This was a great book. It made me want to make some good changes in my life!

I found this book a very enjoyable and informative read. Gretchen Rubin wrote this in not only a humorous manner but very insightful. This is a book that everyone can learn something from. Though your circumstances may be different than Ms. Rubin's you may find ways that will increase the happiness in your life. Share this book with someone you love.

Ms. Rubin implies that she's a "regular Jane." In fact, her father-in-law is Robert Rubin - former CEO of Goldman Sachs. Her husband is a rich hedge fund manager. She has household help to clean her home, and to tend for her children.

Have a rough day at "work"? Well, find a new job. Go the library to read whatever books you want. There's no need to work, after all, when your husband is a multi-millionaire who can subsidize your hobbies and indulgences; and who doesn't even expect you to care for your own children.

Ms. Rubin, in other words, is rich enough to take as much "Gretchen time" as she needs to find happiness. Is anyone really surprised, then, that she found it?

If you don't need to work because you had rich relatives supporting your every indulgence, and because you have "the help" to manage the mundane chores of life: You'd probably be pretty happy, too.

If you want to find the secret to happiness, talk to people who have actual life problems - rather than someone who eats every meal from a silver spoon, and for whom work is an optional annoyance of life.

I found this book by accident and am now in the process of really "digging in". I read it once non-stop in a straight marathon session. Now I am reading for application. I just stopped worked due to illness and can't wait to see what I will be able to do with my life. This book will definitely enhance that. Very rarely do I ever read a book that will contribute to a better life but this will be one. I have since let several friends know about it and we will do some of this together. This one book gave me even more purpose during a difficult time. It can be tailored to fit your life, to fit your beliefs (secular, faith based, etc.), or whatever need you have. All you have to do is jump in. The worst that will happen is you and those around you will be a little better for the effort.
My advice, buy it. If you have made it this far, buy it. You can't regret it.

The Happiness Project is an effective guide to changing your everyday perspective on, and appreciation for, everyday life. It's a wonderfully entertaining read, and contains simple tactics that will elevate your mood and improve your overall demeanor - I loved it!

I bought this book hoping for something entertaining, light, vulnerable, amusing. I was hoping for blunders and confessions. Instead, it is a bunch of self-promotional "me"-talk: "Look how good I am because I did this" and reads less like a memoir and more like the reader giving Lawyer-like, stiff, analytical instruction to the reader which is entangled in the facade that she's learning something for herself.

It is a book collated with extensive research, analysis, statistics and quotes we've all heard a million times and then a lot of the word "me" without anything heart felt or vulnerable. She never puts anything on the line. She never takes bold risks.

However, she does manage to give us accidental peeps into her personality.

She's controlling and self-righteous. She doesn't respect her husband (constant digs). She seems to resent the fact she has kids (having kids plummets your happiness levels, she says more than once). She treats people in her life as though they're pawns in her own personal game. Her life revolves around getting praised by others. She really seems unaware of the experience of others.

I was disturbed by the inconsistency she gives to her family throughout the Happiness Project. One day, she snaps at her husband for juggling oranges to amuse the kids while they're unloading the groceries, saying something along the lines of "Lets just get this done". She realises the mistake (which is great) and makes a note to self to be more playful. The next time they're unloading groceries, SHE monkeys around with the kids, stealing her husband's act. I'm sure this is very confusing for everyone. Yet she never admits to anyone "I'm sorry, I was irritated, I shouldn't have shut you down like that." She just does a Jekkyl and Hyde, then explains it in her book like she's such a great person because she improved herself. What she did was steal her husbands act so the kids would laugh at HER (a form of praise). It is a waste of time for anything to take place around her that doesn't involve some type of gain for herself.

Gretchen Rubin is an extremely controlling person. Her 'solutions' for happiness are really just Band-Aids on a big hole. This book isn't creative or well written and it is a weed garden of adverbs. "Cautiously, almost furtively, I opened the email."

I love this book. It is well written and filled with everyday practical things that can be done to boost happiness! Who couldn't benefit from being happier?

Great job and thanks!

I read this book over a couple of days and found it enjoyable, positive, and inspiring. It is well-written and helpful. I would definitely recommend it.

I read this book over a couple of days and found it enjoyable and inspiring. Although, her suggestions were a bit common-place, it was well-written and thoughtful.

We should all be thrilled with freedom, health, and financial stability. But most of us just aren't that happy, even though we are so blessed. A normal person who needs a little practical motivation to start being happier will find practical advice in this book.

