Customer Reviews

Short Guide to a Happy Life

5 star:		(66)
4 star:		(19)
3 star:		(15)
2 star:		(7)
1 star:		(32)

 

 

Tuesday I was at the bookstore when it opened to buy this book. I bought a copy for myself and one for my daughter, then went to sit on a bench overlooking the ocean to read it.

This tiny gem of a book contains many thoughts that are just common sense until you see them written down. Then they become points to ponder, to think about and mull over in your mind and heart. Which is exactly what I did after finishing...I sat and looked out at the sea, thinking about what I had just read.

Much of the text of this book was part of a commencement address that Quindlen was to give at Villanova. She released the speech after she cancelled and I have been told that it was so well-received that she was asked to put it into book form.

This is a book to savor and to read over and over again and to give as a gift to a loved one. I plan to return to the bookstore to buy several more copies.

Some of the thoughts in the book:

On life: "there will be thousands of people doing what you want to do for a living. But you will be the only person alive who has sole custody of your life. Your particular life. Your entire life. Not just your life at a desk, or your life on a bus, or in a car, or at the computer. Not just the life of your mind, but the life of your heart. Not just your bank account, but your soul."

On being a mother, a wife, and a friend: "I show up. I listen. I try to laugh."

On being charitable and good to others: "if you do not do good... then doing well will never be enough."

And on living for today: "I learned to love the journey, not the destination. I learned that it is not a dress rehearsal, and that today is the only guarantee you get."

Quindlen talks about leading a balanced life and not making work one's entire focus--she says "you cannot be really first-rate at your work if your work is all you are." and "Don't ever confuse the two, your life and your work."

Her thoughts on mortality, which Donald talked about in his review, are powerful-- and applicable to all of our lives.

I certainly think Quindlen herself is a first-rate writer and thinker, and thank her for the valuable lessons in this book.

This is a great little book. It seems like we all know what the aurhor is saying but we need a gentle reminder each day. If you are looking for a gift for a loved one, I would recommend that you buy this book and the book An Encounter With A Prophet and combine the books as one gift. Little is the only negative about the entire book. I wish there was more of it

Most books take the vantage point of the author being an expert in the
subject or a celebrity. A Short Guide to a Happy Life claims to come
from neither foundation, even though the Ms. Anna Quindlen will be
well-known to many for her best-selling books and Newsweek
columns.

Instead her perspective in this book is a humble and common
one, that of someone who experienced what we will all experience in
due course, but at an earlier age -- the loss of her mother to ovarian
cancer when her mother was 40 and the author was 19. That early loss
changed Ms. Quindlen's perspective on life, and she thinks it will
eventually and should now change yours, too. "Do you think you'd
care so very much about [your career] if you developed an aneurysm one
afternoon, or found a lump in your breast while in the shower?"

She describes her qualifications for describing the happy life,
"I am a good mother to three children. I have tried to never let
my profession stand in the way of being a good parent."

"I am a good friend to my husband."

"I am a good
friend to my friends, and they to me." ....

Now that you have
the perspective, what is Ms. Quindlen's prescription for you:
"Get a life in which you are not alone." "All of us
want to do well. But if we do not do good too, then doing well will
never be enough."

The simplicity and ordinariness of that
perspective gives it a power and eloquence that the expert and the
famous person cannot command.

But what was remarkable for me was
the insight that she shares with us, that I would never have developed
on my own....Basically, without awareness of mortality, we would
continue to waste our lives in pursuit of things that are not really,
after all, so important. This is what makes this a five star book
that you should read immediately . . . and remember for all the
remaining days of your life. It will make a wonderful gift for those
you love, and help bring you closer together.

Let me quote just once
more: "Life is made up of moments, small pieces of glittering
mica in a long stretch of gray cement." What a shame it would be
to miss one of those moments. If you skip this book, you will have
missed one, I'm afraid.

The message is powerfully reinforced by the
many beautiful black and white photographs of nature, companionship,
and youth in the book. Be sure to enjoy them, as well.

After you
have finished reading this book, sharing it with others, and changing
your priorities, ask yourself a new question: If I only had today,
what would I do differently? Then ask that question every morning.
You'll be glad you did. So will we all.

