The How Of Happiness: A Practical Guide to Getting The Life You Want Paperback – 4 Feb. 2010

This book delivers a great introduction to the relatively new but increasingly familiar concepts of Positive Psychology. I got this book as part of an process trying to help my daughter who suffers from an eating disorder. I believe there is an underlying unhappiness behind her condition (I am not for a minute suggesting this book is any kind of suitable treatment programme for eating disorders - that would be very irresponsible. I am just providing a context).I read it first to vet it and passed it on to her without hesitation. She uses it as a key tool in managing her illness and it has coincided with a period of marked improvement. It is not responsible for this improvement but it has definitely been a significant component as one of the many things that have contributed to it.The point is, like many anorexics, my daughter has a very analytical mind. The approach of this book to happiness is so pragmatic and centred on facts, research and objectively recorded experience, that it chimed with her (and with me) in a way that books which are more vague on the subject do not. The joy of this book is that it systematically details and homes in on practices which are scientifically proven to improve mood, and suggests ways of adopting them. Most importantly, this information is all couched in a writing style and language that makes it accessible and enjoyable to read. It is neither a flowery self-help book, or a dry scientific tome. It is truly a revelation, I am still using it's methods today and so is my daughter - I have recommended the book to others and yes, cliche alert, but I genuinely believe it has changed lives. This is the first book review I have ever written and at 55, I have read a lot of books over the years! - that is how much I rate it.

It arrived quickly and was well wrapped/protected. The book itself is great, I'm only part way through it, but it's very informative. It is clear and easy to understand. It takes you through each section in a logical manner. The order of each chapter has been well considered. The thing I like most, is that everything is backed up with scientific fact and reasoning, so you can learn the how and why for yourself. It feels like because I'm learning about the reasoning behind this behaviour, it is easier to practice the stratergies to change. I can't quite explain how, but it feels quite different to the normal "self help" books. Not that I've encountered many. The only down side I can think of, it sometimes makes a point and then goes on to explain but then goes on to talk about it at great length, which I don't always think is necessary, but then maybe by not doing this it wouldn't be as effective?

this book helped me thru a difficult period of my life. I've yet to complete the happiness survey inside but now I'm in a better place I think I will do this. Quite scientific in its approach which appealed to me. I wish you all the best on your journey.

this is research-based, and densely packed with insights and ideas, by a credible lady with many years of studies under her own belt.but she also consistently adds specific examples to keep things real, and writes in a human and warm way.In my view this has been undersold - it is by far the best book in its field I have come across, and has the potential to really make a difference

I have read a number of the current texts about happiness, and this is by far and away the best. No other book that I have read on this subject sets out in such clear detail what actions we can all take to improve our feelings of happiness, and every action is backed up by genuine, well thought out, scientific research.If I had my way every child would be given one of these, and its content would be required study.

Ordered this book as part of my university course. The book was on the key reading list for the course. It was very easy to read and I found that some of the suggestions did work for me. There were plenty of suggestions in the book too so I'm sure that there would be something in there to suit everyone. As well as this, the price for this was really good! It usually costs a lot for core textbooks for my course (around £80 and over) so this was great.

An excellent book, that is easy to read and understand and that is based on proven scientific research. Quite simply - it works!!I have read many books on Happiness or positive psychology and i can sincerely recommend this one, for me it is the best!No mumbo jumbo, pseudo-scientific, condescending claptrap here!

This is a great book, very interesting and thought - provoking. I would recommend it to anyone, I have tried many of the activities suggested in the book and really felt the benefits of doing those activities. The book is fully referenced and contains numerous studies to back up Lyubomirsky's points.

I loved i) the well researched aspects of happiness, ii) how most happiness comes from within, iii) how, like anything else in this life, is something that is learned and practiced to gain the greatest benefit and iv) of the real life examples and strategies we can all easily adapt to raise our level of happiness and contentment each and every day. I always hear from the older generation, how they are sad or fearful for the future for our kids and grandkids. While the world definitely has its challenges, it seems to me that the greatest gift we can give our kids and grandkids, are practical skills and strategies to deal with whatever life brings their way. I have made a ton of notes throughout this book and I am going to send quotes from the book to my two daughters every few weeks. I want to empower them with the skills and insight this book provides, so they have the ability to navigate and find joy, in every day, throughout their lifetime. Thank you Sonja for compiling and presenting such a practical, useful and empowering book. Thank you for sharing your life's work and for making a difference. And now I am going to learn from your work and pay it forward. What a wonderful world this would be, if we all learned how best to use the simple and practical strategies in this book. 5 stars! I highly recommend this.

O que mais gostei desse livro é que é pesadamente baseado em pesquisas científicas, contendo todas as referências bibliográficas no final do livro. Diferente de muitos livros estilo "coach".Não é necessariamente um livro super "divertido" de ler, mas é muito valioso. Recomendo fortemente.

