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Happiness Is a Choice
"Barry very explicity reveals the options and choices we can all make to find the road to happiness."
BERNIE SIEGEL, M.D.
Author of LOVE, MEDICINE AND MIRACLES
Barry Neil Kaufman, therapist, author, motivational speaker, and founder of the Option Institute shows you how you can use the traits of happy people to change your life quickly, and easily. His shortcuts to happiness making happiness the priority; accepting your personal authenticity, the freedom to be yourself; learning to discard regrets about the past and worries about the future, and so much more.
BERNIE SIEGEL, M.D.
Author of LOVE, MEDICINE AND MIRACLES
Barry Neil Kaufman, therapist, author, motivational speaker, and founder of the Option Institute shows you how you can use the traits of happy people to change your life quickly, and easily. His shortcuts to happiness making happiness the priority; accepting your personal authenticity, the freedom to be yourself; learning to discard regrets about the past and worries about the future, and so much more.
304 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1991
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
August 15, 2011
Take What Works, and Leave the Rest Behind
"Happiness Is A Choice" was recommended to me by someone I highly respect, a very happy and successful professional. My reading this book paid off with immediate dividends when application of a passage at the beginning helped me end a tiff I was having with my then-girlfriend. That passage reads: "I realized that neither one of us held the truth, only a vision we had each created and then used to embrace our situation" (page 4). Recognizing this reality worked nicely in my own particular circumstance, and for that I was grateful. However, while delving deeper into the book, I soon discovered a major recurring problem: the principles espoused are often overly broad and cannot and should not be applied in all situations at all times, as the author, Barry Neil Kauffman, suggests (e.g. on page 8, the idea that you can "just claim happiness at any time."). But since there is some very valuable information within the pages of "Happiness Is A Choice," I would on the whole recommend the book while cautioning readers to be alert for concepts that get stretched too far.
I very much like the author's overall focus on the importance of happiness, and truly appreciate his stressing of the benefits of remaining positive. I also found the shortcuts to happiness that begin on page 172 to be quite useful, but unfortunately routinely overstated.
For example, the first shortcut is to "Make Happiness THE Priority" in your life. I would agree that happiness should be "A" priority, but making happiness "THE" absolute priority in all circumstances, as the author suggests, is untenable. If, for example, your beloved pet gets crushed by a bus, should you prioritize your happiness at that very moment and look on the bright side, or go thru the process of tending to the remains, grieving the loss, and later making it a point to return to the pursuit of happiness? For the author, the former approach is preferable. For me, the latter would be more natural and valid.
The second shortcut stresses the importance of maintaining "Personal Authenticity" and I would most certainly agree with that. As the author states, "We often uphold standards without questioning them" (page 191). Not a wise approach, to be sure! However, the suggestion that we "allow ourselves the full expression of who we are" (page 192) essentially nonstop in every single circumstance, is too unwieldy to be taken seriously. Mr. Kauffman then goes on to chastise psychotherapists "who claim we are victimized by the dictates of our unconscious and subconscious mind" (page 194). Can there really be any doubt that psychotherapy has helped many many people? I submit not. Thus, Mr. Kauffman's indictment of the entire psychotherapeutic community as a whole--based on the author's own narrow negative experiences with psychoanalysis--comes across as wholly inappropriate, even for someone who sees himself as becoming "a co-creator (with God) of an ever evolving me" (page 195).
"Letting go of Judgments" is shortcut number three. "Misery...comes from judging ourselves, other people and events as bad or terrible for us," the author says, and the way out is to let go of those judgments (page 206). Not a bad idea to become less judgmental. But how? "[V]iewing events as bad for us, we can decide now to see them as good for us or, at the very least, useful opportunities to learn and benefit from the." Very true at times, but always? Apparently so, for Mr. Kauffman. As an example, he writes, "My employer fires me without notice.... How interesting! This can be my chance to re-evaluate who I am and what I really want." And then what? Go home to your spouse and say, "Great news, honey! I got fired today!" Please!
