Good light reading from Nora Ephron, the follow up to "I Feel Bad About My Neck". Humorous stories about middle age forgetfulness, e-mail a...moreGood light reading from Nora Ephron, the follow up to "I Feel Bad About My Neck". Humorous stories about middle age forgetfulness, e-mail addiction, that eventually turns in to discontent, and her dislike of egg white omelets (and I completely agree).(less)
I haven't even finished this book yet, but I am loving it. It is so full of wisdom and common sense advice. This a book I want to share with friends...moreI haven't even finished this book yet, but I am loving it. It is so full of wisdom and common sense advice. This a book I want to share with friends and family.(less)
Even thought this was a difficult book to read because of the nature of the topic, I loved it. I grew up in foster care and was abused, not near the ...moreEven thought this was a difficult book to read because of the nature of the topic, I loved it. I grew up in foster care and was abused, not near the extent of Dave Pelzer, but still traumatic and very difficult to overcome. Dave Pelzer is a hero in my eyes, to have endured so much and he overcame and has gone on to be very successful. I read the follow up books, The Lost Boy and A Man Named Dave.
Gretchen Rubin has come to the realization that she is not focusing on the things in life that really matter. While riding the city bus one day she l...moreGretchen Rubin has come to the realization that she is not focusing on the things in life that really matter. While riding the city bus one day she looks out the window to see a woman about her age trying to balance an umbrella and look at her cell phone, while pushing a stroller and carrying a child. The sight of it gave her a jolt. She saw herself, riding the same crosstown bus everyday, back and forth; "This is my life-but I never give any thought to it." She realized she was suffering from a mid-life malaise; although she lived a very fortunate life, something was still missing. As she states early in the book, she had everything she could possibly want, but failed to appreciate it. Like most of us, she was caught up in the day to day routine of life. We just go through each day and fail to realize the things that really matter in life. The more she thought about this, she realized she needed a better perspective; she needed to be more grateful for just an ordinary day. That's when she decided she would start a happiness project.
Rubin creates a list of twelve resolutions to focus on each month known as her Twelve Commandments, she lists what she believes to be some of the secrets of adulthood, and along the way discovers what she calls Four Splendid Truths. She reads countless books on the subject of happiness from the likes of the Dalai Lama, Martin Seligman, Aristotle, Elizabeth Gilbert, Benjamin Franklin, Samuel Johnson and many others. She studies a great deal of scientific research, tries meditation, begins a strength training exercise program, studies various spiritual leaders and their philosophies, tries journaling and many other ideas in the pursuit of a happier life.
It is obvious Rubin is very passionate about this project. At times maybe a bit too analytical, however, I found the book to be very enlightening and I really did enjoy it. While reading The Happiness Project, I was inspired by much of the wisdom she shared from various books she read on the subject; I have added several of the books to my personal book list. I think anything book that promotes the pursuit of a happier, more fulfilled life is worth reading.(less)
Helen Ames's doesn't know what to do with herself after the sudden death of her husband Dan. She finds herself unable to write and becomes more and m...moreHelen Ames's doesn't know what to do with herself after the sudden death of her husband Dan. She finds herself unable to write and becomes more and more dependent on her 27 year old daughter, Tessa. Then one day she receives a call that will completely change her world. She and her husband had always saved money for their retirement, but she is shocked to find out that he made a very large withdrawal before his death. Now she must find a way to support herself and she takes a job something she had never really wanted, as a writing teacher. Much to her surprise, it will turn out to be more rewarding than she possible could have imagined.
She will teach a class of unlikely characters who will not only learn something about writing a good novel; they will teach her some very important lessons in return. I really enjoyed this book as I have all of Elizabeth Berg's books. If you're a true book lover, you'll appreciate how she summed it up on page 229 when Helen Ames speaks to a group of students at a book reading. Here are a few quotes:
"...while the author may describe in some detail how a character looks, it is the reader's imagination that completes the image, making it his or her own.....She talked, too, about how books educate and inpire, and how they soothe souls-"like comfort food without calories", she said.
....She talked about how people complain that they don't have time to read...."Books don't take time away from us," she said. "They give it back."
I completely agree with that statement; time reading a good book is time well spent.
(less)
![I Second That Emotion: Untangling Our Zany Feelings [With DVD]](http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1255642465s/1965093.jpg "I Second That Emotion: Untangling Our Zany Feelings [With DVD]")
Loading...
