The most recommended books on happiness

Who picked these books? Meet our 461 experts.

461 authors created a book list connected to happiness, and here are their favorite happiness books.
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Book cover of Happiness

Gillian McGillivray Author Of Blazing Cane: Sugar Communities, Class, and State Formation in Cuba, 1868-1959

From Gillian's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Professor Historian African-Diaspora fiction-lover

Gillian's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Gillian McGillivray Why did Gillian love this book?

I love books and movies that communicate the history and experience of humble people with empathy, respect, and interest, rather than preachiness.

This beautifully written novel reminded me of one of my favorite movies of all time, Stephen Frears’ Dirty Pretty Things. Forna brings to life a cast of characters that includes very sympathetic undocumented immigrants in present-day London, a taciturn US scientist trying to track and protect urban foxes, and the man she crosses on London’s Waterloo Bridge, a Ghanian psychiatrist named Attila—also featured in Forna’s other amazing novel The Memory of Love.

So glad the Georgetown Alumni book club got me reading again, starting with Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s incredible Half of a Yellow Sun and Americanah. Reading good fiction inspires me to try to write compelling history, and I love novels like these that casually weave in the histories of different parts of the world.

By Aminatta Forna,

Why should I read it?

2 authors picked Happiness as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Forna's voice is relentlessly compelling, her ability to summon atmosphere extraordinary ... A thing of lasting beauty' OBSERVER SHORTLISTED FOR THE RSL ONDAATJE PRIZE 2019 SHORTLISTED FOR THE JHALAK PRIZE 2019 A breathtaking novel from Orange Prize-shortlisted and Commonwealth Writers' Prize-winning author Aminatta Forna Waterloo Bridge, London. Two strangers collide. Attila, a Ghanaian psychiatrist, and Jean, an American studying the habits of urban foxes. From this chance encounter in the midst of the rush of a great city, numerous moments of connections span out and interweave, bringing disparate lives together. Attila has arrived in London with two tasks: to deliver…


Book cover of The Four Things That Matter Most: A Book about Living

Jennie Dear Author Of What Does It Feel Like to Die?: Inspiring New Insights Into the Experience of Dying

From my list on the experience of dying.

Why am I passionate about this?

When my mother enrolled in hospice after years of living with cancer, the nurse asked her: Do you want to know what will happen to your body as it starts shutting down? That was the first time anyone talked with us about the dying process. The question came as an immense relief, eventually inspiring this book. After witnessing the difficulties and surprising joys of my mother’s dying experience, I began hospice volunteering. Later, I spent three intensive stints volunteering at San Francisco’s Zen Hospice Project. And as a former journalist and associate professor of English, I began researching and interviewing experts. Their deep caring and knowledge inform this book.

Jennie's book list on the experience of dying

Jennie Dear Why did Jennie love this book?

I sometimes read aloud from this book to hospice patients because when you’re dying, it’s easy to believe that it’s too late—too late to make amends, too late to reconnect, too late to do anything more for the world you’re leaving behind. Byock, a doctor who has worked extensively with dying people, says that’s not the case. Instead, he urges his patients to communicate with their friends and family members, to say thanks, to forgive, to apologize, and to express their love. The book is filled with examples of times people on the edge of death were able to connect more deeply or heal old wounds, changing the lives of those close to them for the better.

By Ira Byock,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Four Things That Matter Most as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Four simple phrases-"Please forgive me," "I forgive you," "Thank you," and "I love you"-carry enormous power to mend and nurture our relationships and inner lives. These four phrases and the sentiments they convey provide a path to emotional wellbeing, guiding us through interpersonal difficulties to life with integrity and grace.

Dr. Ira Byock, an international leader in palliative care, explains how we can practice these life-affirming words in our day-to-day lives. Too often we assume that the people we love really know that we love them. Dr. Byock demonstrates the value of "stating the obvious" and provides practical insights into…


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Book cover of Free Your Joy: The Twelve Keys to Sustainable Happiness

Free Your Joy By Lisa McCourt,

We all want peace. We all want a life of joy and meaning. We want to feel blissfully comfortable in our own skin, moving through the world with grace and ease. But how many of us are actively taking the steps to create such a life? 

