Library Showcase: Happiness
Source: Wikipedia Commons
In every life we have some trouble
But when you worry you make it double
Don't worry, be happy
~Bobby McFerrin
December is here, and the holidays are right around the corner. No matter what holiday you celebrate, 'tis the season to be jolly. Despite this expectation of happiness, though, for many people the holiday season brings depression.
To help fight any holiday blues that may be lurking, the Jessup Library shines the spotlight on happiness this month. We have books that explain how happiness happens in the brain (for those of you who like to know how things work), books that give you advice on how to be happy, and even books that simply share a few words that inspire happiness. So come to the library this month and take a bit of happiness home with you.
The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking -- A very original book that suggests that the path to happiness involves embracing failure and sadness.
The Art of Happiness: A Handbook for Living -- Let the Dalai Lama guide you to happiness and balanced living.
A Brief History of Happiness -- Philosopher Nicholas White will take you on a journey of discovery and attempt to answer some questions about happiness: What is it? Why is it important? What makes us happy? Along the way you will learn how thinkers throughout history have viewed happiness.
Buddha's Brain: The Practical Neuroscience of Happiness, Love, & Wisdom -- Use science to rewire your brain and make it easier to attain fulfillment, happiness and success.
Exploring Happiness: From Aristotle to Brain Science --This book explores the concept of happiness through the ages.
Exuberance: The Passion for Life -- Dr. Kay Jamison explores the meaning of exuberance, examines the lives of those who felt this passion for life, and describes how the concept of exuberance has been viewed throughout history.
Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill -- The author, a former molecular biologist turned Buddhist monk, explains how to attain happiness.
Happiness as a Second Language -- For many, happiness might as well be a foreign language. This book teaches how to learn that language, step by step.
Happiness is an Inside Job -- Offers remedies to counteract the happiness-negating challenges of life; among them: stay connected with the world and practice mindfulness.
The Happiness Hypothesis -- This book examines philosophy through the lens of psychology, and explores how a deep understanding of society's maxims (for example, "love one another") can transform our lives.
The Happiness Project -- You are probably thinking that you don't need another project. You should still read this book to see how the author took it upon herself to change her life and mindset over one year. You might find some good insights in here.
Happiness: The Science Behind Your Smile -- Packed with interesting observations about happiness, this book explores why some people are happy and some are not, what strategies work or don't work when it comes to fighting sadness, and what brain workings lie beneath our moods.
Happy at Last: The Thinking Person's Guide to Finding Joy -- Another look at the science of rewiring your brain to turn it into a happy place.
The Myths of Happiness -- Explores why so many people are unhappy with their jobs and what can be done to refresh our perspective and find satisfaction and happiness in our professional lives.
On the Good Life -- Cicero, the great Roman orator, writes about his vision for a happy life.
Secrets of True Happiness -- Short and sweet, this little booklet contains several pages of inspirational poems about happiness.
Stumbling on Happiness -- Learn how your own imagination may limit or increase your happiness, depending on how you use it.
You Had Me at Woof: How Dogs Taught Me the Secrets of Happiness -- If you are not a dog person, you may not know how much dogs can teach about happiness, and so this book is for you. If you are a dog person, you already know the grace and beauty of dog companionship... but you should read this book too; you will be nodding and smiling while you do it.