50
Used, New, and Out of Print Books - We Buy and Sell - Powell's Books
Cart |
|  my account  |  wish list  |  help   |  800-878-7323
Hello, | Login
MENU
  • Browse
    • New Arrivals
    • Bestsellers
    • Featured Preorders
    • Award Winners
    • Audio Books
    • See All Subjects
  • Used
  • Staff Picks
    • Staff Picks
    • Picks of the Month
    • 50 Books for 50 Years
    • 25 PNW Books to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Books From the 21st Century
    • 25 Memoirs to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Global Books to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Women to Read Before You Die
    • 25 Books to Read Before You Die
  • Gifts
    • Gift Cards & eGift Cards
    • Powell's Souvenirs
    • Journals and Notebooks
    • socks
    • Games
  • Sell Books
  • Blog
  • Events
  • Find A Store

Don't Miss

  • Spring Sale: 25 Select Fiction and Nonfiction Books
  • Powell's Staff Top Fives
  • Powell's Author Events
  • Oregon Battle of the Books
  • Audio Books

Visit Our Stores


Kelsey Ford: Celebrate Short Story Month: 7 Recommendations Based on 7 Collections We Love (0 comment)
I love short story collections because of how much they manage to do with so little. They can dilate, expand, shatter, constellate. Within any given collection, you can move from the moon to a diner after midnight to that liminal minute right when you wake up but are still knee-deep in a dream..
Read More»
  • Keith Mosman: Powell's Picks Spotlight: Jacqueline Woodson and Leo Espinosa's 'The World Belonged to Us' (0 comment)
  • Ayun Halliday: The Symbiotic Relationship Between Used Bookstores and Small Potatoes (0 comment)

{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##

Happiness Project Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning Clean My Closets Fight Right Read Aristotle & Generally Have More Fun

by Gretchen Rubin
Happiness Project Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning Clean My Closets Fight Right Read Aristotle & Generally Have More Fun

  • Comment on this title
  • Synopses & Reviews
  • View Video

ISBN13: 9780061583254
ISBN10: 0061583251
Condition: Standard
DustJacket: Standard

All Product Details

View Larger ImageView Larger Images
Ships free on qualified orders.
Add to Cart
$11.50
List Price:$26.99
Used Hardcover
Ships in 1 to 3 days
Add to Wishlist
QtyStore
1Cedar Hills
2Local Warehouse

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments

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 of that year, Rubin carves out her place alongside the authors of bestselling memoirs such as Julie and Julia, The Year of Living Biblically, and Eat, Pray, Love. With humor and insight, she 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.

Rubin didn't have the option to uproot herself, nor did she really want to; instead she focused on improving her life as it was. Each month she tackled a new set of resolutions: give proofs of love, ask for help, find more fun, keep a gratitude notebook, forget about results. She immersed herself in principles set forth by all manner of experts, from Epicurus to Thoreau to Oprah to Martin Seligman to the Dalai Lama to see what worked for her — and what didn't.

Her conclusions are sometimes surprising — she finds that money can buy happiness, when spent wisely; that novelty and challenge are powerful sources of happiness; that "treating" yourself can make you feel worse; that venting bad feelings doesn't relieve them; that the very smallest of changes can make the biggest difference — and they range from the practical to the profound.

Written with charm and wit, The Happiness Project is illuminating yet entertaining, thought-provoking yet compulsively readable. Gretchen Rubin's passion for her subject jumps off the page, and reading just a few chapters of this book will inspire you to start your own happiness project.

Review

"This book made me happy in the first five pages." AJ Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

Review

"A cross between the Dalai Lama's The Art of Happiness and Elizabeth Gilbert's Eat, Pray, Love." Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness

Synopsis

What if you could change your life without really changing your life? On the outside, Gretchen Rubin had it all — a good marriage, healthy children and a successful career — but she knew something was missing. Determined to end that nagging feeling, she set out on a year-long quest to learn how to better enjoy the life she already had.