The fourth shortcut is "Being Present," and again the author stretches his concept beyond the bounds of credibility. Yes, of course, it can be very uplifting to "stay in the moment," like "When playing with a child, we can jump into the game with total enthusiasm, allowing our spontaneous, curious self to surface. When exercising, we can focus on each muscle and each movement, attentive to the miracle of our bodies and our abiding desire to make our bodies work healthfully" (page 238). But what if the moment involves a truly negative experience, like breaking your ankle as you slipped going down the stairs? Should we jump into the pain with enthusiasm? Or should we perhaps prioritize seeking medical attention?
I very much liked the fifth shortcut. "Being Grateful" is indeed a good way to be (or is it too judgmental to say "good"?). The author writes, "To be grateful means not only to delight, enjoy, and appreciate, but also to recognize simultaneously the blessing and the wonder of an experience. In such moments there is only happiness...Whenever we think we have lost our way or have noticed joy to be absent from our daily endeavors, we can look around and find a host of things, events or people to appreciate " (pages 243-244). Yes, nicely put. A very practical and powerful technique, I have found.
"Deciding to be Happy" is the sixth and final shortcut, and can replace all the others. The author advises that we simply "choose our beliefs and feelings" to create our own happiness (page 249) but I would suggest that at times, our beliefs and feelings are accurate and to change them is to create a dangerous illusion. This point, in fact, is my main objection to Mr. Kauffman's work.
Example: If I am severely underweight due to anorexia and am unhappy about that, should I change the belief in between the stimulus (anorexia) and the response (sadness) from "Anorexia is a serious and potentially fatal illness that needs to be addressed, and I look horrible," to "Anorexia is fine and I am perfect just the way I am?" Following Mr. Kauffman philosophy, the answer could lead one to say, "Yes, do change that belief, because it is the belief that is making me unhappy, and happiness is THE top priority." Suffice it to say, I disagree.
Nor can I accept the idea that in between a stimulus and a response, there is always a belief that needs to be changed in order to secure your happiness. (See e.g., page 33, "We design the world by the way we choose to see it.") For instance, if you are trying to get to sleep and you hear the faucet dripping, should you (a) lie in bed and try and change your belief as to what is going on, or (b) recognize that your belief (that the faucet is dripping) is accurate, get up, and turn off the faucet?
Finally, as a person who highly values truth and the pursuit of truth, I find myself at odds with Mr. Kauffman's disdain for truth, e.g., "[S]o much for the `truth,'" he says, " I'd rather be happy!" (page 119). To be sure, if one is to accept as true the wondrous anecdotes the author presents about himself and his family, he has had phenomenal success with his "happiness first and foremost" approach. More power to him! But for me, the search for truth is an important endeavor whether or not the knowledge gained ultimately makes me joyous. And I firmly believe that it is crucial to be true to oneself.
In sum and generally speaking, as with many things in life, it's a good idea to "Take what works and leave the rest behind." I did so with "Happiness Is A Choice" and reaped some benefits and rewards. I continue to apply some of the valuable principles in the book with success, and will readily admit that I am a happier person as a result. On that basis, I would recommend reading "Happiness Is A Choice" but with the caveat that readers need to be aware that the author often extends the application of his "happiness first and foremost" philosophy beyond the bounds of reason, logic, and common experience--it is this aspect of the book which tends to significantly devalue the work as a whole.
"Happiness Is A Choice" was recommended to me by someone I highly respect, a very happy and successful professional. My reading this book paid off with immediate dividends when application of a passage at the beginning helped me end a tiff I was having with my then-girlfriend. That passage reads: "I realized that neither one of us held the truth, only a vision we had each created and then used to embrace our situation" (page 4). Recognizing this reality worked nicely in my own particular circumstance, and for that I was grateful. However, while delving deeper into the book, I soon discovered a major recurring problem: the principles espoused are often overly broad and cannot and should not be applied in all situations at all times, as the author, Barry Neil Kauffman, suggests (e.g. on page 8, the idea that you can "just claim happiness at any time."). But since there is some very valuable information within the pages of "Happiness Is A Choice," I would on the whole recommend the book while cautioning readers to be alert for concepts that get stretched too far.
