Admit That You Are Happy!

If you're seeking a deeper understanding of happiness and how to cultivate it in everyday life, a thoughtfully curated book list on the subject can be a powerful resource. These books span a range of perspectives—from psychology and neuroscience to philosophy and memoir—offering insights into what it truly means to live a joyful and fulfilling life. These titles explore both the science and the spirit of happiness. Whether you're looking for practical strategies, personal stories, or thought-provoking ideas, this list is designed to inspire a more intentional and uplifting approach to your well-being.

Updated July 21, 2025
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Fond du Lac Public Library
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Life in five senses : how exploring the senses got me out of my head and into the world
Rubin, Gretchen
Paper Book
'A charming journey through the science and experience of fully engaging your senses of smell, taste, touch, sight, and sound' - Adam Grant, author of Think Again The #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Happiness Project turns to the five senses...

152.1 Rubin 2023

The comfort book
Haig, Matt
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller! The new uplifting book from Matt Haig, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Midnight Library, for anyone in search of hope, looking for a path to a more meaningful life, or in need of a little encouragement. ...

152.42 Haig 2021

The joy plan : how I took 30 days to stop worrying, quit complaining, and find ridiculous happiness
Roman, Kaia
Paper Book
As a mother, a wife, and a businesswoman, Kaia Roman always had a plan. But when her biggest plan, the business she cofounded, collapsed, Kaia found herself crushed by depression. And what felt even worse was that, with a husband and two kids relying on her to get out of bed, she didn't have a plan...

152.42 Roman 2017

Microjoys : finding hope (especially) when life is not okay
Spiegel, Cyndie
Paper Book
Bighearted and hopeful. Unflinchingly honest and healing. A profound compendium of intimate, inspiring essays and thoughtful prompts that will keep you afloat in difficult times and sustain you in the everyday.   Microjoys are a practice of uncovering joy and finding hope at...

152.42 Spiegel 2023

Goodbye, again : essays, reflections, and illustrations
Sun, Jonny
Paper Book
Instant New York Times Bestseller  "Truly, there's no shame in taking a break from books during the pandemic. But if you're feeling ready to reach out, try starting with Goodbye, Again. Take my word for it -- let Jonny Sun into your life."---Janet W. Lee,...

152.42 Sun 2021

Joy on demand : the art of discovering the happiness within
Tan, Chade-Meng
Paper Book
Instant New York Times and USA Today Bestseller Joy is the root of happiness. Joy is a sustainable state that fuels our creativity and inspiration for innovation.  It strengthens our ability to attract friends and to get along with people.  Learning to cultivate...

152.42 T153 2016

Living untethered : beyond the human predicament
Singer, Michael A.
Paper Book
Now a New York Times bestseller! The book you need right now is finally here! From beloved spiritual teacher Michael A. Singer--author of the #1 New York Times bestseller, The Untethered Soul--this transformative and highly anticipated guide will be...

153 Singer 2022

The art of making memories : how to create and remember happy moments
Wiking, Meik
Paper Book
What's the actual secret to happiness? Great memories! Meik Wiking--happiness researcher and New York Times bestselling author of The Little Book of Hygge and The Little Book of Lykke--shows us how to create memories that make life sweet in this charming book. Do you...

153.12 Wiking 2019

Think again : the power of knowing what you don't know
Grant, Adam M.
Paper Book
#1 New York Times Bestseller "THIS. This is the right book for right now. Yes, learning requires focus. But, unlearning and relearning requires much more--it requires choosing courage over comfort. In Think Again, Adam Grant weaves together research and...

153.42 Grant 2021

The art of noticing : rediscover what really matters to you
Walker, Rob
Paper Book
Notice more, and notice more joy in the everyday. Distracted? Overwhelmed? Feel like your attention is constantly being pulled in different directions? Learn how to steal it back. Accessible and inspiring, this book features 131 surprising and innovative exercises...

153.73 Walker 2019

From strength to strength : finding success, happiness, and deep purpose in the second half of life
Brooks, Arthur C.
Paper Book
INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER The roadmap for finding purpose, meaning, and success as we age, from bestselling author, Harvard professor, and the Atlantic's happiness columnist Arthur Brooks. Many of us assume that the more successful we are,...

155.67 Brooks 2022

The happiness project : or why I spent a year trying to sing in the morning, clean my closets, fight right, read Aristotle, and generally have more fun
Rubin, Gretchen Craft.
Paper Book
"This book made me happy in the first five pages." --AJ Jacobs, author of The Year of Living Biblically: One Man's Humble Quest to Follow the Bible as Literally as Possible Award-winning author Gretchen Rubin is back with a bang, with The Happiness Project. The author of the bestselling 40...