In Free Your Joy…

Book cover of Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World

Havard Mela Author Of Digital Discipline: Choosing Life in the Digital Age of Excess

From my list on how we get distracted and how to reclaim your attention.

Why am I passionate about this?

As someone who has felt the consequences of spending too much time online on distractions, I am compelled to share how much better life can be when we are conscious of the time we spend online. In my early twenties, I experienced digital addiction. I managed to turn things around by cultivating discipline and finding purpose in life. In the process, I developed a deep interest in neuroscience and psychology. My book explains how you can take conscious control of your life in a practical way based on my experience backed up by research.

Havard's book list on how we get distracted and how to reclaim your attention

Havard Mela Why did Havard love this book?

Newport shares his philosophy that less is more when it comes to technology use.

There is so much noise in the digital world that minimizing your online time will not result in missing out on anything. Instead, it will give you the clarity of mind to pursue your interests, live in a more relaxed way, and improve your productivity and mental capabilities.

Newport provides a framework that helps you decide which digital tools to use and under what conditions. Overall, this is a great, well-written book with many great examples and stories that underline his philosophy.

By Cal Newport,

Why should I read it?

3 authors picked Digital Minimalism as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Learn how to switch off and find calm - from the New York Times bestselling author of A World Without Email

'Digital Minimalism is the Marie Kondo of technology' Evening Standard

'An eloquent, powerful and enjoyably practical guide to cutting back on screen time' The Times

'An urgent call to action for anyone serious about being in command of their own life' Ryan Holiday

'What a timely and useful book' Naomi Alderman, author of The Power

Do you find yourself endlessly scrolling through social media or the news while your anxiety rises? Are you feeling frazzled after a long day…


Book cover of Positivity

Robert Chesnut Author Of Intentional Integrity: How Smart Companies Can Lead an Ethical Revolution

From my list on growing an employee into a business leader.

Why am I passionate about this?

Early in my career, I was a federal prosecutor and moved to California to get involved in tech as a midlife career change. I became passionate about leadership and personal development because I worked alongside some outstanding leaders at companies like eBay and Airbnb for over 20 years. If I could take away one lesson, it would be this: you become what you surround yourself with. Want to be happy? Read books about happiness, spend time around people who are happy, focus on the positive each day. Want to be a great leader? Talk to other great leaders, read books about leadership. These books have each, in their way, helped me on the journey.  

Robert's book list on growing an employee into a business leader

Robert Chesnut Why did Robert love this book?

Do you focus on the negative each day, or the positive? Dr. Frederickson looks at the science behind the ratio of positive thoughts to negative thoughts…what’s your ratio? And is there an ideal ratio that you should strive for, that can actually change your life? The answer is 2.9 to 1…and the choice is yours.  

By Barbara Fredrickson,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Positivity as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

World renowned researcher Dr. Barbara Fredrickson gives you the lab-tested tools necessary to create a healthier, more vibrant, and flourishing life through a process she calls "the upward spiral."

You’ll discover:

•What positivity is, and why it needs to be heartfelt to be effective
• The ten sometimes surprising forms of positivity
• Why positivity is more important than happiness
• How positivity can enhance relationships, work, and health, and how it relieves depression, broadens minds, and builds lives
• The top-notch research that backs the 3-to-1 "positivity ratio" as a key tipping point
• That your own sources of…


Book cover of How Will You Measure Your Life?

Khadijah Butler Author Of The CDB Scholarship Monthly Planner

From Khadijah's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Entrepreneur Philanthropist Traveler Reader Queen of naps

Khadijah's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Khadijah Butler Why did Khadijah love this book?

If you’re a high achiever like me, you may have asked yourself several times which direction you should “climb the ladder” to achieve your version of success. Towards your career or towards your personal life?

Often, we can’t define what motivates us until we see it, and the authors’ use of theories on motivation, destination, and the journey truly illuminated my next steps to “measure” my life. Honest perspectives are provided no matter what stage you’re in.

Ultimately, this book challenges you to decide if your career or your personal life is the joy worth fighting for.  

By Clayton M. Christensen, James Allworth, Karen Dillon

Why should I read it?