I very much like the author's overall focus on the importance of happiness, and truly appreciate his stressing of the benefits of remaining positive. I also found the shortcuts to happiness that begin on page 172 to be quite useful, but unfortunately routinely overstated.
For example, the first shortcut is to "Make Happiness THE Priority" in your life. I would agree that happiness should be "A" priority, but making happiness "THE" absolute priority in all circumstances, as the author suggests, is untenable. If, for example, your beloved pet gets crushed by a bus, should you prioritize your happiness at that very moment and look on the bright side, or go thru the process of tending to the remains, grieving the loss, and later making it a point to return to the pursuit of happiness? For the author, the former approach is preferable. For me, the latter would be more natural and valid.
The second shortcut stresses the importance of maintaining "Personal Authenticity" and I would most certainly agree with that. As the author states, "We often uphold standards without questioning them" (page 191). Not a wise approach, to be sure! However, the suggestion that we "allow ourselves the full expression of who we are" (page 192) essentially nonstop in every single circumstance, is too unwieldy to be taken seriously. Mr. Kauffman then goes on to chastise psychotherapists "who claim we are victimized by the dictates of our unconscious and subconscious mind" (page 194). Can there really be any doubt that psychotherapy has helped many many people? I submit not. Thus, Mr. Kauffman's indictment of the entire psychotherapeutic community as a whole--based on the author's own narrow negative experiences with psychoanalysis--comes across as wholly inappropriate, even for someone who sees himself as becoming "a co-creator (with God) of an ever evolving me" (page 195).
"Letting go of Judgments" is shortcut number three. "Misery...comes from judging ourselves, other people and events as bad or terrible for us," the author says, and the way out is to let go of those judgments (page 206). Not a bad idea to become less judgmental. But how? "[V]iewing events as bad for us, we can decide now to see them as good for us or, at the very least, useful opportunities to learn and benefit from the." Very true at times, but always? Apparently so, for Mr. Kauffman. As an example, he writes, "My employer fires me without notice.... How interesting! This can be my chance to re-evaluate who I am and what I really want." And then what? Go home to your spouse and say, "Great news, honey! I got fired today!" Please!
The fourth shortcut is "Being Present," and again the author stretches his concept beyond the bounds of credibility. Yes, of course, it can be very uplifting to "stay in the moment," like "When playing with a child, we can jump into the game with total enthusiasm, allowing our spontaneous, curious self to surface. When exercising, we can focus on each muscle and each movement, attentive to the miracle of our bodies and our abiding desire to make our bodies work healthfully" (page 238). But what if the moment involves a truly negative experience, like breaking your ankle as you slipped going down the stairs? Should we jump into the pain with enthusiasm? Or should we perhaps prioritize seeking medical attention?
I very much liked the fifth shortcut. "Being Grateful" is indeed a good way to be (or is it too judgmental to say "good"?). The author writes, "To be grateful means not only to delight, enjoy, and appreciate, but also to recognize simultaneously the blessing and the wonder of an experience. In such moments there is only happiness...Whenever we think we have lost our way or have noticed joy to be absent from our daily endeavors, we can look around and find a host of things, events or people to appreciate " (pages 243-244). Yes, nicely put. A very practical and powerful technique, I have found.
"Deciding to be Happy" is the sixth and final shortcut, and can replace all the others. The author advises that we simply "choose our beliefs and feelings" to create our own happiness (page 249) but I would suggest that at times, our beliefs and feelings are accurate and to change them is to create a dangerous illusion. This point, in fact, is my main objection to Mr. Kauffman's work.