This book is exactly what it claimed to be - full of personal anecdotes about how a normal every day almost-happy American woman applied happiness research into her everyday life.
I thought it was great, bc I don't have time to read all of the dozens of books she did about happiness. And I don't know how many of those theories would work in real life, anyway. So Gretchen's specific personal commandments, splendid truths, and focused resolutions were a great example of how to actively change your own life.

I saw the author on a TV show interview and what she said made sense to me. I found the book at Amazon and was able to "Look Inside" a feature that I like very much. I've read the book and it was just what I was looking for at this particular time in my life. The author writes well and gives you the insight learned from her project as it encourages those who wish to do a similar journey to use various tools to do so. The book offers insight in a more personal way than the standard self help book and motivates you to explore what might add to the happiness of your own life. I am re-reading it now and making my own notes for my happiness project.

As a former student of Martin Seligman, I have read almost every happiness book published to date. I am happy to report that Ms. Rubin offers something rather different. To read The Happiness Project is to go on an intimate journey with the author as she applies--month by month--the empirical findings of positive psychology, the age-old wisdom of philosophers, and the common sense notions of current well-being gurus.

I thoroughly enjoyed every candid, funny, and insightful page of her happiness project account. In fact, her experiment provides an exceedingly useful framework for those who would like to put all the good happiness research out there into practice. From the high-minded (creating her own personal commandments) to the silly (dancing with yourself to top 40s pop while your husband takes your children to the park), there will definitely be a few goals, practices, or experiences that will speak to you.

It's a goodie...happy reading!

Although I am not entirely finished with the book, I can honestly say this book has been a light in my life. Gretchen's search for happiness in her life lead her to experiment with different ways of living in order to obtain a more truthful and pure happiness. She constantly gives scientific research to support her ideas, and tests these hypotheses out on her own. Most of the time her attempts at gaining happiness are successful, which keeps the reader hopeful. I think most people who purchase this book are looking for the same thing Gretchen was, and in my case, this book was a tremendous help and gave such insight to what it really means to be happy. Even if you are a completely happy person, this book is still a GREAT read. Although it has a female writer, and female experiences, it is equally helpful for men. I would recommend it to anyone!

This relationship expert adores this book. Gretchen focuses on what you want more of happiness, instead attempting to decrease unhappiness.

The idea is so simple it is brilliant. When one increases their happiness others benefit since happiness infects everyone around you.

Gretchen has tagged Feburary the month to remember love. This and other ideas in the book are energizing and fun.

Great for a Sunday read and more for later... gave me a light-hearted look at self-improvements I could make, some as easy as "cleaning out my closets" which I did immediately after reading. A nice little pep-talk in the middle of my heavier self-help books that constantly wear me out! :) smile. This book gave me a simple way to get started and get out of the rut of "impossibilities" I find myself stuck in some times.

Thanks to the author for cheering me up when I needed it most!

After reading the engaging Eat, Pray, Love and Committed I was so disappointed. The first two pages left me longing for another Elizabeth Gilbert novel. I honestly think I could write a better book myself.

I consider myself a happy person, but I always felt happier after reading this book. It's a quick read that contains a great deal of wisdom - most of it obvious, but often overlooked. It may not make depressed people happy, but it will make happy people happier.

I think that one of the most useful phenomena that has accompanied the rise of the internet is that normal people increasingly share the little tips, tricks, and nuggets of wisdom they have discovered about how to live right and be happier. I'm the kind of person who has always enjoyed thinking about how to be happier, both theoretically and practically. So, when I discovered Gretchen Rubin's blog on her Happiness Project, I was instantly hooked. I love how she approaches the quest to be happier in an unabashedly personal way. The fact is, there is no specific secret to happiness that will work equally well for everyone, but there are general habits that almost anyone can use to discover happier ways of living. I think Rubin understands this well, and that is why her discussion of her personal efforts to be happier are so illuminating.

The book is a real addition to the blog, not just more of the same. I think everyone should find the time to work on being happier, whether its through a systematic project like Rubin's (it worked for her!) or some other approach that works better for you. If you have no idea how to start, this book has a bunch of great suggestions.

I wasn't familiar with the blog, but saw the book on my Amazon Kindle recommendations/best sellers or something.
I did read Eat, Pray Love a while back and liked it, thought this was similar and I was in the mood for a 'think about your life and do something' book anyway.
So I bought it.

