The Happiness Project

By: Gretchen Rubin

Narrated by: Gretchen Rubin

#1 New York Times Bestseller

“An enlightening, laugh-aloud read. . . . Filled with open, honest glimpses into [Rubin’s] real life, woven together with constant doses of humor.”—Christian Science Monitor

Gretchen Rubin’s year-long experiment to discover how to create true happiness. Drawing on cutting-edge science, classical philosophy, and real-world examples, Rubin delivers an engaging, eminently relatable chronicle of transformation.

Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places: a city bus. “The days are long, but the years are short,” she realized. “Time is passing, and I’m not focusing enough on the things that really matter.” In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project.

In this lively and compelling account, Rubin chronicles her adventures during the twelve months she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier. Among other things, she found that novelty and challenge are powerful sources of happiness; that money can help buy happiness, when spent wisely; that outer order contributes to inner calm; and that the very smallest of changes can make the biggest difference.

As an added bonus, this recording includes a sampling of Gretchen’s podcast, Happier With Gretchen Rubin. In this episode, "Choose the Bigger Life," Gretchen and her sister, Elizabeth Craft, discuss happiness, good habits, and whether Gretchen is going to get a dog.

©2009 Gretchen Rubin (P)2009 HarperCollins Publishers

Critic reviews

"Packed with fascinating facts about the science of happiness and rich examples of how she improves her life through changes small and big. The Happiness Project made me happier by just reading it." (Bookpage.com)

FULL of herself!

Yup, the writer of this book is over-the-top full of Gretchen! Even with that rather annoying aspect, I have listened to this fully about 3 times. I actually bought the book. I really had to get over Gretchen in order to benefit from what are rather good messages and strategies for becoming more awake and aware, of living in a state that supports happiness. I'm grateful to Gretchen even though she subjected me to things like writing a novel while she worked out a exercise program while she was extra nice to her husband while she planned a birthday party par excellence for her mother-in-law while she created family archives, and on and on, almost all simultaneously. She breaks it up into months, but the activity is so frenetic and so intense and constant that it can be exhausting. The best part is perhaps Gretchen's honesty although even that is excessive.

Listened again after 6 years

Any additional comments?

I'm re-listening to my early choices and writing reviews. In early 2010 I chose this title because someone in my book club wanted to talk about it. I don't remember what I thought back then, but I can report that I needed to speed up the playback in order to stay focused. Although there were interesting moments, it was not unlike taking a long-distance flight seated next to a woman who cannot sleep and decides to tell you WAY too much about her life.

Great, great, great! Certainly worth your time

Rubin is a professional journalist/research/writer with a good life with husband and children. But she had feeling that she should be appreciating her life more, should be happier about the general goodness of it all. So for one year, one month at a time, she research old wisdom and new research on activities and mindsets that promote happiness. January--clean out your closets and organize your space. Reading her journey was fun and insightful.

useful and well-written

I highly recommend this book for inspiration in how to identify and implement changes that will improve your life.

Happy Happy Joy Joy!

If you could sum up The Happiness Project in three words, what would they be?

Just do it!

What other book might you compare The Happiness Project to and why?

The Dalai Lama's book on happiness. It was a religious experience for both authors. :)

What about Gretchen Rubin’s performance did you like?

Her candidness. What worked and didn't work for her, that failures were ok, but don't give up.

If you were to make a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Be all you can be - happily

Slow start... Then wonderful

Although the beginning was slow (for me), it ended up a wonderful experience. We are blessed to be able to consider such things like this, to boost our happiness! Thank you, Gretchen.

To be Happier!

For the organized ones out there this book will certainly quench your thirst for order in discussing how to be happier in a systematic format. The year long happiness project the author goes through will give you insight and motivation to work on areas of your own life. The monthly topics the author discusses are so organized you'll find yourself taking note for your months ahead so you can improve your mood, life, and show your loved ones and world your happier self! I definitely recommend this book! :-)

Good Parts

I liked parts of this book. There was some snippets of wisdom like not putting anything off that takes less than 60 seconds to do. But overall a lot of the advice seemed to boil down to dont tell people how you really feel because that might upset them and in turn you. I was not a fan of that strategy of minimizing communication.

Very inspiring

I have already recommended this book to my daughter and a friend and am inspired to create my own Happiness Project.

Good listen

Any additional comments?

This book has some nice ideas on listening to your kids and spouse, but who actually has the amount of free time required to do all the other activities? Inspired me to try and fit some creative activites in between my 60 hour work week and household chores.