THE QUEST FOR HAPPINESS

Price presents a simple guide to choosing happiness over unhappiness with concrete examples to help readers gain—and keep—a positive outlook.

The author prefaces her advice with the disclaimer that she’s not a mental health professional and is offering “just my interpretation of life and things that I’ve gone through, learned along the way, and/or watched others go through.” This includes the idea that “the choice is happiness or not happiness. There really is no in between.” One can do this, she says, by making daily conscious decisions, such as not blaming others for personal setbacks; allowing oneself to sit with a negative emotion instead of attempting to bury it; and remembering that people often act rude because of their own insecurities. Each chapter tackles a different form of, or setting for, happiness in one’s friendships, careers, and romantic relationships. There are brief poems at the end of each chapter that reflect on its theme (“Relationships can be fulfilling, / or they can be hard to bear. / It’s important to love yourself firstly, / then great friendships will always be there”). In addition to these philosophical musings, the author gives concrete suggestions for increasing happiness, such as spending more time in nature or using one’s “given gifts and talents” to help others. Price’s book is a brisk, uncomplicated read. However, the content never moves beyond basic platitudes, skimming right over issues that it can take people years to untangle. For example, when discussing triggers and trauma, she instructs readers with a blanket statement: “Just be honest and open with yourself to be able to heal any wounds you have associated in your mind.” A prompt includes “List a few of your triggers here” and “What can you do to heal them?” Overall, the book is clearly well intentioned, but it presents nothing groundbreaking.

An overly simplistic self-help manual that’s warmly written but glosses over important details.