixie was a beautiful and fun loving Golden Retriever. She enriched the lives of Dean and his wife for many years. Now she is gone but has dictated this book to Dean's computer for him to share with us. Understand that the priorities that we have in life may be some different from those of Trixie but her purpose is to help us achieve bliss. Each chapter is Trixie giving short, pithy suggestions on finding another part of bliss. Two chapters are on dog wisdom. Throughout she wants us to do or ex...more
Joanne
Joanne rated it 5 of 5 stars
Shelves: non-fiction
Everyone should really read this book - if you don't mind shedding a few tears at the end. Trixie's lessons for life are right on the mark......or, er, pawprint.
Sarah
Sarah rated it 5 of 5 stars
Shelves: nonfiction
This was a case of reading the right book at the right time. I was feeling a little blue and very stressed out and this book made me think about my life and I realized the things I was stressing over were really nothing to be stressed about at all. I received more wisdom and advice from this book, "written" by a deceased dog than I usually care to seek out from those closest to me. It made me laugh, cry, smile, and think. This is one book I intend to purchase for myself. I recomme...more
Tony
Tony rated it 4 of 5 stars
If you love dogs like I do, you'll really enjoy this book. It was written by author Dean Koontz from his dog Trixie's perspective shortly after her death. (This is Trixie's 3rd book I believe).

Trixie shares her 8 steps to achieving bliss. It makes a lot of sense for both dogs and humans. It boils down to enjoying your world and serving others. I think Trixie might even be Christian.

It was nice to read this after losing our beautiful dog Zoey. Also it was fun to r...more
Stacey
I was drawn to this book mostly because of Trixie's picture on the cover and the fact that I am a dog lover. I thought this book would be great, especially told from a dog's point of view. I was disappointed though with Trixie's broken English and sentence structure. I think I was expecting something more along the lines of Marley and Me and this book is simply not the same.
To be fair, I did listen to this book on CD and from the very first word I was disappointed with the person readi...more
Peggy
Peggy rated it 5 of 5 stars
Enjoyed this short little book very much. Trixie, who was author Dean Koontz's golden retriever, gives her little bits of dog wisdom to us. Sadly, Trixie now resides over the Rainbow Bridge in Heaven. This book is packed with dog wisdom and also gives us humans some instruction in how to make life better. Trixie thinks humans get too involved in life and need to stop working so hard, stop worrying so hard and take time to enjoy the world around us. Maybe Trixie has a good idea.
Katie
Katie rated it 4 of 5 stars
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.
Jennifer
Jennifer rated it 4 of 5 stars
Shelves: library-book
I picked this book up on a whim, just browsing the new books at the library. What a find! The book is told in through the eyes of a dog [angel:]*, one with keen human insights. A tiny book it may be, but it has big messages within, for the book is a guide to finding one's bliss. I totally recommend it.

*The co-author is famed writer Dean Koontz (owner of Trixie before she died in 2007).
Kelly
I found the book cute, though I enjoyed more of the one liners than the general story. Part of the reason could be that I have very atypical pets (a dog who doesn't like peanut butter and cats that are very social and get along pretty well with the dog). I did not like the narrator of the audiobook, I found the voice to be very distracting to the story.
Krazykat
Krazykat rated it 3 of 5 stars
Shelves: srp-2009
I learned the eight steps to bliss, according to Dean Koontz's dog Trixie, are:
#1--calm
#2--beauty
#3--fun
#4--meaning
#5--others
#6--humility
#7--loss
#8--gratitude
Words of wisdom from a goldie who's passed on to the other side. Most important: when in doubt, a cookie always makes things better. Bliss right back at ya, Trix!
Satia
Satia rated it 4 of 5 stars
Shelves: 2010, philosophy
This book is so darn cute. Definitely a dog-lovers book because Trixie is clearly biased against cats. All proceeds from the sale of this book go to a charity. This book would make a great stocking stuffer or addition to a gift basket or that something for the coworker who loves dogs but other than that you don't know very well and you're their Secret Santa. For more:

http://satia.blogspot.com/2010/11/bliss-...
Grace Lockridge
As I am a fan of golden retrievers, this book called to me. Trixie's picture on the cover was enough to make read this book. Pleasantly surprised am I, to learn how to achieve bliss from Trixie Koontz. One way to bliss is to be a blessing to others. This book is a jewel--even if you don't like dogs. For shame.
Renfrew
Narrator/voice artist is the perfect choice for this book. I rarely like stories told from a pet's point of view. And I'm a "cat person." But I LOVED this one -- and laughed out loud and immediately listened to the (only one hour long) recording again. I borrowed the library's copy -- but I'm buying a copy of my own! Huzzah!
Vicki
Vicki rated it 1 of 5 stars
Recommends it for: hmm, probably wouldn't
Recommended to Vicki by: advance reading copy
The writing in the voice of Trixie, his dog, was a bit too "twee" (saccharine sweet & precocious) for me. If you can get past that, there are some nice little observations about life. But it's really more like a "thought a page" book, not really a content-driven book.
Nikki
Nikki rated it 5 of 5 stars
Oh, the love of a dog. It's what makes life worth living! The insight that Trixie gives to us humans is so incredible. Whether or not you love dogs, you'll love this book. Read it if you want to find bliss. It's something all of us need. Thank you, Trixie:0)
Joy
Joy rated it 4 of 5 stars
For anyone who has ever known and loved a dog! This short book is one of the sweetest and funniest books ever to be written by a golden retriever. Highly recommended for a good laugh and an uplift of heart, like the wag of a dog's tail.
Elhara
Being a fan of most things Koontz I was aware of Trixie. She and Mr. Koontz appeared on the book end photo for a number of years.
Koontz and wife Gerda gave Trixie a wonderful home and had an above average closeness with her. Unfortunately I grew bored at the lengthily descriptions of inconsequential memories. They are personal, special and unique to the Koontz family. I hope writing about life with his beloved dog has brought some comfort to him.
Donna
Donna rated it 4 of 5 stars
Trixie may just be a dog but she knows what is important in life. If we all followed Trixie's guidelines to bliss, we would be a happier and nicer culture. This is a very fast read but is quite entertaining and yet thought provoking.
Steve H
Eight steps to finding bliss as told by Dog. Problem is, at least with the book on CD, Trixi's writing style gets a bit tedious. The message is good, but even at just an hour the CD version needs to be done in shorter doses.
Jennifer
Jennifer rated it 5 of 5 stars
Shelves: dog-books
Fun, uplifting, positive bits of doggy wisdom that made me laugh out loud several times, including, but not limited to

Mailman does not come to house to kill us all. Comes to house to torture and then kill.

Jack Sprat could eat no fat, his wife could eat no lean. More for the dog.

Here is another dumb saying: it is what it is. No kidding. If it isn't what it is, then what would it be? And if it is what it isn't, what the hell is going on here? ...Some human sayin...more
Marianne McKiernan
More philosophical than the other two books with several Kleenex moments, but still has plenty of humor. A great gift for someone who needs a lift and a laugh. Proceed benefit CCI.
Amy
Amy rated it 5 of 5 stars
Shelves: favorites
This is the book to read when you are feeling down. Trixie Koontz is a saint, and has the best outlook on life of anyone I have ever met. Cute and comical! One of Dean Koontz's best works.
Wanda
Wanda rated it 3 of 5 stars
A wonderful quick read for any animal lover, especially dog lovers. The writing style takes getting used to, kind of like reading a Muppet dialogue, but fun and heartwarming just the same.
Karla
Karla rated it 3 of 5 stars
Kind of silly and sappy--but knowing how the author and his wife cherished their Golden Girl, Trixie, it is a worthy read, that is, if you are a follower or fan of Dean Koontz.
Deeanna
Trixie's advice was humorous yet true in so many ways. I've always said we as people should try to be as happy and excited as dogs are over the simple every day joys in our lives--things we tend to take for granted. My dogs become giddy with joy over their daily walk, treat, or a new tennis ball. :)
Glennie
Very cute book from Trixie the dog's perspective. Dogs certainly know how to find bliss,, a good meal, a car ride and a belly rub are big parts of it for them.
Syrena
Syrena rated it 3 of 5 stars
With a face like that...how can you not fall in love with Trixie?! Dogs have it all figured out- us peeps could learn a thing or two from living the simple life.
Amanda Marshall
Short, sweet and amazingly insightful ways to have a blissful life as told by Trixie, the golden retriever. I really enjoyed this little book.
Sharfa
Sharfa rated it 5 of 5 stars
This was a wonderful, very quick read. Needed a few Kleenex amidst the laughter.

Koontz has dog talk down pat!
Jackie
Jackie added it
This book is my $ reminder to never buy a book without sampling it first on my Kindle. UGH!

« previous 1 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 26 27
There are no discussion topics on this book yet. Be the first to start one »
Bliss to You: Trixie's Guide to a Happy Life (Kindle Edition)
Bliss To You: Trixie's Guide To A Happy Life (Compact Disc)
Bliss to You: Trixie's Guide to a Happy Life (Hardcover)
Bliss to You (Hardcover)
Bliss to You: Trixie's Guide to a Happy Life (Compact Disc)

Readers Also Enjoyed

18250
Nicknames:
Short Stuff, Trix, Furface, Fluffybutt

Quick Bio:
Purebred, Service Dog

Arrival Story:
I was a CCI assistance dog. After elbow surgery, was retired from service and came to live as a Koontz in Newport Beach. Wrote three books to raise money for other assistance dogs.

Bio:
Trixie was an angel on earth, shorn of her wings and given fur ...more
More about Trixie Koontz...
Life Is Good: Lessons in Joyful Living Christmas Is Good!: Trixie Treats & Holiday Wisdom Christmas is Good! Trixie's Guide to a Happy Holiday

Share This Book

Your website
Pin It
“Laughter is tranquilizer without side effects.” 3 people liked it
“If every day is first day of your life, maybe you are being perpetually infantile.” 2 people liked it
More quotes…