The good:
It's a read-and-do book, and fun to follow along and think about how to apply the process to your own life.
I really enjoyed reading the first 6-7 chapters of the book.
Lots of things to work with and think about.
Even though I am single almost 30 woman without kids and am not in great health, I could still relate to most of it (or imagine myself being there some day).
GR obviously did a lot of reading and research, and I feel like reading this book has saved me a lot of that work.

I also really like the reading list in the back, and will definitely check out a lot of those books.

The bad:
After about chapter 6 or 7 things get a little long-winded and - much worse - repetitive (to the point where I thought "I've read this part before")
More a summary of insights that resulted from her lots of research than any new insights. It's all been said before.
(or as another reviewer put it 'duh!'. )

The in between:
While this book resulted in a list of small things I can change daily/weekly, they are - for now - just small things.
I don't yet know if this will actually make a difference, or just become a 'hassle'.

I have read more than my fair share of self-help books, or books that I expected to help me find my way to happiness. I am not a depressed person, I have just always felt, given my circumstances, that I should be a happier person. This book has been the most influential one I have ever read. It is true, as some of the other reviewers suggested, that this book is not filled with new universal theories of truth. It covers the basics... and yes, they're a collection of what other brilliant people have said. But I didn't read this book to learn about Gretchen Rubin's directions for happiness or lofty epiphanies about what happiness is really all about. She is an author, a wife, a mom, a New Yorker, a business woman, not a Doctor of Happiness or a pillar of peace - and I'm ok with that. I can relate to that. She still has lots of interesting things to say, even without a Doctorate of Happiness.

One of the main things I got from this book was that there are things you can do every single day to be happier (and doing them everyday makes the real difference). Now, to some that might sound like a "duh!" statement; of course there are. But the reason this wasn't a "duh!" statement for me, is because before reading this book, I spent every day thinking that I should have been happier and doing things that I thought would make me happy. But I wasn't happy! I was focusing on things that didn't actually bring me happiness! One of Gretchen's realizations (or at least my translation of her realization) is that sometimes you won't be happy while you're working to get happier. In me, I recognized that I often want to nap when things are stressful or I when want to be indulgent. But with her insight, I realized that taking a nap won't bring me as much happiness as taking on a challenge and trying to do something that I've been avoiding. And the reason I was able to take her somewhat lofty announcement (happiness doesn't always make you feel happy) and turn it into something that resonated with me, is because of her anecdotal stories. I saw myself in some of them, and I could easily turn her experiences into something that was about me.

Now, obviously, you might not lean towards napping (or towards collecting, as Gretchen tries one month)to bring happiness, but that doesn't mean this book won't resonate with you. Gretchen talks about herself and doesn't make any excuses or try to claim that her truths would be relevant for you. This is a book about HER happiness project. She doesn't pretend that her goals should be your goals or that her insights should be your insights. Instead, she gives a few concrete ideas (like the daily check list, which has been a life changer for me), and then talks about how she felt about each one. The reader is left to make his or her own decisions about whether each idea sounds interesting, and is invited to personalize their own happiness project.

One other thing: In my opinion, this is not a book that you can read and just expect to be a happier person when your done. You may get some enjoyment out of it and find it entertaining, but if you want to make real, meaningful changes to the way you think about your daily life, and are really interested in becoming a happier person, you have to do some work. Just reading the book is not enough. Find some of Gretchen's suggestions that really resonate with you and make a commitment to sticking with them. For me, that has meant creating and using a daily check list to keep myself focused on the things that really make me happy. Each day I also record the following things in my journal: nice things I did for my husband and nice things he did for me (so I can remember that I WANT to do them, and so I can remember that he's not a jerk when we disagree!), my happiest moment of the day (so I can always look back with joy and not forget the little things), my daily mood (so I can remember the reality, not the twisted image in my head), and more.

This book has had a greater impact on me than any other of its kind. I am excited to read it again! I think Gretchen is very easy to relate to (I suppose that could be because I am also a mom, wife, business owner, woman) and I like her writing style. If I wanted the Dalai Lama, I would have read the Dalai Lama. And frankly, I have. That was also full of insight (admittedly on a different level), but it didn't do as much for me. I felt like it SHOULD have been helpful, but it just didn't click with me. It was harder to read, harder to personalize, harder to relate to - great on an "idea" level, but not quite as helpful on a "what can I do to make a difference today" level.

I would recommend The Happiness Project as an easy-to-use set of ideas about things you can do to become happier. It isn't lofty or brilliant, but it's full of great ideas and insight from a smart woman. It worked fabulously for me.