Example: If I am severely underweight due to anorexia and am unhappy about that, should I change the belief in between the stimulus (anorexia) and the response (sadness) from "Anorexia is a serious and potentially fatal illness that needs to be addressed, and I look horrible," to "Anorexia is fine and I am perfect just the way I am?" Following Mr. Kauffman philosophy, the answer could lead one to say, "Yes, do change that belief, because it is the belief that is making me unhappy, and happiness is THE top priority." Suffice it to say, I disagree.
Nor can I accept the idea that in between a stimulus and a response, there is always a belief that needs to be changed in order to secure your happiness. (See e.g., page 33, "We design the world by the way we choose to see it.") For instance, if you are trying to get to sleep and you hear the faucet dripping, should you (a) lie in bed and try and change your belief as to what is going on, or (b) recognize that your belief (that the faucet is dripping) is accurate, get up, and turn off the faucet?
Finally, as a person who highly values truth and the pursuit of truth, I find myself at odds with Mr. Kauffman's disdain for truth, e.g., "[S]o much for the `truth,'" he says, " I'd rather be happy!" (page 119). To be sure, if one is to accept as true the wondrous anecdotes the author presents about himself and his family, he has had phenomenal success with his "happiness first and foremost" approach. More power to him! But for me, the search for truth is an important endeavor whether or not the knowledge gained ultimately makes me joyous. And I firmly believe that it is crucial to be true to oneself.
In sum and generally speaking, as with many things in life, it's a good idea to "Take what works and leave the rest behind." I did so with "Happiness Is A Choice" and reaped some benefits and rewards. I continue to apply some of the valuable principles in the book with success, and will readily admit that I am a happier person as a result. On that basis, I would recommend reading "Happiness Is A Choice" but with the caveat that readers need to be aware that the author often extends the application of his "happiness first and foremost" philosophy beyond the bounds of reason, logic, and common experience--it is this aspect of the book which tends to significantly devalue the work as a whole.
August 5, 2014
This is the book that saved my life 20 years ago. I don't know how it would hold up if I read it again but any book that had such a profound impact deserves 5 stars.
Maybe suicidal teenagers shouldn't be getting their help from a book but the professionals certainly weren't able to help and there was no one close to me capable of making a difference. This book did and for that I am forever grateful.
Maybe suicidal teenagers shouldn't be getting their help from a book but the professionals certainly weren't able to help and there was no one close to me capable of making a difference. This book did and for that I am forever grateful.
March 9, 2009
I just added this book to my Significant Book list! While I don't agree with every perspective Kaufman offers, I really really like how he boils everything down to choice. Including our happiness or unhappiness. I'm still trying to figure out how to apply it in my life, but as I decide to be happy no matter what, I find myself a better parent, spouse and friend. Highly recommend this book! And if you read it, I'd love to discuss it with you!
July 15, 2008
Kept my attention - 1
Well-written - 1
Meaningful - 1
Must Read - 1
Accessible - 5
I barely could make it through the author's endless anecdotes, which seem to serve his self image as a grandfatherly bear (you'll get the reference if you read the book) as much as they do to move along his thoughts.
Well-written - 1
Meaningful - 1
Must Read - 1
Accessible - 5
I barely could make it through the author's endless anecdotes, which seem to serve his self image as a grandfatherly bear (you'll get the reference if you read the book) as much as they do to move along his thoughts.
January 15, 2016
Good info!
Everyone should read this. It's eye opening. I did not realize how negative we are on a daily basis without realizing it. We can decide to be happy.
Everyone should read this. It's eye opening. I did not realize how negative we are on a daily basis without realizing it. We can decide to be happy.
June 8, 2024
I was gifted this book given that I share a name with one of the author’s children. I certainly found some value in the lessons Kaufman proposes, but it came at the cost of a perfunctory presentation.
The strong points of the book certainly had some basis to them… I believed them to come in three broad strokes:
1. Find the Silver Lining — The approach of applying happy emotions to big events and inflection points can help reorient your thinking to focus on positivity. You can put a positive spin on absolutely anything, but it’s a conscious choice you have to make.
