Lately, I’ve been reading a lot about optimism. Not because I’m seeking a recipe for happiness. I have some reservations about the whole goal-focused, quasi-evangelical positivity movement, so I’ve thoroughly enjoyed reading books by authors who take their optimism with a twist of lemon. Looking for a refreshing take on positivity? Consider the books that have graced my reading table over the past few months:
- Bright-sided: How Positive Thinking is Undermining America, by Barbara Ehrenreich. I once went to an aerobics class where the instructor told us to pause and turn to the person next to us and “share something positive that happened to you today.” If you wish you could find a class like this, Bright-sided is not for you. If you are, like me, a person who finally, grudgingly comes up with, “Well, I found a parking spot”— and then jogs quickly back to said parking spot — then you, too, will enjoy this cutting audit of the happiness industry. Delightfully negative!
- The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking, by Oliver Burkeman. Burkeman isn’t as pissed off about positivity as Ehrenreich is. His book presents a more thoughtful examination of what it means to be happy in this optimism-obsessed age, and a willingness to “try anything” in the pursuit of an answer. There were times when he lost me, when I flipped through the pages trying to escape a downward spiral of cloudy ideas (the chapter on Eckhart Tolle comes to mind), but still this book was definitely not a waste of my time. I recommend the chapter on Goals – yes, Goals with a capital G. Read this and you’ll think twice before you dedicate your life to that goalpost at the end of the rainbow.
- Spontaneous Happiness, by Andrew Weil. I like Andrew Weil. I’ve never met him but I just know I would like him if he invited me to his house for dissection of Life, hopefully over an organic, herbal beverage. His prescription for happiness is plain-spoken, folksy, and completely lacking in “This-book-will-change-your-life!” hype. His advice is sometimes obvious, yet – in my case, at least – worth being reminded of. Avoid the 24-hour bad news cycle, listen to sounds you enjoy, surround yourself with things you find beautiful and don’t forget to breathe.
- Stumbling on Happiness, by Daniel Gilbert. Gilbert cracks me up. Maybe I’m especially impressed with him because I spent four years as an undergrad majoring in Psychology and admire anyone who can make decades of social science fascinating, but I don’t think you need to have a psych background to enjoy his examination of the science behind so-called happiness. This is not a self-help book but then, you don’t want that, anyway, do you? You want to know what the hell smart people actually know about what it means to be happy, and Gilbert will tell you everything we have so far. Highly recommended.
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