I have followed the blog and really enjoyed it.
I also loved Eat Pray Love and like another reviewer, I thought it might be similar with an urban feel.
I am a 40 YO mother with two young children and a lovely husband, which gave me many moments of relating to her.
However, all in all, I was a bit disappointed. I kept hoping it would get better, so I could get my moneys worth. I was so excited when I saw it in a book store in Canada (on holidays from Australia) and read it on holiday.
Finishing off, I think she's great but I was disappointed in the book.

I've been reading Gretchen's blog for some time now and I expected to love her book. I did! I marvel at the way she focused on a topic fraught with pitfalls (a happiness project, for crying out loud) and made it engaging and fun, not dippy and sappy.

I finished the book last night and am still thinking of it. I kind of want to get a copy for everyone I know.

This is one of the best personal/self-improvement books I have read in a long time. I enjoyed reading about Gretchen's life and her project and the inspiration that it gave me to look at my own life. I too have a great life, a great family, and am very happy. This book definately gave me a different perspective on areas where I could be happier and make better choices. It's an easy read that you just don't want to put down and are disappointed when it's over. It's inspiring, but not preachy. As I try some of the concepts I do not feel guilt when I don't succeed. It's a book worth your time. She also includes a GREAT list of other books for further reading on happiness. I read the Kindle version of this book.

The Happiness Project is like going for coffee with that friend of yours who is just a little smarter and more insightful than the average person, but who still spills coffee on her shirt now and then. Gretchen Rubin gives good advice in a fun and humble way, and while I had expected it to be a self-help book, it actually flows more like a memoir. Thoughtfully and intelligently written, this book is sure to be one I re-read whenever I need a little motivation in the happiness-seeking department.

Unlike many other self help type books, this one is chock full of ideas that I think I can and will do. I already hug my wife more (Chapter 2)! And she likes it! Blog is great too. She asked for "help" today (asked for favorable reviews if we like her book) and here I am actually doing it. Gotta love the Internet.

I read this book during a week where I was constantly frustrated, received some tough news, and generally wasn't always feeling great. Amazingly, just the act of reading a couple chapters each night lifted my spirits. Is most of the content cliched, over-simplified, and obvious? Maybe. But Gretchen writes so passionately and sincerely, I couldn't help but smile when she describes her revelations and attempts to make herself happier. I especially love how she honestly relates her failures and insists her happiness project is still a work in progress. Instead of feeling overwhelmed and intimidated by the prospect of making similar changes in my life, The Happiness Project makes me feel inspired and uplifted. Fantastic read.

I wasn't sure if this book would be worth the time and effort to read but decided to give it a try after checking out Gretchen Rubin's blog. Some might call it simplistic but I appreciate the way Gretchen takes on a new focus each month, building on what she has already learned and tossing that which doesn't work for her. This is good advice for anyone. She's tossed a few things that work for me but after all she needs to be Gretchen and I need to be me. In the book she includes reader comments from her blog postings. I also like the fact that although she published other books, she set out on her happiness project, started her blog, then got the book contract. Seems a bit more authentic than getting the contract first. If you are reasonably content, desire to be even happier and willing to be introspective, you will likely find this book useful. Reading this book won't cure your clinical depression but will encourage you to find behavioral changes which will supplement your recovery efforts (be they medication, therapy or something else).

Gretchen Rubin is a genius. She explains her happiness strategy and distills it to things that you can do every day to improve yourself and make your life happier. This book is an absolute must read.

I thought that this was a great idea for a book and I particularly enjoyed Gretchen's approach. Rather than some "whatever" and "random" approach to being happy, Gretchen set off on a systematic undertaking. But it wasn't purely academic either; it was real-life experience with a good dose of wisdom thrown in. You'll enjoy her writing style and her conclusions. Nicely done.

Its not often that i read a book cover to cover in 3 days. It was a great book, inspires and does not lecture !

I was looking forward to this book but was greatly disappointed. This is the most self-centered book I have read in a long time. The author seemed to want credit for everything she was doing, especially in her marriage. I really feel sorry for her husband. I bet she wrote this book so she could get a pat on the back. I found myself skimming the book but finally put it down with annoyance. She had way too many quotes about happiness. The only redeeming parts of the book were the paragraphs from readers of her blog. What a waste of time!

What would happen if one day you had an epiphany in the unlikeliest of places--a city bus? "The days are long, but the years are short."

