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The Happiness Project
- Narrated by: Gretchen Rubin
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Relationships, Parenting & Personal Development, Personal Development
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Happier at Home
- Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life
- Written by: Gretchen Rubin
- Narrated by: Gretchen Rubin
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
One Sunday afternoon, as she unloaded the dishwasher, Gretchen Rubin felt hit by a wave of homesickness. Homesick - why? She was standing right in her own kitchen. She felt homesick, she realized, with love for home itself. In a flash, she decided to undertake a new happiness project, and this time, to focus on home. And what did she want from her home? A place that calmed her, and energized her. A place that, by making her feel safe, would free her to take risks. Also, while Rubin wanted to be happier at home, she wanted to appreciate how much happiness was there already.
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Gretchen Rubin, true to form
- By jenna on 2019-01-25
Written by: Gretchen Rubin
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Better Than Before
- Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives
- Written by: Gretchen Rubin
- Narrated by: Gretchen Rubin
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
The author of the blockbuster New York Times best sellers The Happiness Project and Happier at Home tackles the critical question: How do we change? Gretchen Rubin's answer: through habits. Habits are the invisible architecture of everyday life. It takes work to make a habit, but once that habit is set, we can harness the energy of habits to build happier, stronger, more productive lives.
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No new insights, but a good read.
- By Andrew Beatty on 2018-01-19
Written by: Gretchen Rubin
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Outer Order, Inner Calm
- Declutter and Organize to Make More Room for Happiness
- Written by: Gretchen Rubin
- Narrated by: Gretchen Rubin
- Length: 2 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
Gretchen Rubin has found that getting control of our stuff makes us feel more in control of our lives. By getting rid of things we don't use, don't need, or don't love, we free our minds (and our shelves) for what we truly value. With a sense of fun, and a clear idea of what's realistic for most people, Gretchen Rubin suggests dozens of manageable steps for creating a more serene, orderly environment - one that helps us to create the lives we want.
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Not much there
- By Andrea Kevan on 2019-03-15
Written by: Gretchen Rubin
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The Four Tendencies
- The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People's Lives Better, Too)
- Written by: Gretchen Rubin
- Narrated by: Gretchen Rubin
- Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
During her multi-book investigation into understanding human nature, Gretchen Rubin realized that by asking the seemingly dry question “How do I respond to expectations?” we gain explosive self-knowledge. She discovered that based on their answer, people fit into Four Tendencies: Upholders, Questioners, Obligers, and Rebels. Our Tendency shapes every aspect of our behavior, so using this framework allows us to make better decisions, meet deadlines, suffer less stress, and engage more effectively.
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life changing
- By Mark Wiebe on 2019-09-21
Written by: Gretchen Rubin
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The Happiness Equation
- Want Nothing + Do Anything = Have Everything
- Written by: Neil Pasricha
- Narrated by: Neil Pasricha
- Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In his new book The Happiness Equation, Pasricha illustrates how to want nothing and do anything in order to have everything. If that sounds like a contradiction in terms, you simply have yet to unlock the nine secrets to happiness. Each secret takes a piece out of the core of common sense, turns it on its head to present it in a completely new light, and then provides practical and specific guidelines for how to apply this new outlook to lead a fulfilling life.
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EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED TO HEAR RIGHT NOW!😍
- By Mark lang on 2021-08-21
Written by: Neil Pasricha
-
The Resilience Project
- Finding Happiness Through Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness
- Written by: Hugh van Cuylenburg
- Narrated by: Hugh van Cuylenburg
- Length: 4 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hugh van Cuylenburg was a primary school teacher volunteering in northern India when he had a life-changing realisation: despite the underprivileged community the children were from, they were remarkably positive. By contrast, back in Australia Hugh knew that all too many children struggled with depression, social anxieties and mental illness. His own little sister had been ravaged by anorexia nervosa. How was it that young people he knew at home, who had food, shelter, friends and a loving family, struggled with their mental health, while these kids seemed so contented and resilient?
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-
Compelling Stories, Needs Better Tie to Resilience
- By Yau Law Firm on 2021-12-03
Written by: Hugh van Cuylenburg
-
Happier at Home
- Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life
- Written by: Gretchen Rubin
- Narrated by: Gretchen Rubin
- Length: 8 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
One Sunday afternoon, as she unloaded the dishwasher, Gretchen Rubin felt hit by a wave of homesickness. Homesick - why? She was standing right in her own kitchen. She felt homesick, she realized, with love for home itself. In a flash, she decided to undertake a new happiness project, and this time, to focus on home. And what did she want from her home? A place that calmed her, and energized her. A place that, by making her feel safe, would free her to take risks. Also, while Rubin wanted to be happier at home, she wanted to appreciate how much happiness was there already.
-
-
Gretchen Rubin, true to form
- By jenna on 2019-01-25
Written by: Gretchen Rubin
-
Better Than Before
- Mastering the Habits of Our Everyday Lives
- Written by: Gretchen Rubin
- Narrated by: Gretchen Rubin
- Length: 9 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The author of the blockbuster New York Times best sellers The Happiness Project and Happier at Home tackles the critical question: How do we change? Gretchen Rubin's answer: through habits. Habits are the invisible architecture of everyday life. It takes work to make a habit, but once that habit is set, we can harness the energy of habits to build happier, stronger, more productive lives.
-
-
No new insights, but a good read.
- By Andrew Beatty on 2018-01-19
Written by: Gretchen Rubin
-
Outer Order, Inner Calm
- Declutter and Organize to Make More Room for Happiness
- Written by: Gretchen Rubin
- Narrated by: Gretchen Rubin
- Length: 2 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Gretchen Rubin has found that getting control of our stuff makes us feel more in control of our lives. By getting rid of things we don't use, don't need, or don't love, we free our minds (and our shelves) for what we truly value. With a sense of fun, and a clear idea of what's realistic for most people, Gretchen Rubin suggests dozens of manageable steps for creating a more serene, orderly environment - one that helps us to create the lives we want.
-
-
Not much there
- By Andrea Kevan on 2019-03-15
Written by: Gretchen Rubin
-
The Four Tendencies
- The Indispensable Personality Profiles That Reveal How to Make Your Life Better (and Other People's Lives Better, Too)
- Written by: Gretchen Rubin
- Narrated by: Gretchen Rubin
- Length: 6 hrs and 37 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
During her multi-book investigation into understanding human nature, Gretchen Rubin realized that by asking the seemingly dry question “How do I respond to expectations?” we gain explosive self-knowledge. She discovered that based on their answer, people fit into Four Tendencies: Upholders, Questioners, Obligers, and Rebels. Our Tendency shapes every aspect of our behavior, so using this framework allows us to make better decisions, meet deadlines, suffer less stress, and engage more effectively.
-
-
life changing
- By Mark Wiebe on 2019-09-21
Written by: Gretchen Rubin
-
The Happiness Equation
- Want Nothing + Do Anything = Have Everything
- Written by: Neil Pasricha
- Narrated by: Neil Pasricha
- Length: 5 hrs and 18 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In his new book The Happiness Equation, Pasricha illustrates how to want nothing and do anything in order to have everything. If that sounds like a contradiction in terms, you simply have yet to unlock the nine secrets to happiness. Each secret takes a piece out of the core of common sense, turns it on its head to present it in a completely new light, and then provides practical and specific guidelines for how to apply this new outlook to lead a fulfilling life.
-
-
EXACTLY WHAT YOU NEED TO HEAR RIGHT NOW!😍
- By Mark lang on 2021-08-21
Written by: Neil Pasricha
-
The Resilience Project
- Finding Happiness Through Gratitude, Empathy and Mindfulness
- Written by: Hugh van Cuylenburg
- Narrated by: Hugh van Cuylenburg
- Length: 4 hrs and 45 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Hugh van Cuylenburg was a primary school teacher volunteering in northern India when he had a life-changing realisation: despite the underprivileged community the children were from, they were remarkably positive. By contrast, back in Australia Hugh knew that all too many children struggled with depression, social anxieties and mental illness. His own little sister had been ravaged by anorexia nervosa. How was it that young people he knew at home, who had food, shelter, friends and a loving family, struggled with their mental health, while these kids seemed so contented and resilient?
-
-
Compelling Stories, Needs Better Tie to Resilience
- By Yau Law Firm on 2021-12-03
Written by: Hugh van Cuylenburg
Publisher's Summary
#1 New York Times Bestseller
“An enlightening, laugh-aloud read. . . . Filled with open, honest glimpses into [Rubin’s] real life, woven together with constant doses of humor.”—Christian Science Monitor
Gretchen Rubin’s year-long experiment to discover how to create true happiness. Drawing on cutting-edge science, classical philosophy, and real-world examples, Rubin delivers an engaging, eminently relatable chronicle of transformation.
Gretchen Rubin had an epiphany one rainy afternoon in the unlikeliest of places: a city bus. “The days are long, but the years are short,” she realized. “Time is passing, and I’m not focusing enough on the things that really matter.” In that moment, she decided to dedicate a year to her happiness project.
In this lively and compelling account, Rubin chronicles her adventures during the twelve months she spent test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific research, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier. Among other things, she found that novelty and challenge are powerful sources of happiness; that money can help buy happiness, when spent wisely; that outer order contributes to inner calm; and that the very smallest of changes can make the biggest difference.
As an added bonus, this recording includes a sampling of Gretchen’s podcast, Happier With Gretchen Rubin. In this episode, "Choose the Bigger Life," Gretchen and her sister, Elizabeth Craft, discuss happiness, good habits, and whether Gretchen is going to get a dog.
What the critics say
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What listeners say about The Happiness Project
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Six
- 2020-01-26
Pragmatic and Delightful
100% worth your time. Found myself making notes while listening. One of my fave takeaways: "anything worth doing is worth failing at."
I'm inspired and more importantly, have identified a more concrete path to self improvement through Gretchen's honest accounts and found wisdom.
2 people found this helpful
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- felsandric
- 2019-09-03
Narrator bad voice.
Overall book is great however the most terrible narrator as she is so fast Returned the audiobook & got my credit back.
2 people found this helpful
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- Lisa Durette
- 2019-11-20
Fantastic!!
Loves this book from start to finish.
Comprehensive and interesting. It’s a wonderful place to look if you’re looking to add more happiness to your life.
1 person found this helpful
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- Alix Williams
- 2019-09-27
An Unparalleled Joy to Read
Rubin writes in a clear concise and approachable way about the wonders of everyday happiness. Positively floored.
1 person found this helpful
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- Luke
- 2019-08-15
Great overview of happiness strategies
A great overview of strategies and different approaches to happiness and making one's self happier.
Could have been a little more based in science or at least measured a bit more, though I admit it's a bit hard to measure such a thing.
The viewer comment sections could have been separated from the rest of the book a bit better. It's often difficult to tell where a quote ends and Gretchen's 'voice' begins again. Another reader/voice actor, or a distinctly different put-on voice would make it easier on the listener.
Still overall a helpful and happy listen.
1 person found this helpful
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- Lauren O
- 2018-10-19
Should give it a try
A lot of what she's working through is based off of taking the more positive route. Quite fun and has inspired me to make some changes!
1 person found this helpful
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- Kristi Braund
- 2018-09-20
My first but definitely not my last
PROS: the author/narrator has a fantastic sense of humor; the audiobook was easy to listen to, even when I sped it up a bit; it includes simple times and tricks to boost one’s happiness that I have already begun to incorporate into my lifestyle; and facts have been backed up by research that is presented in an easy-to-understand manner.
CON: some sections of the audiobook aren’t as gripping as others and I have been known to doze off.
WOULD I RECOMMEND IT TO A FRIEND? Absolutely! There is something for everyone in this audiobook, regardless of if you are looking to do a major life-overhaul, or are just looking for ways to bring a bit more joy to your life.
#Audible1
1 person found this helpful
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- Yau Law Firm
- 2021-12-05
So Much Fun, You'll Forget You're Learning
Some self-improvement books are packed to the gills with research. Others are collections of life experiences, analogies, and war stories. Rubin strikes a delightful balance of story-telling and the happiness research behind her project.
Perhaps it's because Rubin was a lawyer--she's trained to tell a story, present the research, analyze the facts in light of the theories, and come to a conclusion.
Rubin brings the boring academic information to life with her humorous, poignant, and surprising life events, which alone lacks any meaning in the Happiness Project. She makes a happiness project relatable and attainable, which empowers her audience to give their own project a try!
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- Emma David
- 2021-11-20
A book that makes you think
Gretchen did a great job by sticking to a year long happiness journey. It made me think about what I could do to contribute to my happiness. Also made me realize that if something used to make me happy but now is more like a chore then it’s okay to stop doing it and find something else.
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- Lara
- 2018-12-16
a waste of time
Returned this inaudible book recommended by a friend.Authors should not assume they can narrate or pronounce worda properly. As for content, this is the kind of bromide talk shows a la Oprah thrive on. Not for the serious happiness seeker.
1 person found this helpful
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- kensipe
- 2012-07-30
Great Book and Story
What made the experience of listening to The Happiness Project the most enjoyable?
I'm a general happy person living with someone who is commonly negative or depressed. I originally bought it to see if there was something I could learn to help her. However... I loved the book and I am thinking of starting my own happiness project because of it.
Did the narration match the pace of the story?
There is one small frustration with the reading of the book... There are points in the book where what is being read are comments from blog readers or from some other source. From an audible book stand point, it is really hard to know when the comments / opinions being read are the authors or someone else. It is hard to know when the reader has switched back to reading book author material. minor issue, but frustrating.
42 people found this helpful
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- Brian
- 2011-03-14
Disappointed
I had great hopes for this audio book. Unfortunately I was disappointed. The author seems like a very nice person and writes in a very casual conversational style. The problem is this book reads more like a diary or blog of a person's journey to find happiness. Cool right? That's what the book is supposed to be about. The problem is that my listening of this book felt like I was on the author's journey towards happiness and she did not take me along for the ride.
I think in spending several hours listening to this audio book I didn't learn anything on how to personally become more happy even though I learned all about the author's life and her struggles toward happiness, criticism and relationships especially with her sister and husband. We learn all about the author being an attorney and a writer and her internal struggles.
I wanted this book to be good, but unfortunately I left disappointed. If you're looking for a book in this particular area I would highly recommend: Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom...Why the Meaningful Life is Closer Than You Think Audiobook which I would put in my list of the top 20 books best I ever read.
This book is set up in a way that the author is working on one principle of happiness each month and basically shares with you her experience. That's the problem the book is written in a nonjudgmental style toward what you should pursue while almost seeming self-righteous about how the author is pursuing happiness her own life. Unfortunately unlike most audio books which I feel a close connection with the author this one left me feeling uncomfortable.
163 people found this helpful
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- Molly
- 2013-08-22
Shallow and Disappointing
Any additional comments?
I had high hopes for this book, but it just didn't live up to the hype. I might have had more appreciation for it if I had read the actual book rather than listening to the author's narration of it. I really disliked the narration. What disappointed me most was just how superficial it all seemed to me. I expected something deep and enlightening, but this wasn't it.
43 people found this helpful
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- Nicole
- 2015-10-16
I just can't...terrible narration & bad advice.
Would you try another book from Gretchen Rubin and/or Gretchen Rubin?
Probably not. She is terribly boring and too monotone to be narrating. I don't actually think she was successful in her happiness project.
What could Gretchen Rubin have done to make this a more enjoyable book for you?
She shouldn't narrate. Also, to be frank, she sounds like an UNHAPPY person, still, even though she supposedly went through this year of attempting happiness. Honestly, I feel like she missed the whole point. The book may have been more enjoyable read by a more lively person but, I just think it's a bad self-help book too because it's totally subjective to her life and doesn't make me feel motivated to take any of the same steps she took.
How did the narrator detract from the book?
She was a terrible story teller, boring, monotone, and clearly just an achievement focused person who's view of happiness is, in my opinion, very skewed. It was also very difficult to tell the difference between when she was talking from first person or as someone else.
If this book were a movie would you go see it?
Maybe...only because perhaps it would be better portrayed by other actors.
Any additional comments?
As a therapist, I feel the need to advise people NOT to follow this woman's advice or even look to this book as a guide to happiness. It seems that, what may come off as funny if read directly from the book, is actually Gretchen's attempt to make light of times when she is actually quite unhappy....WHICH IS HEALTHY AND NORMAL TO BE. She puts a lot of blame on her husband for petty things and plays it off as "loving his quirks" when clearly, you can tell throughout that she is still pissed at him and seeking his approval through the project. Maybe I haven't gotten to it yet, but she rarely talks about how happiness simply comes from being in whatever state you're in, instead of trying to plan happiness. She rarely talks positively about her family, she admits she's motivated by "gold stars" and its obvious throughout that she is just seeking another big golden star by writing and selling this. If you want to listen to a woman's struggle with bringing her boring life somewhat more color, then you might like this. Besides some statistics, which I think are irrelevant to happiness anyway, this is not a useful book.
35 people found this helpful
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- Maria
- 2012-04-12
Fantastic project!
What did you love best about The Happiness Project?
Perhaps what I loved the most was the invitation to participate, in my very own way, into this fun journey of joy within the beautiful simplicity of my day to day life. I appreciated the very honest approach, and sharing, of the author's life experiences throughout her year of happiness.
Who was your favorite character and why?
Gretchen, of course, but I also loved listening about her relationships with her in-laws and her husband/daughters.
Which scene was your favorite?
I do have a few months of her project that I found particularly inspiring and probably the ones I was able to connect the most with such as August, the month dedicated to contemplating the heavens; September, the month she dedicated to write a novel and spending more time with books as well as November when the concept of laughing out loud while lightening one's attitude came about.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
There were plenty of moments, but the one that comes to mind right now, is when she realized that her bus ride to school in the mornings with her daughter was that magical moment of her every day that was never going to be there again. That moment when she realized this and it became such a happiness producer for her, reminded me of a similar situation I have gone through this year. Since last September, I have been driving my daughter to her first year of high school for her zero period class (which means that I have to be up at 5:00 a.m. every morning in order to make it on time.) At the beginning it was such a struggle for me until I realized, like Gretchen, that this is it: the magic is happening right now. And I have loved every minute of every early morning since then!
Any additional comments?
So looking forward to her new upcoming book, "Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life."
16 people found this helpful
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- Carole A. Cornell
- 2010-02-01
The Happiness Project
I really enjoyed this book. I listened to it - and then wanted the hardcover edition as well. I'm inspired to start my own happiness project. This book opened my eyes to ways that I can increase not only my happiness but also that of people around me. It made me happy!
44 people found this helpful
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- Tarabella
- 2010-02-14
The gift that keeps on giving...
This book was an awesome lucky find. I shy away from anything that sounds "self-helpish" but this book gives the gift that keeps on giving. In fact, I listened to it twice and then went out and purchased the book and will purchase more for family. This book is a great source of reality. We are responsible, in most part, for our own happiness. I guess we all just need an example to show us how to start. I love the web pages and the stories from others. Now if I could only find the Orange Blossom candle, I'd be set. This book has helped me recognize my truths and has made me actively count my blessings. The best line, "the days are long but the years are short."
54 people found this helpful
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- Sharvo
- 2016-01-11
weary
some interesting ideas... early on got weary of hearing blog comments ... felt like filler.
7 people found this helpful
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- Mathieu Cognac
- 2014-03-02
Superficial
What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?
Better content, a real actor. The voice of Gretchen is unbearable after 2min.
Would you ever listen to anything by Gretchen Rubin again?
Never. I have read hundreds of books but I felt compelled to write this review as this book is completely superficial, doesn't provide any meaningful advice - except reading the classics.
Who would you have cast as narrator instead of Gretchen Rubin?
Someone talented, or just anyone.
If you could play editor, what scene or scenes would you have cut from The Happiness Project?
The part when she cleans her closet, all sections shall have been cut.
Any additional comments?
Worst book I have ever read.
9 people found this helpful
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- Judy
- 2010-04-01
FULL of herself!
Yup, the writer of this book is over-the-top full of Gretchen! Even with that rather annoying aspect, I have listened to this fully about 3 times. I actually bought the book. I really had to get over Gretchen in order to benefit from what are rather good messages and strategies for becoming more awake and aware, of living in a state that supports happiness. I'm grateful to Gretchen even though she subjected me to things like writing a novel while she worked out a exercise program while she was extra nice to her husband while she planned a birthday party par excellence for her mother-in-law while she created family archives, and on and on, almost all simultaneously. She breaks it up into months, but the activity is so frenetic and so intense and constant that it can be exhausting. The best part is perhaps Gretchen's honesty although even that is excessive.
29 people found this helpful
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- kaczka aurore
- 2016-05-04
Boring!
I just get bored.
Good subject full of promess but at the end just an enumeration of facts. Nothing to keep the "reader" on hold.
I haven't finished to listen to this book.
1 person found this helpful