Happy
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4.1 • 123 Ratings
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- £7.99
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- £7.99
Publisher Description
Brought to you by Penguin.
The audiobook edition of Happy, read by Derren Brown.
Everyone says they want to be happy. But that's much more easily said than done. What does being happy actually mean? And how do you even know when you feel it?
In Happy Derren Brown explores changing concepts of happiness - from the surprisingly modern wisdom of the Stoics and Epicureans in classical times right up until today, when the self-help industry has attempted to claim happiness as its own. He shows how many of self-help's suggested routes to happiness and success - such as positive thinking, self-belief and setting goals - can be disastrous to follow and, indeed, actually cause anxiety.
Happy aims to reclaim happiness and to enable us to appreciate the good things in life, in all their transient glory. By taking control of the stories we tell ourselves, by remembering that 'everything's fine' even when it might not feel that way, we can allow ourselves to flourish and to live more happily.
"Crammed with wisdom and insight . . . I'm going to recommend it to everyone I know" Stephen Fry
"Witty, useful and beautifully written" The Sunday Times
© Derren Brown 2016 (P) Penguin Audio 2018
Customer Reviews
Get up to page 28 before judging.
His philosophical take on happiness is, to me at least, pretty spot on. The only trouble is that you get the feeling he’s angling for intellectual credibility as much as smooth and easy understanding from the reader. So it’s hard work. But ultimately still rewarding and enlightening.
That said, Billy Connelly (once described as an optimism nuclear generator) summed up the same thoughts rather more neatly when he was asked about the source of his optimism:
"It's up to yourself. You manufacture it [optimism]. You either look at the world one way or another. It's the old half full half empty. It's up to you. The world's a great place, it's full of great people. The choice is yours. [Pessimism] is a luxury you can't afford".
You’ll be happy when it’s finished!
Why use one word when you can use twenty. Starts with the notion that you’re coming from a place of complete fantasy... blah