Thus begins Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project: Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun, in which, for one full year, she dedicates herself to making herself happier without significantly changing anything about her circumstances. Her changes came in the form of resolutions that would help her change her life, one step at a time. The first of her twelve commandments was "Be Gretchen," an important lesson for all of us. If we know what we like and what makes us feel good, we should only pursue resolutions that are based on our own needs.

Rubin's resolutions were based on the following actions: give proofs of love, ask for help, find more fun, keep a gratitude notebook, and forget about results.

Illuminating and entertaining, Rubin speaks to us in the voice of a friend (or neighbor) as she details her progress. One important lesson she learned: "If I keep my resolutions and do the things that make me happier, I end up feeling happier and acting more virtuously. Do good, feel good; feel good, do good." Most of what she describes is a way of taking specific actions that result in more positive experiences (and feelings).

Act as if, fake it `til you make it, etc. All are ways of changing and reframing events so that our actions lead to more positivity. Sometimes it's as simple as changing a voice tone or the wording of a message...from a negative spin to a positive one.

Mindfulness is another aspect of her plan. Finding ways to notice and be aware.

Each chapter is dedicated to a specific month, and for each one, she outlines specific tasks. One of her initial tasks, for example, is finding more energy, which involves getting enough sleep and more exercise. Then she moves on to clearing out the clutter. This is important to her because disorder was a constant drain on her energy.

Chock full of great ideas, I couldn't even imagine NOT doing this. So I'm thinking that I will dedicate one of my existent blogs to creating my own project. Probably my Obsessions and Compulsions blog!

This book deserves more than five stars.

I love the concept of finding happiness in everyday life and I love self help books too. Gretchen Rubin has an entertaining writing style and I had high hopes for her book. As I read it though, I found myself feeling a little irritated and had this sense of waiting to find out what she was overcoming in order to be happy. It's just not there. She has a nice life with a good marriage, two healthy children, a satisfying career, plenty of whatever material goods she wants, etc. etc. What's not to be happy about? She completely lost me when she was describing her challenge in remaining happy when dealing with a cranky toddler. Oh, please. Come back and rewrite your book when you've had a real problem or two, Gretchen.

If she had talked about finding happiness in the face of, oh, let's say a chronic illness, difficult financial times, an autistic child, a divorce, a huge personal setback or ANYTHING which might be considered a larger challenge then her ideas might seem more respectable. Unfortunately, I just can't get right on board with someone who has "bravely" battled the challenge of an ordinary life and been able to come up happy.

A year of skimming other pop-psychology self-help books does not qualify Rubin to give advice to anyone about anything. If she committed five years to her pursuit and then wrote a book she might have had something of value to say. There's a reason why first-year art students or M.D.'s or psychiatrists or Buddhists don't write books heralding their insights--because they haven't had any. If Rubin's book proves anything, it's that she couldn't possibly, in a mere year, have dug deeply enough into the problems of life to have come up with any useful conclusions. But let's face it, her chief reason for the publishing the book wasn't gaining insight; she wrote this book for one reason--book sales. She's been promoting the crap out of if since the day she conceived her flaccid project, and it worked. The book is selling well. But her book sales are more an indication of the pernicious effect Oprah and Deepak Chopra have had on our society than of any inherent value in Rubin's paper-thin insights. As a society, we're only too happy to be satisfied with prescriptions for happiness that involve something easy like making your bed, or a fifteen-minute walk. The real reasons for our society's discontent are many and substantial, and talking about these issues won't make you feel good and are not easily patched over. And the worst part is that, like Sarah Palin's success, the success of Rubin's nauseatingly-simplistic tome will guarantee endless subsequent nauseatingly-simplistic tomes. Her drek is here to stay. The bottom line: save yourself the trouble and wasted effort of reading Rubin's book, and go to the original sources she cites and figure out your own route--this way, you might actually learn something.

This book is very well written and it is interesting to read, especially if you know the author. I think the book should be titled "My happiness Project," since it represents the author's project, not happiness in general. Essentially, the book falls under the category of those views of happiness which are developmental, as Maslow and Csikszentmihaly would describe. From this perspective, the book describes what the author did to acquire or obtain happiness; it does not describe what happiness is. It does not fall under the category of clasic theories or views of happiness, only of characteristics of the pursuit of happiness.

I have not written a review before but felt compelled to do so after reading 1/3 to 1/2 of Ms. Rubin's work. Rather than feel happy or inspired myself, reading this book became painful. The author's constant reference to her past accomplishments were both self serving and unnecessary. I am still waiting for the "happy" part of the book to materialize. Your money would be better spent making a donation to the local food bank rather than buying this book - and I'll guarantee you'll feel happier.