2. Be Present — Being happy means being fully absorbed in the moment you are living at all times. The book came out in ‘91, so pre-cell phones. I’m sure Kaufman would have loved to rewrite this principle to emphasize how important it is to remove digital distractions from our lives. We need to reorient ourselves to appreciate the mundane, and that’s not possible if we’re glued to digital interfaces at the slightest inconvenience. I also found a side piece of this pillar to be limiting wishful thinking for the future. We tend to stay in a constant cycle of wishing for the next thing on the horizon as opposed to maximizing everything at our fingertips in the present.
3. Appreciate Your Control — By giving your mind exclusive control over your emotions, you empower yourself to build switches to change the course of your thinking at any time. One of the anecdotes in the book timed well with an interview I had for grad school; the anecdote suggesting that we can simply tell our brains to stop feeling nervous at any moment. It’s important to create self-fulfilling prophecies with our emotions: literally tell them to remain in check. By *believing* you have no control, you simply will not. By *believing* you do, you *will*. The most difficult opponent to conquer is your own mind, but you can accomplish absolutely anything once you have exclusive control over it.
The book was held back by the author’s perspective that happiness is a panacea. He uses a massive amount of loosely applicable anecdotes to create six pillars of actionable steps to completing removing all other emotions from your life to focus only on being happy. The reality of the matter is that 1) the anecdotes he details simply don’t apply further than their own context and 2) experiencing a balance of emotions tends to be healthier than forcing your mind to be occupied by one. He is a huge advocate for being grateful, which, ironically, can be best experienced through negative emotions. A resurgence from a place of despair can offset your negative emotions and help you appreciate a change of situation or favor that much more. I found his quixotic refusal to see anything other than absolutism to be a bit myopic. Overall, the book is a very accessible read, and can serve as a decent introduction for readers new to the psychology and self-help genre.
The strong points of the book certainly had some basis to them… I believed them to come in three broad strokes:
1. Find the Silver Lining — The approach of applying happy emotions to big events and inflection points can help reorient your thinking to focus on positivity. You can put a positive spin on absolutely anything, but it’s a conscious choice you have to make.
2. Be Present — Being happy means being fully absorbed in the moment you are living at all times. The book came out in ‘91, so pre-cell phones. I’m sure Kaufman would have loved to rewrite this principle to emphasize how important it is to remove digital distractions from our lives. We need to reorient ourselves to appreciate the mundane, and that’s not possible if we’re glued to digital interfaces at the slightest inconvenience. I also found a side piece of this pillar to be limiting wishful thinking for the future. We tend to stay in a constant cycle of wishing for the next thing on the horizon as opposed to maximizing everything at our fingertips in the present.
3. Appreciate Your Control — By giving your mind exclusive control over your emotions, you empower yourself to build switches to change the course of your thinking at any time. One of the anecdotes in the book timed well with an interview I had for grad school; the anecdote suggesting that we can simply tell our brains to stop feeling nervous at any moment. It’s important to create self-fulfilling prophecies with our emotions: literally tell them to remain in check. By *believing* you have no control, you simply will not. By *believing* you do, you *will*. The most difficult opponent to conquer is your own mind, but you can accomplish absolutely anything once you have exclusive control over it.
The book was held back by the author’s perspective that happiness is a panacea. He uses a massive amount of loosely applicable anecdotes to create six pillars of actionable steps to completing removing all other emotions from your life to focus only on being happy. The reality of the matter is that 1) the anecdotes he details simply don’t apply further than their own context and 2) experiencing a balance of emotions tends to be healthier than forcing your mind to be occupied by one. He is a huge advocate for being grateful, which, ironically, can be best experienced through negative emotions. A resurgence from a place of despair can offset your negative emotions and help you appreciate a change of situation or favor that much more. I found his quixotic refusal to see anything other than absolutism to be a bit myopic. Overall, the book is a very accessible read, and can serve as a decent introduction for readers new to the psychology and self-help genre.
