E-book
Build the life you want : the art and science of getting happier / Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey.
"Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey combine their decades of experience studying happiness from every angle to show readers how to improve their lives right now, instead of waiting for the outside world to change. They offer a research-based work plan that shows the reader how to manage their emotions so they no longer control their outlook and behavior; turn life's inevitable difficulties and challenges into opportunities for growth; strengthen their family ties by managing expectations and building trust; create and preserve deep and lasting friendships at any age; develop an approach to work that fits their life and brings satisfaction; and find inner peace with a spiritual practice"-- Provided by publisher.
Record details
- ISBN: 0593545419
- ISBN: 9780593545416
- Physical Description: 1 online resource : illustrations
- Publisher: [New York, New York] : Portfolio/Penguin, an imprint of Penguin Random House LLC, [2023]
Content descriptions
| Bibliography, etc. Note: | Includes bibliographical references. |
| Source of Description Note: | Description based on online resource; title from digital title page (viewed on October 12, 2023). |
Search for related items by subject
| Subject: | Self-Improvement. Nonfiction. Happiness. Change (Psychology) Self-realization. Bonheur. Changement (Psychologie) Réalisation de soi. Change (Psychology) Happiness Self-realization |
| Genre: | Electronic books. Electronic books. |
Other Formats and Editions
Electronic resources
- Kirkus Reviews : Kirkus Reviews 2023 August #1
An accessible road map to greater fulfillment, connection, and magnanimity. During the 2020 pandemic, Brooks, a professor at the Harvard Kennedy School and the Harvard Business School, began a column in the Atlantic, "How To Build a Life," offering practical wisdom and tools for a purpose-driven, satisfying life. A fan of Brooks' work, Winfrey writes, "This man was singing my song." Over the course of this collaboration, Brooks presents "clear, science-based information about how your happiness works and then instructions on how to use this information in your life." Winfrey contributes intermittent, brief notes about experiences and opinionsâe.g., "It's about happierâa relative, contextualized, fluid condition, not some perfect fixed idealâ¦.Happier is not a state of being, but a state of doingânot a thing you wait around and hope for, but an achievable change you actively work toward." After defining happiness ("a combination of enjoyment, satisfaction, and purpose"), the authors focus on the benefits of and skills required for emotional self-management ("metacognition, emotional substitution, and adopting an outward focus"). Winfrey suggests writing down words to that effect and taping them to your refrigerator: "Your emotions are only signals. And you get to decide how you'll respond to them." Brooks delineates simple, actionable steps such as keeping a journal. "Spend more time enjoying things that amaze you," he writes, emphasizing how to consciously cultivate gratitude, humor, hope, and compassion. An example of his advice includes, "Unfollow people you don't knowâ¦whose posts you simply look at because they have what you want." He posits that family, friendship, work, and faith "are the pillars on which a good life is based," and he focuses the final four chapters on each of these. Brooks is masterful at synthesizing enormous quantities of research into a simple and supportive text. A quick read, this hopeful book will benefit readers searching for enriched well-being. Copyright Kirkus 2023 Kirkus/BPI Communications. All rights reserved.
