Customer Reviews

Even Happier: A Gratitude Journal for Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment

5 star:		(3)
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I have to work to be happy. This year my youngest son died, then not 6 weeks later my father died. My mother followed 5 months later. My husband and I share the lessons so that we can focus on what is good in life and what we can still look forward to even after such a year of sorrow.

If you need to choose one, last book this is the one. no joking! It's meaningful, practical, broad and deep. Combines science, philosophy, spirituality in a friendly and effective format. Anyone who is serious about growth and going beyond our standard responsibilities must see this book. No, I have never interacted with Tal or had any business relationship with him (even though we are both Israelis.)
You must see Even Happier, seriously!
M.H.

Really enjoy reading this book, I am still digesting it in small portions, like the author suggests. So I am taking my time to read it. Very interesting and can really get you to think! Out side the box.

Since Tal Ben-Shahar is an Israeli, I think he should spend some time in Israel, teaching his theory (perhaps he is doing it now.) I really like his central idea that we ought to remember, or write down on a daily basis, what we are grateful for. Many Israelis (and I am one) are always complaining and bitching about everything; rarely are they grateful for the amazing country they and their ancestors have created in a century. Perhaps they should reread the works of H. Y. Brenner, to refresh their memory of how difficult and desperate life in the country used to be at the beginning of the 20th century. So I'd send Ben-Shahar, with his Harvard glory, to the Israelis, to tell them what is important in life.
Indeed, Ben-Shahar's last book was translated to Hebrew. I read it in Israel during my visit there last month. This book does have some new ideas about expressing emotions (which--apart from anger--Israelis are bad at) and even about crying. Israelis (except perhaps for the young generation) are bad at crying. They usually interpret crying as a weakness akin to a break-down. In this respect, Ben-Shahar's books can do a great service to his society.
My criticism on the books of Ben-Shahar is that they repeat themselves. He sometimes seems to recycle the same material in a new cover, which is the case in Even Happier. Furthermore, he is sometimes rather shallow, especially when he talks about anti-depressants. He surely knows that anti-depressants--although helpful and sometimes crucial--do not protect from pain and depression. Not at all. Nothing really does--we must soldier on through the pain even with anti-depressants. The only temporary protection from pain are street drugs and alcohol--but those are not solutions; those pave the way to hell. I think that Ben-Shahar's books are really aimed at people who are generally successful and balanced. His suggestions are good for the so-called "normal" life, for minor set-backs, for light depressions, for daily errors and corrections, etc. But they are not so good for serious problems or
crises. When a mother loses her son, or a husband loses his wife, it won't do any good--in fact it would be an insult-- to ask them what they are grateful for.