July 19, 2023
As the first “self-help” book I’ve ever read—now that the self-help craze is over—this one was “okay.” With a decades-long positive thinking institute in Massachusetts and having adopted several special-needs children to raise along with his own, the author seems genuine. Despite his rare reference to flim-flam, snake oil sellers like Deepak Chopra and Dr. Wayne Dyer, and his more traditional faith in supernatural powers, he makes some valid arguments for his thesis that people are freer to choose happiness than they think. Humans innately seek bad news in a quest for potential threats to our survival. As an evolutionary adaptation, it’s a hard habit to break. But the bottom line for this text is that our perspective is all about attitude. There is good and bad in life—on which do we choose to focus? For those who persistently revive past errors to regret (though in the Age of Trump, such errors seem like benevolence), the author delivers this line: “I never knew I could claim happiness at any time and not be limited by the condemning evidence of my own personal history and the past. That awareness, which I previously resisted as preposterous, has been a blessing.” Perspectives like this get a bit diluted at the end when the book takes a turn for unfalsifiable, supernatural, miraculous Chopra-Dyer-like-claims as proof of his method. For example, the positive power of prayer when hundreds of people got healthier after being prayed for, doing what physiatrists, astrologers, and myths do with regularity: confuse correlation with causation. Massive sample sizes with controls show there is no effect. An okay book but a time-consuming investment in search of a gem.
March 3, 2023
This book is a part of the wider movement of positive psychology. It was recommended to me from someone I know and I struggled to finish it. I found the author talked about being happier but never discussed tangible methods. I also have a problem with positive psychology in that it doesn’t view “negative” emotions as valid and views happiness as the true meaning or purpose of life. The author cherry picks examples and they all seem a bit too good to be true. Especially the example in the second half where the family has a four year old son who dies and they realize that the sons death brought them all closer. I think that’s obviously valid but it completely ignored any discussion around the grief and pain that will be present with the death of a child. I think if people want to follow positive psychology they should do so by reading other books. Personally, I disagree with the core assumptions of this book and prefer to follow therapy methods like emotions focused therapy.
August 9, 2021
The story of Barry Niel Kaufmann is very inspiring and eye-opening. It really caught my attention, but as the book continues with way to many case stories, which were perfectly cherry picked, the books looses ethos. It becomes spiritual and religious, and therefore weakens the learning theory parts. It would have been really good with some counter part to his own theories.
To sum it up, the book is definitely good to give the reader hope and confidence with anything life will hit you with.
On top of that, you should read the book with a criticall sense and don't let yourself become to naive.
To sum it up, the book is definitely good to give the reader hope and confidence with anything life will hit you with.
On top of that, you should read the book with a criticall sense and don't let yourself become to naive.
April 22, 2019
I am beyond inspired by what Kaufman had presented in this book. I can’t recommend it enough. ❤️❤️
February 4, 2020
A lot of really good information, i like reading it but couldn’t finish it.
November 9, 2020
Had some sound processes and points. Good!
April 8, 2024
Everyone should read this again and again until it sinks in!
September 22, 2012
"The mind is everywhere, and we can change ourselves dramatically and profoundly by simply changing our minds"....that in essence sums up Happiness is a Choice. While the book does not offer anything ground-breaking from other similar books, it is still a pleasant read because of the many examples that Mr Kaufman sights of people who were struggling with various life issues and learning to put into practice the 4 "shortcuts" to happiness, have learnt to change their perspectives, beliefs and made being happy in the present moment a choice.
1. Make happiness the priority
2. Personal Authenticity
3. Let go of judgements
4. Being present
1. Make happiness the priority
2. Personal Authenticity
3. Let go of judgements
4. Being present
July 27, 2015
This book does a good job of maintaining a very positive tone throughout, which helps to emphasize his main points. My main issue was that there was too many examples throughout the book, it seemed as if the whole book was just a compilation of little stories from his work place. They definitely were nice to read, but only to an extent. I personally would have liked a little more explanation to his arguments and not so many examples. This book was enjoyable and has a great message. Barry and his family seem like wonderful people who have helped many others. God bless them and the work they do.
