100 books like Happier

Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert uses wit and science to reveal how we generally fail to predict what makes us happy and how we can do better.

I loved his discussions of why lottery winners aren't happier for long, how our memories create a "rosy past" illusion, and even why bad experiences can sometimes be better than good ones.

I loved the engaging stories and insightful experiments that Gilbert uses to dismantle common assumptions about happiness and offers fresh perspectives. I gained self-awareness and discovered unexpected paths to finding and savoring happiness.

Strap in for a thought-provoking journey that may just change how you view your own happiness and that of others-all with a healthy dose of humor.

This book introduced the concept of nudging into the public discourse, and I guess all of us have encountered it one way or the other. How many reminders have I gotten to sign up for this or that program?… Alas, I love Thaler and Sunstein's concept of choice architects. It made me think about power as a capacity to affect not only people but also the very framework in which people make decisions.

Carefully read (and read again, and then read at least a third and fourth time) both books by Jim Collins. He's rightly famous for his masterful distillation of the core qualities and strategies of the world's most successful organizations.

Once you understand key concepts like "Getting the Right People on the Bus" and what your "20-mile March" really is, and you have the grit to keep trying to apply the concepts and work through mistakes and sticking points, you will be able to lead your organization to new heights of growth and impact, when so many other organizations struggle just to keep the lights on.

Note that his “Good to Great for the Social Sector'' misapplies his concepts to the non-profit and is best ignored. The texts above apply perfectly well to the nonprofit sector, and this attempt at re-interpreting his principles fails badly.

As of 2023, behavioral economics is no longer a surprising new look at old economics principles–but that doesn’t change just how entertaining, surprising, and challenging you will find the experiments detailed in Predictably Irrational. 

In one notable experiment, Dr. Ariely placed six-packs of soft drinks next to plates of cash inside of communal dorm fridges–to prove we tend to be honest about cash but feel no compunction about swiping someone else’s Coke. In another memorable experiment, male volunteers were asked moral questions when they were in a state of arousal–which helped prove that morals are flexible depending on the circumstances. 

Reading this book will make you realize just how often you make decisions–especially financial decisions–that are weird, illogical, and irrational.

Can I tell you how much I admire Dr. Rick Hanson?

This book is another one that I read early in my inner journey and one I still often refer to for its insight and wisdom on meditation, breathing, and how the brain works. While it is chock full of science, it is reader-friendly. I also took Rick’s Neurodharma training, some of the most useful training I have received as a "TV producer turned wellbeing teacher" and now author.

As you would expect from any esteemed academic, he thoughtfully laid out his book, offering good summaries of key points at the end of each chapter – along with exercises and meditations to try throughout the book. If you like the wellbeing science stuff, this is a worthwhile read. 

More is not always better. More choices, more options—although they are what we crave to have and even see them as part of our definition of "freedom" sometimes—can be devastating and paralyzing. As I was writing my own book, which deals a lot with choices and the way we make them, Barry Schwartz's clear and smart book was a reminder about how narrowing down our options can be a good thing.

Most money books are full of get-rich-quick schemes and bad advice. This one goes to the root of why we make good or bad financial decisions.

I have a tendency to overlook the business side of writing, and this book helped me see why that might be and do something about it. Everyone has strong feelings about money: this book helped me get mine under control and in perspective, which enables me to write better and publish the books I want to publish.

If there is a “silver lining” to burnout, it’s that sometimes it can inspire growth and change. Four Thousand Weeks inspired me to do some soul-searching on what I care most about in my life, and to rethink how I spend my time.

I always thought I struggled to manage time because I wasn’t efficient and focused enough - until I realized that wasn’t the problem! The problem was that I had too much on my plate, and I wasn’t making hard decisions about what needed to go, in order to have room for the more important things. Burkeman’s wise and inspiring book completely changed my point of view about how to spend my time, and it has made a big difference in my life.

Marci Shimoff’s book was my first happiness book on my inner journey. Reading it excited and inspired me and it now sits on my bookshelf crammed with bookmarks and worn pages.

I think of Happy for No Reason as a happiness encyclopedia filled with so much usable knowledge. Marci also became my first mentor through her “Year of Miracles” online group. She is so generous with her wisdom and encouraging to others – this is a woman who walks her talk. I will forever be grateful for her initial inspiration.

This book is another one that sits on my shelf as a reference book.

Its author is a leading happiness researcher in the wellbeing world, known for her research defining one’s Happiness Set Point – this determines our happiness level. Fifty percent is our genetic makeup. Ten percent of our life circumstances. Forty percent are intentional activities we can do to raise our set point. The last number is especially critical in helping us to understand how much we can control our happiness.

Also, the format of Dr. Lyubomirsky’s book inspired how I formatted my book as standalone chapters that can be read in any order. Although, I took my formatting one step further, drawing from my TV experience formatting episodes.

I also use camera references for different sections in each chapter, starting with what I see in my “In My Viewfinder,” which sets up my overall thoughts on a… show more.