The Happiness Project in Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge

Jul 08, 2013 Kecia rated it really liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, nerdy-girls

I had no intention of reading this book. It wasn't until the STL Nerdy Girls decided to do a Happiness Project, and I elected to participate (who doesn't want more happiness?), that I went ahead and read the book in preparation. Truth be told, the thing that has given me the greatest happiness this year has been membership in STL Nerdy Girls. I've met new people, learned new things, and have had the opportunity to do interesting activities I otherwise would not have done. Now I'm anxiously waiti I had no intention of reading this book. It wasn't until the STL Nerdy Girls decided to do a Happiness Project, and I elected to participate (who doesn't want more happiness?), that I went ahead and read the book in preparation. Truth be told, the thing that has given me the greatest happiness this year has been membership in STL Nerdy Girls. I've met new people, learned new things, and have had the opportunity to do interesting activities I otherwise would not have done. Now I'm anxiously waiting to get started on the Happiness Project with the Nerdy Girls next week. Focusing on happiness with a group of people that have already given me happiness looks like a win-win!

Gretchen Rubin seems like the last person in the world who would be concerned about happiness. Seriously, the woman has it all. She's healthy. She's brilliant (you don't get to be a Supreme Court Clerk by merely being smart). She's doing work she loves. She lives in New York City. She has no money worries. She has a good marriage. She has healthy, adorable children. She has a loving extended family, and friends. She has it ALL! But I understand her motivation. I recall shortly after graduating from college when even though I had the job I wanted and all things I wanted – I came home one day and realized I wasn't happy. Happiness is more elusive than having all the stuff.

Did she really do all of this stuff? Did she really do it all in a year, or was that just a marketing ploy by her publisher? I don't care! Gretchen did her homework on the subject of happiness. I liked the way she did not only look to science but also to philosophy and literature and history. She pulled ideas about happiness from many sources and she wasn't shy about saying that some things just didn't work for her, but leaving it open that it may work for the reader. I didn't jump up and start cleaning closets, but I did start a one sentence journal. I also felt happier, by the simple act of reading about happiness…go figure.

Oh and my mind buzzed the entire time I was reading. I took lots of notes because so much of the information presented was irresistibly interesting to me. For example, she mentioned that the Shakers intentionally added mistakes to their crafts to show that man should not aspire the perfection of god. She mentioned three novels, two of which I loved (Ann Patchett's Bel Canto and Ian McEwan's Saturday), so of course now I want to read the third, A Landing on the Sun by Michael Frayn. And a sobering fact - that small children typically more than 400 times per day and adults on seventeen. Note to self: Laugh more often! All of this stuff seems unrelated but it all made the chemicals in my brain do a happy dance.

She also inspired me to start a list of my own True Rules:
Remember: that, that is, is.
Do something for exercise every day.
I don't have to attend every event I'm invited to and that's okay.
Smile when you say hello.
Change is good.
Be the big girl.
Nothing in life is as wonderful as spoiling a dog.
Eat peanutbutter every day.

My takeaway from reading this is if you take care of yourself: get enough sleep, eat right, and exercise; take care of your relationships: family and friends; take care of your environment: work and home; and then be yourself – follow your bliss – you will find happiness.
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Aug 27, 2014 Noam rated it liked it

Shelves: non-fiction, anglo-america, memoir

A friend of mine recommended this book to me. I was a bit skeptical at first, because having worked at a chain bookstore, I've shelved way too many self-help books, many of which looked like total nonsense. However, I'm really glad I read this book.

Part self-help, part personal narrative, this book was easy and fun to read, and had a number of great tips. Rubin decided to do this project not because of a major tragedy, but simply because she wanted to be more happy with what she had, without any ...more

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Nov 21, 2011 AJ rated it really liked it

I'm not a big self-help book person, but this book was awesome & had a huge impact on my current life. Not super interesting to get through & took me a while, but I highly recommend the Project. ...more

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Sep 19, 2010 Anne rated it liked it

I wish I didn't like this book as much as I did, but I would say that despite her being a rich New Yorker, she made some good arguments about improving one's quality of life. ...more

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