5 authors picked How Will You Measure Your Life? as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

How do you lead a fulfilling life? That profound question animates this book of inspiration and insight from world-class business strategist and bestselling author of The Innovator's Dilemma, Clayton Christensen.

After beating a heart attack, advanced-stage cancer and a stroke in three successive years, the world-renowned innovation expert and author of one of the best selling and most influential business books of all time - The Innovator's Dilemma - Clayton M. Christensen delivered a short but powerful speech to the Harvard Business School graduating class. He presented a set of personal guidelines that have helped him find meaning and happiness…


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Book cover of Who Will Take Care of Me When I'm Old?: Plan Now to Safeguard Your Health and Happiness in Old Age

Who Will Take Care of Me When I'm Old? By Joy Loverde,

Everything you need to know to plan for your own safe, financially secure, healthy, and happy old age.

For those who have no support system in place, the thought of aging without help can be a frightening, isolating prospect. Whether you have friends and family ready and able to help…

Book cover of Emergence: Seven Steps for Radical Life Change

Richard W. Kelly Author Of Times... They Are a Changin'

From Richard's 3 favorite reads in 2023.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author All Genres writer Pro-wrestling fanatic Disney Adult Analytic Dreamer

Richard's 3 favorite reads in 2023

Richard W. Kelly Why did Richard love this book?

I love self help books, but most of the time they feel like just putting your faith into a mantra or chant. 

This book has step-by-step instructions on how to not only harness the strength of positive thinking and meditation. But, it also goes deep on how to create a plan and keep moving so that you are actively creating the life you want.

By Derek Rydall,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Emergence as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Personal development has been an enormously popular topic, from Dale Carnegie's How to Win Friends and Influence Peopleto Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project, from Tony Robbins to Deepak Chopra. But it's not working anymore. Many of us struggle with the same, on-going battles day in and day out. We attract a new mate but have the same old fights. We increase our pay check but end up broke. We fight for our health only to slip back into the same, old habits. And the harder we try to change, the more difficult it becomes.

Emergence is not the end of…


Book cover of Beginners: The Joy and Transformative Power of Lifelong Learning

Warren Berger Author Of The Book of Beautiful Questions: The Powerful Questions That Will Help You Decide, Create, Connect, and Lead

From my list on lifelong learning.

Why am I passionate about this?

Warren Berger considers himself to be a “questionologist.” He has written three books on the power of asking questions, starting with the best-selling A More Beautiful Question and his follow-up, The Book Of Beautiful Questions. His expertise on questioning has been sought out by companies like Pfizer and Starbucks, as well as by the US Army and the NASA space program. He has written for The New York Times and Wired magazine, and he writes the “Questionologist” column for Psychology Today. Warren believes that lifelong learning is fueled by curiosity and questions.

Warren's book list on lifelong learning

Warren Berger Why did Warren love this book?

A big part of lifelong learning involves experimenting, trying new things, and picking up new skills. I must confess this can be challenging for me; I’m one of those people who sometimes gets frustrated or embarrassed when I try something new and find it doesn’t come easily to me. Maybe you’re the same way--if so, all the more reason to take inspiration from Vanderbilt’s book, which chronicles his efforts to learn how to play chess, surf, sing, juggle, and more. Woven in with those entertaining experiences are larger lessons about how we learn, and why it’s so beneficial to keep doing so. In the hands of a less skilled writer, a book like this--in which a journalist tries on a series of new hats--might seem gimmicky. But Vanderbilt is an insightful observer and storyteller who can even make traffic fascinating (that was the subject of a previous book of his,…

By Tom Vanderbilt,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Beginners as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

'Beginners belongs on the list of books that have changed the way I understand my own limitations.'
Malcolm Gladwell

For many of us, the last time we learned a new skill was during childhood. We live in an age which reveres expertise but looks down on the beginner. Upon entering adulthood and middle age, we begin to shy away from trying new things, instead preferring to stay nestled firmly in our comfort zones.

