Official Review: Get Glad by Harry Hoover

[CataclysmicKnight]

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "Get Glad" by Harry Hoover.]

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4 out of 4 stars

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Just hearing the title of Harry Hoover's Get Glad makes it pretty clear what it's about. Get Glad is a short and sweet guide (less than 70 pages!) that doesn't aspire to achieving total, utter, eternal happiness, instead aiming to simply make your life happier. Happiness, Harry points out, is too lofty a goal to achieve; everyone is sad or upset sometimes and that's okay!

This quick little read explores how happiness is a choice and lists different ways to become happier. Being grateful, living in the moment, having close friends and finding a purpose are all explored in just enough depth to expertly walk the line between insightful and overkill. While the book is short, it certainly doesn't lack specifics - Harry has numerous exercises and some of the most extensive lists I've ever seen in a book (one lists 500 potential things to be grateful for!).

What I really loved about this book is that it chose a few really effective ways to become happier and then tackles them very well. This isn't a book that gives every potential happiness-inspiring thing a page or two and leaves the work up to the reader, which is great. Using the aforementioned lists and exercises along with some philosophical quotes and research (linked to both in the book and on a single website for those who purchase a physical copy), Harry does a fantastic job. My favorite part of all was a look back during a section on being mindful. Leonardo da Vinci, he says, spoke about how the average person "looks without seeing, listens without hearing", etc. This is a terrific quote to include as it shows being mindful (that is, to live in the moment and pay attention to what's going on) is an issue people have faced for hundreds of years, not just since video games or movies or cell phones were invented.

On the down side, I did find a few errors (all minor) and there was one section that may not interest everyone. To demonstrate mindfulness, the author goes into detail about wine tasting from looking at the bottle to smelling it and tasting it. I really enjoy wine, but never really learned the intricacies of wine tasting, so this was both a great example and a learning experience for me. For those who don't like wine or couldn't care less, however, it may be a bit too much.

Get Glad was a great book. I loved how focused and simple it was, making it easy to follow for anyone. As such, I'm rating the book 4 out of 4 stars and I recommend it to anyone who's too busy to be happy or who could use a little more happiness in their life.

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Get Glad
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[kandscreeley]

Sounds like an interesting and informative book. Everyone could use tips on finding more happiness in life. I love that its short and sweet too. Thanks for the review.