August 14, 2008
If I could give this book 10 stars I would. It's a make you sit back and think kind of book. All through people use the phrase "you make me so _____ (feel in the blank with any emotion)." But not until I read this book did I stop to think about how I am totally responsible for how I feel. Just as importantly I also learned that I cannot control how other people feel, I can do things to be nice or to show love but the other person is responsible for how they feel about - this is such a liberating feeling.
August 10, 2015
Excellent. I've heard the phrase "happiness is a choice" put down because (at least at first) happiness is not a quick, easy choice. Often, it doesn't even look like a choice. I've also seen people say "happiness is a choice" and paste a pain-filled smile on. This is not about that. This is about real happiness. This book walks a person through learning to make the choice, which does become easier. There is a book with dialogues to help make the choice. I'm thinking I would give this all the stars if it included those as well.
February 24, 2009
This is exactly the type of book I was looking for. I wanted to learn about how people manage to change their attitudes and beliefs to become happier and more loving people and this explains it very well. I don't think someone can just wipe out their past and natural emotional tendencies, but I can dwell in severe depressive episodes for far too long and I've experienced a lot of joy and happiness -- I just don't know how to maintain it. This was really inspirational for me.
Read
July 28, 2011I definitely have not mastered the idea of choosing happiness in situations that don't go as planned, but this book has me thinking about what I choose to feel & believe. As I'm going about my day, I catch myself thinking negative thoughts & I try to delve more deeply into the "why" & try to choose to see things through a more positive light. Happiness IS my priority & this book told about different ways & methods I can do that in my everyday life.
April 1, 2009
This is by far my favorite self-help book. The stories are direct and interesting and there are a lot of them. The concept is simple and isn't a long process that takes a lot of mental restructuring to accomplish. It parallels a lot of the beliefs I already have. I have bought my own copy and plan to read it over and over.
I look forward to reading more of Kaufman's books.
I look forward to reading more of Kaufman's books.
March 21, 2009
Yes a self help, but so vital to our psyche. It was nice to have read this book to deal with some of the ups and downs of teenage childrens blues. Helpful to be able to quote a saying or suggest a chapter or even to help me open up to new ideas and possibilites. I love having a copy on hand.
January 3, 2014
Bought this book for really cheap at Friends of Williams Library booksale(re-opening, Nov. 7th!), mainly because I liked the title, and to remind me. A good basic reminder that we are in control of our attitudes and can choose how to look at life.
May 5, 2010
This book is packed full of wonderful advice and just a love of human nature. One of the quotations I read everyday now from this book is, "We. . .express anger toward lovers to induce them to change, all of which leads usually to resistance rather than compliance."
March 27, 2011
I read this book about once a year. It challenges my ultra-rational side to consider how I go about my life and my desire for both truth and happiness. It shakes me up & that's the main reason I re-read. Oh, that and the usual self-absorbed state we humans embody... :)
February 11, 2014
I am somewhat embarrassed to admit that I really liked this book. I found it very refreshingly honest, and the author made a lot of very good points. I do believe it is helping me to increase my feelings of happiness.
August 16, 2016
Amazing
This book has given me a brand new way to look at life and find peace and happiness.
Highly recommended !!!
Barry knows what he is talking about, he has proven results to back up his book.
This book has given me a brand new way to look at life and find peace and happiness.
Highly recommended !!!
Barry knows what he is talking about, he has proven results to back up his book.
September 19, 2008
Loved the book. I'm a self help person!
January 25, 2009
When we choose happiness we choose love and inner peace
Read
March 12, 2009Life changing. Empowering. Pick it up and be inspired to live a happy life!!
April 1, 2009
I was required to read this book throughout my internship at the American Institute for Stuttering during my graduate studies. A pit preachy but a fast read...I wouldn't read it again.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews