Happy: Why More or Less Everything Is Absolutely Fine

This is a life-changing book, especially the first part. The author so eloquently presents to you in such an empathetic way how you can consider living your life by applying a few Stoic principles such that you experience more peace with yourself and other people. I could immediately apply his words into a stressful situation in my life and felt a great relief. He wrote really well. This could be a PhD - the amount of thought he put into integrating old thoughts from modern thoughts, covering both breadth and depth. I was so happy to have found this book. Thank you, Derren Brown, for sharing your insights and wisdom with us.I got to know about him through someone mentioning him when I was trying to learn about hypnosis and then I watched "Miracle" on Netflix. In this magician and performer, is such an extraordinary, clear-minded thinker and writer.I would say the book can be divided into three parts. The first part is an introduction to Stoic philosophy and how it can be implemented into your life, the second part about fame and the third part about death. They feel quite distinct from each other, as he draws less from philosophy for the second and third parts, and I definitely feel the first part is the best.The ending was a bit abrupt and I thought could be written a bit better so as not to undermine all the hard work he did in the first part to help someone be in control of their emotions. It felt like at the end, it was all let loose, it doesn't quite matter, it was also important to listen to how you feel, and follow those stories where they lead... when in the first part, he put such a strong case for watching out for those stories and then later on choosing your own story.Nevertheless, this is an extraordinary and life-changing book. Really enjoyed it so much!

Comprehensive. i was not expecting an objective write about happiness. This is at the top of my list for "did I actually learn something or did I just enjoy reading it?" I learned so much about the history, the patterns on behavior, and the source of happiness. Again, comprehensive. From money to death, it's well written and full of rich and inspiring topics.

It’s an amazing book. Many times after finishing a reading session, I had something new about to think. The book does an amazing job exploring ideas of happiness, anger, death, and various stoic philosophies.I gave it four stars as the book had some passages that came off as self-aggrandizing.

American readers can be forgiven for never having heard of Derren Brown at all. To most Brits, he’s best known as a master illusionist, one whose shows continue to delight and confound (apart from the rare few who persist in the belief that he employs stooges, a fact that he steadfastly denies). I heartily enjoyed Derren’s earlier book, Tricks of the Mind, but Confessions of a Conjuror left me a little cold.All of which brings us to this: Happy. Not to mince words, I believe that Derren’s latest book will be truly life-changing for the right type of reader. It is that rarest of books: one that I felt had been written for me personally. There’s very little about magic or illusion in here. This is essentially a 400+ page discourse on the ancient Greek philosophy of Stoicism, and how one might usefully and practically apply it to their own life in order to help bring about that most elusive of goals: Happiness.Stoicism wasn’t anything new to me. I had fallen in love with the Mediatations of Marcus Aurelius when I was a teenager, and it’s still a book that I pull regularly from the shelf to this day. Derren Brown’s success is in taking the teachings of Marcus Aurelius, Seneca, and the other Stoics, and making them both accessible and understandable to a 21st century audience. His method for doing this (the “trick,” if you will) entails the reader coming to understand that his or her entire life is a story; a narrative; one that we tell ourselves about ourselves, and one which ultimately shapes our self-perceptions and worldview.Many of the principles which can be found at the core of the Stoic philosophy are utterly simple; the devil lies in the execution. Brown explains in great detail how supposedly negative events themselves rarely hurt us; it is usually our beliefs, feelings, or judgments concerning those events which do.Much space is devoted to the fact that material goods, money, and other ephemeral pleasures rarely serve to bring true lasting happiness. Brown talks about the reasons why this is, citing a great deal of scientific research in addition to quoting other learned authors on the subject of happiness. He also discusses helpful, practical ways in which we can deal with anger, hurt, aggression, addiction, and the ever-present fear of death (the book ends on a tour de force note, with a section on how we can die well).The book can also be seen as an assault on the multi-billion dollar industry of self-help and positive thinking. Derren reserves much of his ire for fads such as The Secret, and details extensively how “the power of positive thinking” can actually be harmful to us. Take the example of the U.S. airman captured by enemy forces during the Vietnam War. It is both saddening and enlightening to hear that many of those men who did not survive their brutal captivity were optimists by nature, and insisted on thinking positively: “We’ll be out by Christmas…OK, we’ll be out by the 4th of July…OK, we’ll be out by Thanksgiving…” When holiday after holiday rolled around and they found themselves to be still incarcerated, many of these POWs began to literally curl up and die…whereas the officer who fell back upon the principals of Seneca and the Stoics made it through eight years of hell, ultimately surviving to regain his freedom.I am going to make a concerted attempt to incorporate some of these concepts into my own way of thinking and living, and I heartily commend Derren’s book to everybody. Everybody. We can all learn something from this well thought-out piece of philosophical writing, and I would go so far as to say that it is currently my favorite book of 2016.Pick up a copy and read it carefully. I doubt that you’ll be disappointed.

