What Happy People Know: How the New Science of Happiness Can Change Your Life for the Better

This book has had a significant positive impact on my life...and I'm only half way through it. Dr. Baker engages and entertains by writing in a conversational style sharing inspirational experiences and insights. The book takes a "positive psychology" approach teaching the reader what actions one should take to be happy and suggests that simply talking at length about a person's problems in a private office can't get you as far as going out and taking action. He says love is the answer - we should practice altruism, appreciation, and forgiveness. This great book is easy reading but unbelievably interesting and thought-provoking. It's a slightly taller and wider paperback, easy to hold and highlight. The author has given me courage to face life in all its roughness, saying that Happy People know there will still be hard times but they will see the silver lining and peacefully overcome any difficulty. It's a ground breaking book in my opinion.For perspective here is a little about me: I am 31 years old with a wife and a few kids. I have read numerous self-help and marriage books. My big problem has been with toxic criticism, a generally negative outlook I have about myself and by extension everything and everyone around me. But an open mind, six sessions with a great marriage counselor, and this book have equally contributed to a gradual process of turning my life around. I hold this book in higher regard than my former all time favorite self-help book, "As a Man Thinketh" by James Allen. I am happy I found "What Happy People Know".

This book have helped me a great deal to come to terms with my life as it is. It is loaded with useful information. It has to be read more than once in order to grasp all the important details in it. It was a blessing to come across this book. If life does not make sense to you, read this book.************************************************************************** I re-read this book recently and it still made a strong impression on me. There is a before and after in my life regarding this book. This book helped me make a perceptual shift in my way of looking at life. Before reading it, I would concentrate on my problems, on the things that were sour and wrong. After reading it, I learned about focusing on what is right in my life, on using my strengths to move forward. I also learned about the importance of appreciation, the ever present availability of choices, the importance of optimism and the importance of forgiveness. Also, this book warn us about not relying exclusively on affirmations or other "feel good" gimmicks. The idea is to be proactive, not passive. I wholeheartedly recommend this great book.

There are so many self-help books out there just to help people make them feel better about themselves and to combat depression. When my friend recommended this book to me, I admit I had my doubts and I thought, "Here we go again, another one of those feel good books that don't do anything."But it was a book to help me to see clearly despite the muddying of psychological understanding the many convoluted, worthless, baseless self-help books out there. What I got from the book is that everyone has a choice in their actions. Even if the choices are limited by calamitous circumstances, they still exist. Instead of falling into the attitude of blame, excuses, and/or paralysis, instead of dwelling on what is impossible, dwell on what is possible. Dwell on solutions. Just this focus on a plan of action to overcome challenges is enough to help a person achieve happiness. I also like how even though the author is obviously religious, and mentions his Christian god a few times, he doesn't emphasize his belief in that god. I'm fundamentally anti-religion and I liked this book.Highly recommended. However, it's not recommended for all people of course. I bought a copy for a friend but she stopped reading it after a couple of chapters. To her it was "common sense" and really didn't bring her any additional enlightenment. I agree with her that the concepts were very simple and straightforward and everyone knows it. For those who are clear in knowing that life must be lived not in defeat but considering the possibilities, then this book will not be very helpful as they already have that mindset in place in their lives.

Excellent review of the latest thinking on how to use your mind to control your emotions. Very practical advice on how to control extreme depression and feeling of hopelessness. Good explanation on how to build on your strengths to move forward after a bad situation. I disliked the emphasis on the true life stories and the practice of the author.

I will start by stating that this book was recommended to me by a good friend.I have read more than several books on psychology and many more on what makes one happy. This is, by far, the best book I've ever read. I purchased it on Kindle then in paperback to share with my family. I've often believed that happiness is a combination of choice and predisposition towards a way of thinking. This book confirms what I knew: even though we have a certain way of approaching the curve balls that life throws at us, ultimately, it is up to us to choose how we're going to process those things.I highly recommend this book - for everyone. Once you realize that you not only have the power, but the tools, to make your own happiness, you'll never settle for anything less again.

This book was a real eye opener for me. I've read a good deal of "self-help" books and have found virtually none that pack the double whammy of useful information and very readable format. Dr. Baker's insight from both his clinical work and personal experience makes this book a very inspirational one to a reader that is trying to improve themselves and their life. This is not rocket science but rather a very common sense way to view life that, if applied, is sure to make a positive impact in a person's life. Since it does not appear that Dr. Baker has written anything else, I will likely read some of the authors Dr. Baker referenced in his book, Dr. Seligmann to name one. A book you won't be sorry you read.

Every one like this ,to know what real happiness means.

I have only read the first third of Dan Baker's What Happy People Know, yet I am amazed by the book's depth, humanity, inspiration and credibility.This isn't your run of the mill self-help title. Instead, it's a genuine exploration of the human mind and happiness from the standpoint of a very experienced psychologist who isn't afraid to assert his own opinion, even when it is completely at odds with traditional clinical practices. I have read boatloads of books on psychology and self-help, yet this book - despite its rather bland pop-psychology looking cover - strikes me as a very unusual and deeply illuminating text. It's an absolute gem and a steal at the modest $10 kindle price.The bottom line? Our hardwired fears often dominate our lives at the very core, leading us to adopt an array of destructive behaviors. If we want to be happy, we have to stop trying to make more money, work longer hours and keep up with the Joneses. Instead, we must work toward cultivating those qualities that lead to lasting happiness. It takes awareness and it takes work, but the rewards are worthwhile.In short, this is an astonishingly good book that goes far beyond positive psychology.

I've read a fair few books on the topic but this one is the most comprehensive and best written book on happiness I've come across so far. I've bought it for my clients, sent it abroad and am happy to revisit again and again. If you are interested in happiness, like to be happier yourself or work in the field, you are going to absolutely LOVE this.I'm so grateful for Dr. Baker's years of serving humanity so beautifully.Incredibly powerful, moving, powerful, insightful, brilliant, funny, informative. Have you bought it yet?

This is by far one of the best self help books I have come across, and I have gone through quite a few. It contains tons of common sense that resonated with me. I would recommend it to anyone, and I already purchased an extra copy as a gift (I will likely get a few more copies eventually). The book confirms that we are the ones most responsible for the decisions that shape our lives and that our fate is to a large extent a matter of the choices we make, and it does this in an excellent way by combining the latest scientific advances with inspiring true life stories.

One of the very best books ever written on psychology, with a specialisation in happiness. Dr. Baker is at the forefront of modern psychology and there is absolutely no question as to why after reading his book. This is a master as his craft telling you what happy people know.