It’s #NonFicNov month: we’re encouraged to read non-fiction (or analyze past non-fiction reads). To ease the way, Shelf Aware, Doing Dewey, Julz Reads, and What’s Nonfiction have some cool weekly prompts to ponder.
This week we bring up books about any particular theme, and one theme I’m very interested in is: how to live a good, happy life.
The Happiness Project by Gretchen Rubin
This is the book that started the search for me. Happiness can be as simple as setting 3 goals every month, and staying committed to them. Rubin has some excellent goals to suggest. Bonus: she runs a great podcast too.
How to Live: A Life of Montaigne in One Question and Twenty Attempts at An Answer by Sarah Bakewell
Fairly long title, but fairly easy to read. Montaigne (1533-92) had influenced several thinkers. So Bakewell took a look at his essays and pulled out 20 ways to make this human life more bearable.
12 Rules for Life: An Antidote to Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson
If you do nothing else, you can definitely practice the 12 prosaic suggestions from Peterson, who amassed quite a following on Quora. I found some bits overdramatic, but all of the anecdotes were very eye-opening.
Hack Your Anxiety by Alicia H. Clark
I wish this book had a more inviting cover (or title) so that I could get more people to read it. This had so many practical suggestions that are easy and quick(er) to implement — not the usual self-help sermonizing.
The Long Life by Helen Small
Small too takes a long look (no pun intended) at what is meant by the good life, especially as we all pursue new goals and learn different things about the world, and grow inevitably older.
Meditations by Marcus Aurelius
One way of dealing with the lemons thrown at us is to learn from the Stoics: You can’t control external events, but at least you can control your reaction to them — and there lies the art of managing a decent life.
The Book of Job: When Bad Things Happened to a Good Person by Harold S. Kushner
This is a hard-hitting book. Kushner examines, from a spiritual lens, why bad things happen to good people: a question for the ages. Reading this book may help to explain some of the unfairness in the world.
Previous #NonFicNov posts can be found HERE.
16 replies on “#NonFicNov Week 3: Books on the Good Life”
I loved Sarah Bakewell’s book. I’ve been journeying through a lot of philosophy books and her other book on the existentialists is also fabulous. The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday is a good one.
Ah yes! Daily Stoic is great. Thanks for reminding me again!
I most definitely need to read Meditations by Marcus Aurelius! I’ve been wanting to for a while!
There’s also a podcast audiobook available in the public domain, if that might help to get started!
What a great set of books! “You can’t control external events, but at least you can control your reaction to them!” That is very much in line with my life philosophy. I probably ought to read the Aurelius book.
Yes, very powerful philosophy for life. There’s an audiobook/ podcast also in public domain. Something you can listen to if that’ll help!
What a wonderful set of books! I reread Meditations about every other year or so. My husband and I own two copies that are both well-worn. I haven’t read Peterson’s book yet, but my husband is constantly trying to get me to. Perhaps now is the time?
I’d also add The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal Freedom by Don Miguel Ruiz. It’s short and sweet and perfectly practical.
See if you can get the Peterson audiobook version — it’s very well done. And agree on the Ruiz, esp. impeccable word
What a wonderful idea for this topic! I’ve heard a lot about Rubin but never tried the book myself. Is it very self-helpy, or more memoir? The Bakewell book about Montaigne sounds most interesting to me, I’ve come across analysis of his essays so many other places. Would be really interesting to see how she extracts ideas about making life more bearable…definitely sounds useful, especially this year! Thanks for sharing this incredible, thoughtful list.
Glad you liked the list and thanks for hosting such an incredible meme/ challenge. Times like these, non-fiction has been more comforting than fiction, and your meme made it so much fun too.
Rubin’s book leans to memoir, never fear. But she writes it with so much sincerity and honest wisdom that I feel it becomes a model set of monthly goals for everyone. Try out her podcast (which she hosts with her sister) here: https://gretchenrubin.com/podcasts/
I enjoyed The Happiness Project and I’ve listened to a few of Gretchen’s podcasts. I’m going to look into Hack Your Anxiety based on your suggestion. Thanks for sharing!
It’s a great book, something for everyone. 🙂
Ooh, this is an interesting list! I’m definitely interested in what makes people happy, but I’m kind of intimidated by philosophy, so it gives me a different perspective to see you group them together. I’m about to move in the next few weeks, so I’m particularly interested in this topic now, since I expect I’ll be building some new habits and routines in the months to come.
Sounds good! I know what you mean by philosophy being heavy reading, but these books are lightweight, never fear. Read a lot like memoirs and dole out tips in a very straightforward manner. You are NOT going to end up in a dead stupor 😉
Rubin’s book has been on my TBR for years. Thanks for sharing your recommendations
It’s an awesome book. Rubin makes happiness so simple and within reach. 🙂 Thanks for visiting!