Each month, Gretchen pursued a different set of resolutions — go to sleep earlier, tackle a nagging task, bring people together, take time to be silly — along with dozens of other goals. She read everything from classical philosophy to cutting-edge scientific studies, from Winston Churchill to Oprah, developing her own definition of happiness and a plan for how to achieve it. She kept track of which resolutions worked and which didn't, sharing her stories and collecting those of others through her blog (created to fulfill one of March's resolutions). Bit by bit, she began to appreciate and amplify the happiness in her life.

The Happiness Project is the engaging, relatable and inspiring result of the author's twelve-month adventure in becoming a happier person. Written with a wicked sense of humour and sharp insight, Gretchen Rubin's story will inspire readers to embrace the pleasure in their lives and remind them how to have fun.

Synopsis

“This book made me happy in the first five pages.” —AJ Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible

Award-winning author Gretchen Rubin is back with a bang, with The Happiness Project. The author of the bestselling 40 Ways to Look at Winston Churchill has produced a work that is “a cross between the Dalai Lamas The Art of Happiness and Elizabeth Gilberts Eat, Pray, Love.” (Sonya Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want) In the vein of Julie and Julia, The Happiness Project describes one persons year-long attempt to discover what leads to true contentment. Drawing at once on cutting-edge science, classical philosophy, and real-world applicability, Rubin has written an engaging, eminently relatable chronicle of transformation.

Synopsis

One womans quest to do one new thing every day of the year, what she learned, and what we all can gain from her journey...

In 2009 veteran journalist and eight-time Emmy award winner Lu Ann Cahn was feeling angry and frustrated. The economy was tanking. Her job was changing. Budgets were being cut. She resented the new technology and social media she was being asked to embrace at work. In a word, she felt “stuck.”

Cahns daughter encouraged her to try blogging, and after some thought, she decided to write about trying something new every day for a year. Little did she know, that "Year of Firsts" would change her outlook on life.

For 365 days Cahn made a point of doing something she had never done before, some as simple as performing an old task in a new way, some creative and extreme:

Riding a mechanical bull Eating a scorpion

Speaking to a complete stranger on the street

Smoking a cigar

Shoveling horse manure

Zip-lining across a crocodile-infested Mexican lake

Spending a day in a wheelchair

Walking her dog backwards

Taking a drum lesson from a famous 80s rocker

In the process she discovered that "firsts" were the antidote to “stuck.” I Dare Me is Cahns journey, but it's more than just a memoir. It challenges readers to confront their own fears, and encourages them to try their own "firsts."

Synopsis

Feeling stuck?

Veteran journalist and cancer survivor Lu Ann Cahn was feeling angry and frustrated. The economy was tanking. Her job was changing. In a word, she felt “stuck.”

Something had to change. Her daughter helped convince her to start a “Year of Firsts.” For the next 365 days, Cahn made a point of doing something she had never done before, every day. Before she knew it, her whole perspective on life had changed. In this inspiring book, Lu Ann recounts how a new “first” everyday brought excitement and wonder back into her world. And more than that, she helps readers see how they can do it too.

• Participate in a Polar Bear Plunge

• Speak to a complete stranger on the street

• Zip-line across a crocodile-infested Mexican lake

• Spend a day in a wheelchair

• Learn to Hula Hoop

Synopsis

In this inspiring memoir backed by cutting-edge research, Janice Kaplan spends a year living gratefully and gains a fresh outlook that transforms her marriage, family life, work, health, and everyday experience.  

 

The Gratitude Diaries follows journalist and former Parade editor in chief Janice Kaplan as she learns to gain a positive perspective and improve her life by becoming more grateful every day. In her fresh and witty journey, Kaplan discovers that gratitude isnt the same as happiness (which can be fragile and fleeting) but has deeper emotional roots, is longer-lasting, and is impervious to change or challenges.