158 R824

Happier at home : kiss more, jump more, abandon a project, read Samuel Johnson, and my other experiments in the practice of everyday life
Rubin, Gretchen Craft.
Paper Book
In the spirit of her blockbuster #1 New York Times bestseller The Happiness Project, Gretchen Rubin embarks on a new project to make home a happier place.  One Sunday afternoon, as she unloaded the dishwasher, Gretchen Rubin felt hit by a wave of homesickness....

158 R824h 2012

Outer order inner calm : declutter & organize to make more room for happiness
Rubin, Gretchen
Paper Book
Ask yourself - Do I need it? Do I love it? Do I use it? Bestselling author and happiness expert Gretchen Rubin explores one of her key secrets to happiness: that, for most of us, outer order leads to inner calm. A messy desk or a cluttered cupboard might seem like...

158 Rubin 2019

The sunny nihilist : a declaration of the pleasure of pointlessness
Syfret, Wendy
Paper Book
A positively rebellious take on a traditionally negative philosophy offers an antidote for our anxious times. Career success, a beautiful life, a beautiful Instagram account--what's the point? In a world where meaning has become twisted into a form of currency that everyone is...

158 Syfret 2022

Your brain is always listening : tame the hidden dragons that control your happiness, habits, and hang-ups
Amen, Daniel G.
Paper Book
New York Timesbestselling author Dr. Daniel Amen equips you with powerful weapons to battle the inner dragons that are breathing fire on your brain, driving unhealthy behaviors, and robbing you of joy and contentment. Your brain is always listening and responding to these...

158.1 Amen 2021

Happiness : 25 ways to live joyfully through art
André, Christophe
Paper Book
What does happiness look like? For over 2,000 years philosophers have searched for it, scientists have studied it--and great artists have captured it in paint. Drawing upon his groundbreaking work in the psychology of happiness and mindfulness, Christophe André shares 25 paintings by a wide...

158.1 Andre 2016

The way of integrity : finding the path to your true self
Beck, Martha Nibley
Paper Book
OPRAH'S BOOK CLUB PICK AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "A roadmap on the journey to truth and authenticity... [The Way of Integrity] is filled with aha moments and practical exercises that can guide us as we seek enlightenment." -Oprah Winfrey ...

158.1 Beck 2021

Build the life you want : the art and science of getting happier
Brooks, Arthur C.
Paper Book
You can get happier. And getting there will be the adventure of your lifetime. INSTANT #1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER In Build the Life You Want, Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey invite you to begin a journey toward greater happiness no matter how...

158.1 Brooks 2023

Please unsubscribe, thanks! : how to take back our time, attention, and purpose in a world designed to bury us in bullshit
Gambuto, Julio Vincent
Paper Book
A life-changing guide to freeing ourselves from the utter nonsense of modern life, for fans of Atomic Habits and The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck--the best book to read if you're stressed-out, overloaded, or just plain weirded out by this crazy world we're all...

158.1 Gambuto 2023

New happy : getting happiness right in a world that's got it wrong
Harrison, Stephanie
Paper Book
We all want to be happy. This goal drives everything that we do. Why, then, are so many of us so unhappy? It's not your fault. You have been told a lie: that achieving your own success will make you happy. This is "old happy," society's incorrect definition of happiness.

158.1 Harrison 2024

Enchantment : reawakening wonder in an exhausted age
May, Katherine
Paper Book
From the internationally bestselling author of Wintering comes this balm for anxious times and an invitation to rediscover the feelings of awe and wonder available to us all.

158.1 May, Kathleen 2023

The well-lived life : a 102-year-old doctor's six secrets to health and happiness at every age
McGarey, Gladys
Paper Book
Dr. Gladys McGarey, a doctor who still consulted as a centenarian and was the mother of holistic medicine, reveals "a story that teaches as much as it inspires" (Edith Eger, New York Times bestselling author), filled with life-changing secrets for how to live with joy, vitality, and...

158.1 McGarey 2023

How to be miserable : 40 strategies you already use
Paterson, Randy J.
Paper Book
In How to Be Miserable, psychologist Randy Paterson outlines 40 specific behaviors and habits, which--if followed--are sure to lead to a lifetime of unhappiness. On the other hand, if you do the opposite, you may yet join the ranks of happy people everywhere! There are...

