Book Review: 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found a Self-Help that ActuallyWorks -A True Story by Dan Harris

                                              

• Publisher: It Books (March 11, 2014)
• Language: English
• Hardcover or Kindle: 256 pages
• Nightline anchor Dan Harris embarks on an unexpected, hilarious, and deeply skeptical odyssey through the strange worlds of spirituality and self-help, and discovers a way to get happier that is truly achievable.

After having a nationally televised panic attack on Good Morning America, Dan Harris knew he had to make some changes. A lifelong nonbeliever, he found himself on a bizarre adventure, involving a disgraced pastor, a mysterious self-help guru, and a gaggle of brain scientists. Eventually, Harris realized that the source of his problems was the very thing he always thought was his greatest asset: the incessant, insatiable voice in his head, which had both propelled him through the ranks of a hyper-competitive business and also led him to make the profoundly stupid decisions that provoked his on-air freak-out.

We all have a voice in our head. It’s what has us losing our temper unnecessarily, checking our email compulsively, eating when we’re not hungry, and fixating on the past and the future at the expense of the present. Most of us would assume we’re stuck with this voice – that there’s nothing we can do to rein it in – but Harris stumbled upon an effective way to do just that. It’s a far cry from the miracle cures peddled by the self-help swamis he met; instead, it’s something he always assumed to be either impossible or useless: meditation. After learning about research that suggests meditation can do everything from lower your blood pressure to essentially rewire your brain, Harris took a deep dive into the underreported world of CEOs, scientists, and even marines who are now using it for increased calm, focus, and happiness.

10% Happier takes readers on a ride from the outer reaches of neuroscience to the inner sanctum of network news to the bizarre fringes of America’s spiritual scene, and leaves them with a takeaway that could actually change their lives.

My Review:  

This book was a tough read.  It wasn't tough because of the material or writing style but tough as it made me really think about things on a deeper level.  It was very thought provoking and highly relatable at times.  I found myself feeling a lot of his same initial skepticism against meditation, but when reading it made me broaden my possibilities.  I wasn't familiar at all with Buddhism, but found it very interesting.  I am now beginning my own exploration of meditation daily and will try to see the positive affects it has.

I liked the flow of the book and how it explained the intricacies of meditation and the often relatable mind wandering, but assurance that this was normal.  I am going to send a copy of this book to all my family members as I truly believe it is a deep yet profound In depth look at meditation benefits.

I would rate this book a 4 out of 5 for content.

Check out other reviews on 10% Happier!

About the author:

                                                 

Dan Harris is a correspondent for ABC News and the co-anchor for the weekend edition of Good Morning America. Before that, he was the anchor of the Sunday edition of World News. He regularly contributes stories for such shows as Nightline, 20/20, World News with Diane Sawyer and GMA. Harris has reported from all over the planet, covering wars in Afghanistan, Israel/Palestine and Iraq, and producing investigative reports in Haiti, Cambodia, and the Congo. He has also spent many years covering America's faith scene, with a focus on evangelicals -- who have treated him kindly despite the fact that he is openly agnostic. He has been at ABC News for 13 years. Before that, he was in local news in Boston and Maine. He grew up outside of Boston and currently lives with his wife, Bianca, in New York City.

All opinions are 100% my own and not influenced in anyway.  I received a book for purpose of review and was not compensated for this post.