I rarely spend the the time to write a review - but this book is worth it. It is, as Stephen Fry said, "Brilliant. Really brilliant and just crammed with wisdom and insight". I hope others will read it and, like me, it will start them in a direction that truly makes a difference not only to the reader, but to their immediate family and friends, and maybe beyond even that. An impactful book on many levels. For me, interesting, thought provoking, challenging and potentialyl life changing. I will always recommend this book to anyone.

O livro é muito bom e o autor aprofunda bastante no assunto.Achei um pouco denso demais e para uma leitura em inglês sofri um pouco porque ele usa termos não tão comuns.

Fantastic book, I’ve read it before and listened to the audio book. Bought this copy for a friend to help get some outside perspective on a situation similar to the one I was having when I first read it.

Ottima scelta e lettura

Excellent book. Highly recommend. So much of it rang true and so different from some motivational self help book that only sets one up for disappointment. Loved the references to stoicism. It has made me want to read up more on stoic philosophy.

Frankly I think this is one of the best and most important books I’ve ever read. And I expect to read it, and particularly some chapters of it, time and time again. A deep whilst witty, entertaining and thought provoking read. I can speak highly enough of it.It’s not a self help book (DB is quite critical of their “flatulent bubbles of self help advice”). But. If you read it you can take many things from it to help yourself. The first few chapters may be hard going for some, but having had the wonderful experience of three months of CBT where I learnt a huge about about the theory and practice it was simple fascinating, and I am sure could be a great introduction for all.It’s a wonderful tour of the history of CBT and psychological health from the age of the Stoics and Epicureans right through the most modern psychological and neurological research. But told in Derren Brown’s engaging and sometimes humorous voice (even better so if you mix the kindle book with the accompanying audiobook read by DB also) it’s a genuine pleasure to listen to or read.Along the way he pores scorn (rightly) on a number of industries and practices whether it be taking apart the evils of the faith healing industry or parasitic and frankly nasty works such as Rhonda Byrne’s “The Secret”....The chapters however which I found most powerful, and ones I’ve not seen or heard such helpful, insightful or thoughtful considerations about are the ones on death. Surprisingly I found these immensely positive and life affirming, as indeed I did the entire book.So many thought and quotes from this book will stick with me. Whether it is the fascinating thought experiments. Or the quotes... Be they from the likes of great philosophers such as Marcus Aurelius, David Foster Wallace, or Mike Skinner from The Streets (!) DB has a knack for making things relevant, understandable, and more importantly provoking me (the reader) to consider and apply them in my own life.* Mike Skinner from “Never Went To Church” (on fact that he has nothing to remind him on his late father and that his memory of him is slipping away - “I guess then you did lead me something to remind me of you, every time I interrupt someone like you used to, when I do something like you, you’ll be on my mind or through, because I forgot you left me behind to remind me of you”* “He who is not satisfied with a little is satisfied with nothing” Epicurus* David Foster Wallace “you will become far less concerned as to what people think of you when you reialise how rarely they do”* Derren Brown “I’d rather cut off my balls with bacon scissors rather than host a dinner party”* Lipsius (paraphrased) “flies don’t stay long on nice things but the little beggars sit on poo for ages, as so the murmuring mind passes quickly over the nice but also dwells on the poo and augments it”* Epictetus:“Only try to change the things you can control - under our control are our thoughts and actions, not under our control is everything else”“Remind yourself that what you love is mortal, that what you love is not your own it is granted to you for the present while, and not irrevocably and not forever, like a fig or bunch of grapes in the appointed season, and if you long for it in the winter you are a fool. Instead bring to mind the contrary impression. What harm is there to tell your child whilst you are kissing them tomorrow you will die, likewise to your friend, tomorrow either you or I will go away tomorrow and never see each other again”