5 Books That Will Change The Way You Think About Happiness

As someone who reads a lot of books, I truly believe you can always tell what someone wants to achieve in life simply by looking at their library.

And if you were to look at my library right now, you would see that a lot of the books I read are about happiness.

Happiness is the one thing everyone wants the most in life. But, unfortunately, happiness doesn't work the way we think it works.

This is why some people who are tremendously successful seem to be very unhappy while other people who are not as successful seem to be content with the level of success they have.

This is why if you want to live a happy and fulfilled life, then you need to educate yourself on the science and philosophy of what actually makes people happy.

And the 5 books I recommend in this article will help you do just that. Read them and you’ll start living the life you truly want to live.

1) “The Happiness Equation” By Neil Pasricha

Wouldn’t it be nice if there was some sort of formula we could follow in order to live a happy life?

Unfortunately, life doesn’t come with simple instructions for achieving things like happiness. But, sometimes, there are books that can help a lot with this.

In his book “The Happiness Equation,” author Neil Pasricha shares 9 scientifically backed secrets to living a happy life.

All 9 secrets are counterintuitive so it's likely you've never thought about these ideas before.

So if you've never read a book on happiness, this is a great first book to start with.

This book will surely change the way you think about retirement, your time, your purpose in life, and much more.

2) “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” By Robin Sharma

If you’ve come to the conclusion that you’ll only be happy after receiving a promotion at work, earning a certain amount of money per year, and gaining the respect of your peers, then you need to read “The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” by Robin Sharma.

"The Monk Who Sold His Ferrari” is a classic fable about a fictional lawyer named Julian Mantle, who sells his mansion and Ferrari in order find true happiness in his life.

On his journey, he meets a monk who teaches him 7 virtues for living a happy, successful and fulfilling life.

These 7 virtues are some of the best keys to happiness you will ever read.

And once you start reading this book, it’s very hard to put down.

It’s books like this that will help you reconsider what’s important to you and what happiness actually means.

3) “10% Happier” By Dan Harris.

After experiencing a nationally televised panic attack on Good Morning America, Anchor Dan Harris knew he had to make some changes in his life.

And on his journey to figure out how to live a happy life, Harris figured out that the cause of his panic attack and general unhappiness was his constant stress, worrying and overthinking.

Although a nonbeliever at first, Harris eventually discovered that meditation was an effective tool in calming and relaxing his mind.

According to Harris, meditation is the magic pill for happiness.

This is the main lesson you'll take away after reading this book.

Unfortunately, if you're already convinced of the value of meditation and are looking for a complete guide, this is not a "how-to" book for meditation.

However, Harris does suggest some more-detailed books that helped him through his journey.

But, if you're a beginner or a seasoned meditator, the lessons in this book can definitely be used as a resource as well as a source of inspiration for meditation.

4) “The Happiness Hypothesis: Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom” By Jonathan Haidt

Out of all the books on this list, this book is without a doubt the most insightful.

Unfortunately, unlike most of the other books on this list, this book is not the most easy or entertaining book to read.

This book feels like you're reading an academic research paper. This is because the author Jonathan Haidt is taking the ancient theories of happiness discovered by the greatest thinkers and leaders of the past, from Plato to Jesus to Buddha, and is examining their teachings through the lens of modern psychology research.

It sounds boring, but there’s a reason this book is the number one book on my recommended reading list.

The ten principles that Haidt uncovers through his research provide a remarkably compelling blueprint for how to live a happy life.

5) “The Happiness Advantage” By Shawn Achor

If you thought happiness was the natural by-product of achieving success, you'd be wrong.

Instead, recent research shows that it's actually the other way around. In other words, success is only possible once you're internally happy.

This principle is backed by numerous research studies and is the premise of the book “The Happiness Advantage.”

I love this book so much because of how actionable it is. “The Happiness Advantage” offers practical advice on how to change bad habits and behavior so that you can live a happier life.

And although this book details a lot of research about how to be happy, it’s still entertaining and fun to read.

This is a must-read book for anyone who is trying to develop a happier mindset so that they can achieve extraordinary results in their work and life.

Parting thoughts

So there you go! These are 5 of the best books on happiness I’ve ever read. If I missed a book, feel free to comment below which book(s) on happiness you’ve read that you think should be on this list. I would love to hear from you!

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