Muy bueno

Das Buch gibt tolle Ideen und praktische Übungen, was man machen könnte, um generell ein bisschen zufriedener durch sein Leben zu laufen. Was mir persönlich am besten gefallen hat war1. dass nicht nur Behauptungen aufgestellt, sondern die Aussagen auch statistisch untermauert werden.2. dass es erfrischend wenig reißerisch ist. Gerade bei englischsprachigen Büchern fällt mir oft ein sehr emotionaler, pathetischer Tonus auf, der mir persönlich nicht gefällt.Die Autorin schreibt freundlich, aber nicht übertrieben überschwänglich. Das Buch verspricht auch nicht das Leben umzukrempeln und die Antwort auf alle Probleme der persönlichen Welt zu geben. Das war mir sehr sympathisch. Es ist eines dieser Bücher, die man gern im Schrank stehen hat und immer mal wieder als Denkanstoß in die Hand nimmt und gibt auch nicht vor, mehr zu sein.

Sonja's dedication to the field of happiness shows in this work recommended to me by my therapist. Since reading the "9 Choices of Happiness: How We Choose to be Happy," awhile ago, I've wanted to know more about what I can do to ensure my own happiness. Sonja provides that with "The How of Happiness".I seem to have a low (and high) set point due to genetics. In other words, I have a mood disorder. I've sought for methods to smooth that out and have a more normal and even happy life. Sonja is dedicated to helping all people, not just those with mood disorders. I saw from her work, which I devoured in just a few days, that I could potentially achieve increasing levels of happiness beyond what I had ever had before.I transcribed her twelve areas of activity into Goalscape, a tool I use to set and achieve goals. Goalscape uses concentric circles to display goals and sub goals. Twelve areas fit around the circle like numbers on the face of a clock. At the center is my central goal, "A Happy You". I realized perhaps for the first time, that happiness was more dependent on what I did than a chemical from a bottle. Certainly good medication or supplements can be important, but there is only so much they can do.So much of happiness depends on what we do with our lives. Sonja gives suggestions that can guide goal setting and help me get (and stay) happy that much faster and inexpensively. She does not advocate a particular faith, but she explains the role of religion and spirituality in increasing happiness. She talks about how we become inured to good things around us and need to overcome that through gratitude and savouring joys. If we don't take time to slow down and be mindful, we can miss joys in our lives. Over the past year I've started practising meditation, and she explained how this practice can promote happiness, which gives me incentive to continue and make it more regular. I've also started a daily practice of Bible reading.She explains that many of her suggestions sound like common sense and have been around for millennia but have only recently been supported through scientific experiments. She herself is involved in happiness research which gives her voice that much more credibility. I have yet to experience the full benefit of her work because many of the practices she advocates work over a period of time. In our current world, it is sometimes difficult to be optimistic, but she fully explains the benefits of predicting a favourable outcome. I have decided to make happiness my number one value.Material things can bring short term benefits, but we quickly become inured to improvements in our circumstances. However, a change in our daily activities can produce a great and quick change in our level of happiness. Sonja explains how building relationships and social interaction can help promote happiness. Being a loner, I've struggled with this. A new romance started early this year has budded into a relationship that has the potential to be lasting.For the past year I've programmed an app that analyses daily activities from check lists. I have noticed that when I score and analyse my daily check lists, it promotes my happiness. I was not sure why. After reading Sonja's book, I discovered that many of the items on my check lists were activities she suggested from the scientific literature that promote happiness. When I do more of them in a day, a greater level of happiness is achieved. So I am dedicating myself to continue with my check lists, even on days I don't feel like doing them. For awhile this past year, actually several times, I let my check lists slide. Upon encouragement from a friend who has seen how much of a difference my check lists make, resuming them has almost instantly restored me to happiness and my former activity level. Committing to goals itself is one area Sonja mentions in her book.Sonja leaves it up to the reader to select specific activities and choose which areas of the twelve to work on. Some attention to each of the twelve areas is beneficial, but of course it works to prioritize what gets focused on first. Action is the key. With my check lists I can keep more things in scope and can work on most of the twelve areas simultaneously. I may sound too analytical about being happy, but I have discovered that happiness is best not merely left to chance. I want to consistently produce happy feelings and am willing to implement what science has discovered about the human potential for producing those feelings.You may wonder if I have become happy. I am discovering tools that help me produce happiness more consistently, more often, and more deeply. I am discovering tools that bring me back when I dip into depression. Have I fully beat depression? No. I would love to say that I have. I still have a mood disorder. But I am optimistic about my ability to deal with it. The fear of being overcome by it is much less. I think my optimism will increase as I continue to apply the principles I've learned in Sonja's book. More and more, I tell myself, "I am happy!" Thank you, Sonja, for your dedicated efforts to help as many people as you can.