How to Do Everything and Be Happy

April 15, 2013
Jones was living the life he thought he was supposed to live—married to the girl of his dreams, working a steady job and getting paid decent money to do it, and so on. But when his wife dies suddenly of a brain hemorrhage—just a little over two years after their wedding—he realizes he hasn’t been taking full advantage of his life, and resolves to change things the only way he knows how: “by making plans, and lists, and taking control of my own destiny.” What he found during his ensuing soul search is that most people’s lives are unbalanced—there’s just “work and ‘everything else.’ ” In order to shake things up—and help readers revivify their lives—Jones outlines a number of practical suggestions, from how to effectively use a planner to drafting a “ ‘Live Life Now’ List” (as opposed to a bucket list) and learning how to distinguish reasonable from far-fetched goals. His chatty, informal approach won’t appeal to every reader—especially those looking for something more grounded in secondary sources—but his advice on self-discovery and time management is truly valuable. Illus. Agent: Becky Bagnell, the Lindsay Literary Agency (U.K.).

June 1, 2013

The pursuit of happiness is as relevant now as it was when America's Founding Fathers wrote the Declaration of Independence. Recent titles such as Meg Leder and Rachel Kempster's The Happy Book and Gretchen Rubin's The Happiness Project (both books, LJ 11/15/09) indicate that the quest is still going strong. Bowen, founder of the nonprofit organization, A Complaint Free World, and financial consultant Jones offer varied suggestions for how to achieve happiness. Bowen proposes that readers can achieve personal satisfaction by recognizing when negative internal thoughts occur, ridding themselves of resentment, and accepting life on its own terms. His steps include changing self-talk from negative to positive, freeing oneself of clutter, and developing a spiritual practice. Jones, on the other hand, reminds readers that they are in control of their own lives and encourages them to make lists of short- and long-terms goals--now lists and wish lists--and to review them daily. VERDICT Both books have a lot to offer, although Happy This Year provides a more comprehensive analysis.

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