I like Gretchen Rubin. She seems like a genuinely nice person, earnest in her desire to make improvements in her life. However, like some of my fellow reviewers, I felt like I've heard it all before. I didn't really come away with anything. I was like, "Okay. Well...that was nice." I wanted to like the book. Very much so as a matter of fact. Like Gretchen, I've been looking for little ways to improve my overall state of happiness. However, I felt like her journey, while admirable, didn't really provide me any 'new ideas' or takeaways. Did I expect her to provide me written instructions for my own personal epiphany? No. However, I was hoping to find more things in common with Gretchen. We really have very little in common, which is what may be troubling to a lot of readers picking up her book. There wasn't a "night of the soul" moment, a significant shift in her life circumstances that would appeal to the likely audience reading this genre. She seems like she simply hit a rut, a speed bump, and decided to put her effort to overcome it down on paper...and subsequently sell as a "self-help/biographical" work. Gretchen is a good writer, but I think her talent would be better used on other endeavors.

I have read some of the reviews where people wonder if an author who seems to have it all can really speak or give valuable information to the general population or for those who have severe trauma or struggles. It is a good question and i kept it in my mind as I read the book. In fact, because of the question, I went into reading a bit skeptical because I wanted to say, "she won't understand me, this won't be relevant to my life, etc." Perhaps I was a bit defensive, perhaps i wanted to justify my own struggles, I'm not sure.

And as I was reading I found that there were many suggestions that I thought I could implement easily and that they did help to improve my life. I suppose it is all relative, after all, simple suggestions won't change my difficult circumstances or make me have a dream life--but at least they helped me to perhaps have a better quality of life in my given situation.

I am no pollyana by any means and tired old suggestions of "just think positive" kind of irk me. Or, "just pretend to be happy and then you will be happy"--to that i think, go jump off a cliff. But what i found in this book was a host of new suggestions that aren't necessarily brilliant in that they aren't totally new ways of being--just well said and different enough to the point that i could say, "oh, that is a great idea--and simple". I never thought of that.

Will this make me substantially happier a year from now? Who knows. But it does make some daily challenges and drudgery a little more tolerable.

I didn't find that this book was full of deep philosophical, spiritual, aha moments. Instead it is full of practical daily suggestions. I originally thought that it would be more along the line of the former rather than the latter. And at first i was disappointed that it wasn't "deep", but the further i got into the book the more I appreciated the practicality of the information. It is stuff anyone can do.

I also liked a few comments that were made to the author that it is good to work on happiness while life is good and you are somewhat happy--that you don't have to wait for a crisis to focus on trying to become happier. It made a lot of sense, only I hadn't thought of it. One person said it was similar to saving money for a rainy day. Trying to save money after you are laid off isn't as easy as saving money while the jobs and money are good. And the more you save, the better the cushion and benefits you will reap if you are laid off or there is a rainy day. That made a lot of sense. After all, change is not easy. Changing attitudes and behaviors takes work--doing that work while things are halfway reasonable will help you maintain at a higher level if things become challenging. Of course, if crisis is already upon you and you are dealing with trauma or depression, it can still be helpful to work on these suggestions, it just my not be as easy. Regardless of when you work on the suggestions, some of them will shift your lift. Perhaps different ones will speak to you than to me--but that is one of the things the author pointed out that I appreciated too--try different things and also become OK with what makes you happy rather than trying to force yourself to do things that make other people happy but don't quite fit you. It was one of those things that I thought--wow, why didn't I think of that???

Good luck with your pursuit of happiness, whatever tools and path you use.

The Happiness Project or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun (now that is one heck of a title)!

Gretchen Rubin's new book is part memoir and part self-help. It is based on the author's 365 day quest to find more happiness in her life. One day the author had an epiphany of sorts while riding on 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." Recognizing some of her own flaws: quick to blame, craves praise, snores and is somewhat messy, she decided to spend a year making her life happier, hence, The Happiness Project. The project involved "scientific studies" and "wisdom of the ages" to see what works.

What is a Happiness Project?

As define by the author: "A Happiness Project is an approach for changing your life. First is the preparation stage, when you identify what brings you joy, satisfaction and engagement, and also what brings you guilt, anger, boredom, and remorse. Second is making of resolutions, when you identify the concrete actions that will boost your happiness. Then comes the interesting part keeping your resolutions."