Relying on both amusing personal experiences and extensive research, Kaplan discovers how gratitude can transform every aspect of life, including marriage and friendship, money and ambition, and health and fitness. She interviews dozens of experts—including doctors, neuroscientists, researchers, academics, and philosophers—and gathers extensive data from the national gratitude survey she conducted, to offer surprising findings about why gratitude changes your outlook in any situation. Through interviews with real people including celebrities like Matt Damon, Daniel Craig, and Barbra Streisand, Kaplan discovers why gratitude matters in everything from our success at work to our childrens happiness.

With warmth, humor, and vision, Janices journey seeks to empower readers to start thinking positively and change their lives. 

Synopsis

Erin McHugh had spent the better part of her adult life doing community work, but in more recent years, the minutiae of life and working as a bookseller kept her busy and away from those higher impulses. Then one day she learned a distant relative was actually going to be canonized. Was this a sign? What followed next was McHughandrsquo;s sincere urge to recapture a sense of charity, and so she set out on her birthday to do one good deed every day for an entire year. Maybe she wouldnandrsquo;t be saving orphans from burning buildings, but she wanted to take one small, daily detour and make someone elseandrsquo;s life just a little bit better. One Good Deed is the inspiring, smart, and frequently funny chronicle of that year, in which each page represents a day in McHughandrsquo;s journey to reclaim the better part of herself, inspiring readers to do the same.

Praise for One Good Deed:

andldquo;Her memoir will inspire you to flex your do-gooder muscle without being preachy or a Pollyanna.andrdquo; andndash;Fitness

andldquo;7 Good Deeds That Could Change Your Lifeandrdquo; andmdash;Redbook

andldquo;Engaging, funny, wise, and winning. One Good Deed is a measure of humanity and of McHughandrsquo;s own striving towards it.andrdquo;

andmdash;Susan Orlean, author of Rin Tin Tin and The Orchid Thief

andldquo;This instructive, funny, utterly relevant book reminds us that the simple (but not-so-simple) act of paying daily attention can make a profound differenceandmdash;to the world around us, and to our very selves.andrdquo;

andmdash;Dani Shapiro, author of Devotion: A Memoir

andldquo;The best book in the world...because it makes us our best.andrdquo;

andmdash;Nichole Bernier, author of The Unfinished Work of Elizabeth D.


Video


About the Author

Veteran journalist and eight-time Emmy award-winner Lu Ann Cahn is a reporter for Philadelphias WCAU-TV. Shes currently working on special in-depth projects and exclusive high profile interviews for NBC10 News at 11p.m. Lu Ann is admired by her colleagues and viewers for her personal story of beating breast cancer at the age of 35. By going public with her struggle and determination in overcoming this disease, she raised awareness and impressed upon millions of women the importance of breast self-exam and mammography testing. Her 1992 special report, "Breast Cancer: My Personal Story," won her a national Clarion award and two Mid-Atlantic Regional Emmys.

Cahn is an honorary board member of the Crohn's and Colitis Foundation of America and serves as the annual emcee of the foundations main fundraising event, the Renaissance Ball. She also works extensively with Living Beyond Breast Cancer.


Table of Contents

January, Vitality: boost energy -- February, Marriage: remember love -- March, Work: aim higher -- April, Parenthood: lighten up -- May, Leisure: be serious about play -- June, Friendship: make time for friends -- July, Money: buy some happiness -- August, Eternity: contemplate the heavens -- September, Books: pursue a passion -- October, Mindfulness: pay attention -- November, Attitude: keep a contented heart -- December, Happiness: boot camp perfect -- Your happiness project -- Further reading.


4.7 7

What Our Readers Are Saying

Share your thoughts on this title!
Average customer rating 4.7 (7 comments)

`
bll1010 , October 21, 2014 (view all comments by bll1010)
I just finished reading The Happiness Project with my book club. First of all, what a great choice for a book club! Each chapter focuses on a different area of the author's life in which she was attempting to increase her happiness including her marriage, her work, her relationship with her children, etc. Every person in our book club found something that they could relate directly to their own life. Personally, I felt like reading Rubin's book had the effect of reading a self-help digest. She invested tons of time and energy into researching happiness and ways to improve in 11 different categories, and I got to benefit from the best lessons she learned. She relays her experiences in an easy, anecdotal way that I really appreciated and she was willing to admit that not every technique or strategy she tried worked for her. It was a quick, interesting and beneficial read for me and it made for a fantastic and entertaining book club discussion!

Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No

(2 of 4 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment

`
Valya , January 12, 2012 (view all comments by Valya)
This book was fun and informative. She did some things that I tried and some that I would not want to do but great ideas.

Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No

(4 of 8 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment

`
Valya , January 12, 2012 (view all comments by Valya)
The Happiness Project was a fun and helpful book. I enjoyed her attempts both the successful ones and the failures.

Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No

(4 of 8 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment

`
suzie12 , January 01, 2012 (view all comments by suzie12)
made me happy

Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No

(1 of 2 readers found this comment helpful)
report this comment

`
cheri.oggy , January 23, 2011
I enjoyed this book immensely! The author was very upbeat throughout her story. I've put several of her projects to work for me and indeed, they can make you happier.

Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No

report this comment

`
AnnaF , January 01, 2011 (view all comments by AnnaF)
This was a great read, not so much a self help book as a gentle prod do follow some common sense plans to improve your particular life based on what you think is important.

Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No

report this comment

`
Shannon Geiger , May 24, 2010 (view all comments by Shannon Geiger)
I read The Happiness Project as part of an online book club. I was surprised to find that not only did I really enjoy Ms. Rubin's book, I leared a lot from it. Ms. Rubin decided that she wanted to be happier. But she didn't have the time or money to "go find herself". So she decided to find more happiness in the life she already had. She committed to making changes that would bring her more happiness. She changed the way she related to her kids and her husband. She cahnged her attitude about how she dealt with other. She found things that made her happy and emphasized those things. In the end, she was happier, though she concedes that some of the things she decided to do were a lot of work. Our book group made a committment to write commandments and try to live by them to bring some more happienss into our lives. So far, it seems to be working for me. I don't usually take memoirs to heart and try to mimic what the authors have done. But in this case, I can say that the book did make me think about my own happiness and the changes I have made have been positive ones. I would recommend this book.

Was this comment helpful? | Yes | No

report this comment

View all 7 comments


Product Details

ISBN:
9780061583254
Binding:
Hardcover
Publication date:
12/29/2009
Publisher:
HARPERCOLLINS PUBLISHERS
Pages:
301
Height:
1.09IN
Width:
6.14IN
Thickness:
1.25
Number of Units:
1
Illustration:
Yes
Copyright Year:
2010
UPC Code:
2800061583256
Author:
Janice Kaplan
Author:
that "treating" yourself can make you feel worse
Author:
Gretchen Rubin
Author:
Gretchen Craft Rubin
Author:
Lu Ann Cahn
Author:
that venting bad feelings doesn't relieve them
Author:
Erin McHugh
Author:
Gretchen Rubin
Subject:
Personal Memoirs
Subject:
Self-Help/Biography
Subject:
main_subject
Subject:
Biography - General
Subject:
all_subjects
Subject:
Self-actualization (psychology)
Subject:
Self Help-Memoirs

Ships free on qualified orders.
Add to Cart
$11.50
List Price:$26.99
Used Hardcover
Ships in 1 to 3 days
Add to Wishlist
QtyStore
1Cedar Hills
2Local Warehouse

This title in other editions

  • Used, Trade Paperback, $9.50
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
  • Twitter
  • Facebook
  • Pinterest
  • Instagram

  • Help
  • Guarantee
  • My Account
  • Careers
  • About Us
  • Security
  • Wish List
  • Partners
  • Contact Us
  • Shipping
  • Sitemap
  • © 2022 POWELLS.COM Terms

{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##
{1}
##LOC[OK]## ##LOC[Cancel]##