Beginners asks the question: why are children the only ones allowed to experience the inherent fun of facing daily challenges? And could we benefit from embracing new…


Book cover of Panic Attacks Workbook: A Guided Program for Beating the Panic Trick

Drew Linsalata Author Of Seven Percent Slower - A Simple Trick For Moving Past Anxiety And Stress

From my list on understanding and overcoming anxiety.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a podcaster, author, and psychoeducator in the field of anxiety and anxiety disorders. I am also—as of 2022—a graduate student in clinical mental health counseling on the way to becoming a licensed psychotherapist. My own experience with anxiety and depression over 25+ years has fueled a passion for the theory and mechanics behind anxiety disorders and how they are treated. It would appear that my superpower is not only understanding these things, but also explaining them in a way that people can then understand for themselves. If that means I can help, then I’m happy to be doing what I do every day.

Drew's book list on understanding and overcoming anxiety

Drew Linsalata Why did Drew love this book?

David Carbonell is a bit of a legend in the anxiety and anxiety disorders community. His Panic Attacks Workbook is a great example of why he’s so highly regarded in those circles. David is not only an expert on the mechanics of panic attacks and anxiety disorders, but he’s genuinely funny and has a great knack for providing practical, actionable advice that you can use when struggling to overcome recurring panic. Full of excellent worksheets and exercises you can do on your own, The Panic Attacks Workbook is an excellent resource that I highly recommend.

By David Carbonell,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Panic Attacks Workbook as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Master your anxiety and regain your freedom to drive, travel, and do everything else that panic has taken from you, with proven techniques and Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) exercises.

Panic attacks trick millions of people into fearing disaster and giving up so many of the activities they used to enjoy without fear. This practical workbook full of proven strategies and helpful advice on how to master your anxiety and panic is here to help you reclaim your life.

Author and clinical psychologist David Carbonell, PhD, uses his extensive clinical experience to help you understand the true nature of your panic…


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Book cover of Currently Away: How Two Disenchanted People Traveled the Great Loop for Nine Months and Returned to the Start, Energized and Optimistic

Currently Away By Bruce Tate,

The plan was insane. The trap seemed to snap shut on Bruce and Maggie Tate, an isolation forced on them by the pandemic and America's growing political factionalism. Something had to change.

Maggie's surprising answer: buy a boat, learn to pilot it, and embark on the Great Loop. With no…

Book cover of The Warmth of the Heart Prevents Your Body from Rusting: A French Recipe for a Long Life, Well-Lived

Bruce Grierson Author Of What Makes Olga Run? The Mystery of the 90-Something Track Star and What She Can Teach Us about Living Longer, Happier Lives

From my list on actually living before you die.

Why am I passionate about this?

Writing the Olga book was a privilege in several senses. I got to hang out for five years with a remarkable human who kicked my butt (in the nicest possible way) and pulled me out of a midlife funk with the example of her indomitable spirit. Just as significantly, I got to delve deeply into the question of What makes some people almost … bulletproof? To what degree is healthy aging, well … a choice? This is really all a writer can ask for: to stumble on a subject that will never exhaust itself, that will just continue to open new angles. One way or another, I keep writing about Olga, and I suspect I always will.

Bruce's book list on actually living before you die

Bruce Grierson Why did Bruce love this book?

Many books in my personal live-long-live-well library are about the physical element of healthy aging – basically: just keep moving. But healthy aging is just as much from the neck up from the neck down. As this one proves.

Marie de Hennezel is a French palliative-care psychologist …and this book excavates “the inexplicable, incomprehensible force that keeps human beings alive...” The psyche ripens as the body diminishes, and a keen new sensual perception blooms. Takeaway: “To an 80-year-old, a child’s smile has more currency than a three-course banquet does to a 40-year-old...”

By Marie De Hennezel,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Warmth of the Heart Prevents Your Body from Rusting as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

A breakout bestseller in France and the U.K. and a transformative guide to growing older with confidence, courage, and even optimism

How should we accept aging? It's inevitable, and yet in Western society the very subject of growing older is shrouded in anxiety and shame. Aging brings us face to face with our sacred and our mundane, our imperfections and our failures. Here internationally renowned clinical psychologist and bestselling French author Marie de Hennezel shows us how to see the later stages of life through a prism that celebrates our accomplishments and gives us fulfillment in our present. Combining personal…


Book cover of Happiness
Book cover of The Four Things That Matter Most: A Book about Living
Book cover of Digital Minimalism: Choosing a Focused Life in a Noisy World

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