In this book, beginning with January, each month was dedicated to a new resolution.

* January - Boost Energy: Vitality
* February - Remember Love
* March - Aim Higher: Work
* April - Lighten Up: Parenthood
* May - Be Serious About Play (Leisure)
* June - Make Time for Friends (Friendship)
* July - Buy Some Happiness (Money)
* August - Contemplate the Heavens (Eternity)
* September - Pursue a Passion (Books)
* October - Pay Attention (Mindfulness
* November - Keep a Contented Heart (Attitude)
* December - Boot Camp Perfect (Happiness)

(In addition, within each month's resolution there were points to focus on and examples.)

Take February -- Resolution = Remember Love (Focus on - quit nagging; don't expect praise; fight right; no dumping and give proofs of love)

At the very end of the book there are guidelines for starting your own personalized Happiness Project. The guidelines include questions for the reader to answer to help them formulate their own game plan.

MY THOUGHTS - I started out really loving this book, even though some of the January resolutions were nothing new: go to sleep earlier; exercise better; toss, restore, organize and tackle a nagging task. Her personal resolutions would be pretty easy to apply to most anyone's life. I was even thinking of a few people I knew who might enjoy this book. However, by the time I got about half way though I decided to nix that idea. A lot of what I was reading seemed rather self-indulgent. There are also a lot of references and comments from her blog throughout this book, so I began to think perhaps I'll just recommend the blog instead to the people I had in mind.

As I mentioned there were things I did enjoy a lot about the book. It was well written, insightful, and oftentimes humorous. My problem really was that the author, in my opinion, is not what most might consider to be a typical, wife and mother with job who happens to be in a bit of a rut. Far from it, the author has many advantages: for starters, she admits that she is married to the love of her life, has two wonderful daughters. In addition, her bio she states the following:

"I wrote a bestselling biography of Winston Churchill, "Forty Ways to Look at Winston Churchill," and one of John Kennedy, "Forty Ways to Look at JFK." My first book, "Power Money Fame S..: A User's Guide," is social criticism in the guise of a user's manual. I've also written three dreadful novels that are safely locked away in a drawer.

Before turning to writing, I had a career in law. A graduate of Yale and Yale Law School, I clerked for Justice Sandra Day O'Connor and was editor-in-chief of the Yale Law Journal."

While all this is certain admirable, most who are might consider reading this book are coming from a whole other place in life. I would think that many might look to this book as a self-help guide. If that is the case and if, for example, the reader is unhappy and prone to depression, this book is unlikely to be the cure. In fact, it might make such a reader feel more overwhelmed by the thought of taking on such a huge project. But, on the other hand if your life is pretty good and you are just looking for a way to make things run more smoothly or to become more organized in life, then you might want to give The Happiness Project a try. MY Recommendation? YOU DECIDE.

This book is SO inspiring! A group of my friends formed our own Happiness Group. We meet once a month to go over a chapter of the book and discuss our own goals. I find myself eagerly anticipating the next get together all month. By reading this book, I have made some awesome changes to my lifestyle and to my thinking. EVERYONE needs a happiness project!

Gretchen Rubin has hit a grand slam with The Happiness Project. I have read more than a few "self-help" books and can tell you that rarely do I come across one that is as practical as THP. The Happiness Project is full of the history, science, and philosophy of happiness; all of that is then whipped together with a wonderful writing style that fills this book with tips and thoughts. As to the question to whether men will like this book, I say - absolutely! This book will appeal to men who shy away from what some guys call "those kinds of books."

Bottom line: Gretchen Rubin has written a classic in the field. Truly.

I truly enjoyed this book! I am generally a positive and optimistic person and yet, it seems like I attracted the right book at the right time. If you are looking for an uplifting yet practical book to help keep you focused on the positives of life, this is the book for you.

The Happiness Project - Or, Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun by Gretchen Rubin is a great read. I was given a review copy and honestly if I hadn't been given a copy, I would have purchased it myself. Why? Because it got me thinking about how I look at my own day-to-day life - was I looking at the glass as full or not full enough?

The author, Gretchen Rubin, decided to spend a year journaling about her life, her happiness and how she could improve her level of self-satisfaction. No, her life wasn't unhappy but she knew there were areas of improvement. She began researching happiness - from a philosophical, spiritual, medical, intellectual and even a historical prospective. Armed with facts, how-tos and strategies, she decided to document her quest for consistent and ongoing happiness.