A beautifully written essay (combined with exquisite black-and-white photos) about what's really important in life ("It's so much easier to write a resumé than to craft a spirit"). It's very short; it's the kind of book that can be read in one sitting. However, it's also the kind of book that SHOULD be read over and over again. Highly recommended for anyone who's grown tired of the urgency addition that pervades the normal American lifestyle.

This is a practical self-help book. If you want something spiritual to go with it try An Encounter With a Prophet.

I like Anna Quindlen, but this book was a dissapointment. I can't imagine why it sells so well other than brilliant marketing and the author's good name. Perhaps I simply expected too much, but there is not much more to this booklet than "you should get a life, and appreciate it." Over half the pages (literally) have no text but are filled with unoriginal b/w stock photos. You will finish what little there is to read in this book in a matter of minutes, and be left with little more to think about other than "I wish I hadn't spent ten bucks on that." Those who seek truly thought-provoking advice on living a happy life would do well to read the writings of Gary Zukav, the Dalai Lama, or newcomer Taro Gold.

Having lost my beloved 12 year old son to brain cancer, I am always drawn to authors who have faced adversity & loss in their own lives. Anna knows in her heart of hearts how to look at the sky for beauty and hope, so she can teach us something....which she certainly does in this wonderful little book. She gives new meaning to the words "get a life"...how to use our losses to help us see the real beauty of each day. I shall certainly buy this book for my college-age daughter. Thanks, Anna!

I have always liked Anna Quindlen's writing, but this book was truly disappointing. There is not much more to this tiny book than "you should get a life, and appreciate it." Over half the pages are unoriginal stock photos (and black and white at that).

If you want a little book filled with truly thought-provoking advice on living a happy life, I highly recommend "Open Your Mind, Open Your Life" by Taro Gold.

Anna Quindlen's charming and engaging little book is a refreshing reminder that life is short, magical and that every moment matters. In a direct and elegant way, Quindlen shares the lessons she learned during and after her mother's death. These lessons focus on embracing your life and not taking it for granted whether you're in one moment enjoying spring flowers or being of service to another human being. I was really touched by the author's honest and humble sentiment throughout the book; Quindlen manages to bypass the drama and darkness of the experience of her mother's death and offer up the richness of what she experienced as a result. Reading it felt like receiving a sweet gift from a friend.

Another book that shares profound life lessons with a similar sense of sincerity and sweetness is Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment, by Ariel & Shya Kane. Through incredible stories and examples from real life, the Kanes share what they have discovered on their 20+ year journey as a couple about how to have life be richer and more fulfilling than you ever imagined. If you want to feel inspired, refreshed and enlivened (rather than 'worked on' or preached to), pick up both of these books and treat yourself to a truly delightful experience.

Several years ago, Anna Quindlen, was asked by Villanova University to give that years commencement speech. But as the date of graduation approached, Quindlen found herself in a conflict which resulted in her cancelling from attending. A graduating senior, though, wrote to Quindlen asking her for a copy of her speech which then made its way onto the Internet and private e mails. Many readers weren't satisfied with the unbound pages and urged Quindlen to publish this as a book and so A Short Guide to a Happy Life became a book with an interesting story about its birth. But least any reader think this is the end of the story or destination, doesn't know Quindlen that well for within the pages of this small book, she sets her audience on a thought provoking journey which doesn't end when one closes the book.

Fueled by the loss of her 40 year old mother when Quindlen was 19, she reflects on how she learned at this early age what is important in life. And not just a life to be lived chained to one's desk or a life which forces one to covet material things but a life of exploration and unbridled happiness. When Quindlen urges her readers to "get a life," she forces them to reevaluate what they find precious and dear. And as Quindlen continues to describe what she finds important, I also found msyelf, as I'm sure most of her readers did, shaking my head in agreement and shedding a tear. If Tuesdays With Morrie explained to many readers how to die with dignity, then this book shows us how to life lives which are meaningful and presonally productive.

Quindlen, a long time favorite of mine, beginning with her columns for The New York Times, has written a perfect book not only for a new gradate but a gift of words to be cherished for any age at any time.

And now, I will always remember to look at the view!