Gretchen divided her "happiness project" into twelve subjects - one subject for each month of the year. It went something like this:
January - Boost Energy
February - Remember Love
March - Aim Higher
April - Lighten Up
May - Be Serious About Play
June - Make Time For Friends
July - Buy Some Happiness
August - Contemplate the Heavens
September - Pursue a Passion
October - Pay Attention
November - Keep a Contented Heart
December - Boot Camp Perfect

The Happiness Project is a journal into the personal, and professional, growth of a woman determined to learn, grow and become her best. I am thankful she allowed us to journey along with her.

I made notes while reading and came up with a few ideas for my own personal "happiness project." Thank you Gretchen Rubin for many ideas and suggestions that will be supporting my own ongoing personal and professional growth.

Really enjoyed this read and listen [I recommend the audiobook because I believe the author captures her own spirit in reading her words]
The writing is real and relatable. The author has given much thought to economy in her writing and the anecdotes that go with her examination of happiness are told well and just right.
I'm troubled that Amazon has paired this with Elizabeth Gilbert's works for discounting, because I found THP by Rubin a much more concrete and resourceful exam of happiness and it components. I found Gilbert to be a little self-indulgent and meandering.
If you seek more or want to appreciate the more you already have, enjoy this book!

While the information in the book may have been told in may other books. I like the fresh way the author expressed herself/ Written in a narrative format, this book has a fresh look on how to become much happier.How Jill Learned to Read Using Phonics

Just starting to read this book convinced me to art making changes in my life. The author has concrete suggestions for making simple changes that will start making you feel happier. Some of the changes include more sleep and eating better, not just more play time or shopping. It's a helpful book.

There have been many books written on this subject in recent years. Just when I was beginning to think that everything thing of use-regarding happiness-had already been covered, The Happiness Project showed me that I was wrong. You will know doubt benefit from reading this book!

This is a very personal book about the author's year long effort to increase her happiness. We're not talking about a search for religious bliss ala a quest to India, or getting rich so she could party on a yacht in the Greek Isles. Rather her goal was to become happier within the context of her already comfortable, and reasonably happy, life. She didn't keep her project to herself and suffered through the usual barbs and slights of people who thought her endeavor silly, pointless, superficial or unworthy or serious thought. I was actually shocked by the level of vitriol some people responded with to her goals. Some folks just can't seem to tolerate a person who expresses a desire to change her life.

The author clearly researched the topic of happiness. Rather than consult pop culture, she covered a range of subject experts from the realms of Philosophy, Psychology, Biology, Religion and Literature. Luminaries from Aristotle and Seneca to more modern folks make an appearance through aptly chosen quotes. The book comes across as polished and well-paced, the author as very well educated, yet approachable and self-deprecating. There are plenty of areas within the book where I found wisdom, which I can hopefully apply to my own life. Even some of the 'lesser' points of her book, such as a few of 'rules you learn as an adult' have left me contemplating them long after I have completed the book. Two great examples include 'you can control what you do, but you cannot control what you like to do', and 'never begin a sentence with "No offense but...". I'm sure that not many other people chose these two particular items as the most important, but they resonated with me at the time I read them.

From what I have read about the author, she continued the project after the first year and has a blog. I have never read the blog, and don't follow any bloggers regularly as there are only so many hours in the day. This book would make excellent reading, not just at Year's end or beginning when setting resolutions, but whenever you need a jolt of either entertainment, humor, wisdom or inspiration.

Its always a good topic to point out how we can find happiness just by making small changes to our current lives. This book has a lot of common sense topics that are good reminders for all people to focus on to improve their mental outlook. I just got bored with how it was presented. The book had your usual stories that reinforced the topics but I tired of the stories which seemed to often revolve around the writers marriage. The book seemed targeted towards women with topics and tips on how to improve your outlook and happiness with your spouse so I found it iteresting to see how women thought but the topics were not focused on how I could improve my outlook.

If you enjoyed the blog, you'll probably enjoy this book - and there's really not much repetition with the blog, which I've followed for most of the year. You get the sense of a very honest, somewhat self-deprecating person. Yes, you've probably run across many of the ideas before (especially if you're a self-help book junkie), but the new twists that I found in this book were valuable and inspiring.

It was such a pleasure to read this charming and utterly original musing on the nature of happiness. Gretchen Rubin serves as one part storyteller and one part philosopher. Although ostensibly about her own quest to understand happiness, there is much practical advice for the reader -- I constantly found myself thinking "that is so true." Now, if only I can apply these thoughts.