158.1 P273 2016

Brighter by the day : waking up to new hopes and dreams
Roberts, Robin
Paper Book
An Instant New York Times Bestseller!  From the beloved host of Good Morning America and New York Times bestselling author Robin Roberts, a guide to instilling hope and optimism into readers' lives, infusing...

158.1 Roberts 2022

Wisdom of Morrie : living and aging creatively and joyfully
Schwartz, Morris S
Paper Book
Who am I really? What have I done? What is important and meaningful to me? What difference does it make that I have lived? What does it mean to be truly human, and where am I on that scale? Morrie Schwartz, the beloved subject of the classic, multimillion-copy number one bestseller...

158.1 Schwartz, Morris 2023

Look again : the power of noticing what was always there
Sharot, Tali
Paper Book
This "smart and fun read, and a valuable way to revitalize your life" (Walter Isaacson) deftly explains how disrupting our well-worn routines, both good and bad, can rejuvenate and reset our brains for the better. Have you ever noticed that what is exciting on Monday tends...

158.1 Sharot 2024

The no-nonsense meditation book : a scientist's guide to the power of meditation
Laureys, Steven
Paper Book
'Meditation could retune our brains and help us cope with the long-term effects of the pandemic' - New Scientist 'Readers in search of an introduction to mindfulness that's free of woo-woo promises should look no further.' - Publishers Weekly

158.12 Laureys 2021

A tribe called bliss : break through superficial friendships, create real connections, reach your highest potential
Harder, Lori
Paper Book
Lori Harder is a self-love expert with over one million listeners on her Earn Your Happy podcast. In A Tribe Called Bliss she shares the exact structure she used to build her own tribe and grow from the anxiety ridden, unhealthy, introverted underachiever she was to the confident woman...

158.2 Harder 2018

The good life method : reasoning through the big questions of happiness, faith, and meaning
Sullivan, Meghan
Paper Book
"At once revolutionary and conservative . . .  positively warm, oddly free of moralizing, welcoming of disagreement and engagement." --Los Angeles Review of Books Two Philosophers Ask and Answer the Big Questions About the Search for Faith and Happiness

170 Sullivan 2022

In emergency, break glass : what Nietzsche can teach us about joyful living in a tech-saturated world
Anderson, Nate
Paper Book
Who has not found themselves scrolling endlessly on screens and wondered: Am I living or distracting myself from living? In Emergency, Break Glass adapts Friedrich Nietzsche's passionate quest for meaning into a world overwhelmed by "content." Written long before the advent of smartphones,...

193 Nietzsche Anderson 2022

The art of happiness : a handbook for living
Bstan-ʼdzin-rgya-mtsho, Dalai Lama XIV
Paper Book
"Nearly every time you see him, he's laughing, or at least smiling. And he makes everyone else around him feel like smiling. He's the Dalai Lama, the spiritual and temporal leader of Tibet, a Nobel Prize winner, and an increasingly popular speaker and statesman. What's more, he'll tell you that...

294.3444 B849

The four agreements : a practical guide to personal freedom
Ruiz, Miguel
Paper Book
The incredible New York Times and international bestselling guide to true happiness. "This book by don Miguel Ruiz, simple yet so powerful, has made a tremendous difference in how I think and act in every encounter."-Oprah Winfrey In The Four Agreements,...

299.792 R859fo 1997

The power of strangers : the benefits of connecting in a suspicious world
Keohane, Joe
Paper Book
A "meticulously researched and buoyantly written" (Esquire) look at what happens when we talk to strangers, and why it affects everything from our own health and well-being to the rise and fall of nations in the tradition of Susan Cain's Quiet and Yuval Noah...

302 Keohane 2021

Mastering community : the surprising ways coming together moves us from surviving to thriving
Porath, Christine Lynne
Paper Book
Discover just how important thriving communities are to our wellbeing and the success of organizations--and learn what steps you can take to create them--in this illuminating and empowering guide from the author of Mastering Civility. Despite our deep...

302 Porath 2022

The laws of connection : the scientific secrets of building a strong social network
Robson, David (Science journalist)
Paper Book
This groundbreaking study reveals how social connections are far more important than we thought, showing us the steps we can take to build better relationships and improve our lives. Social connection is as essential for our health and happiness as a balanced diet and regular...

302.3 Robson 2024

Happy city : transforming our lives through urban design
Montgomery, Charles
Paper Book
Charles Montgomery's Happy City will revolutionize the way we think about urban life. After decades of unchecked sprawl, more people than ever are moving back to the city. Dense urban living has been prescribed as a panacea for the environmental and resource crises of our time...

307.1216 M766 2013

Into the forest : the secret language of trees
Hitchcock, Susan Tyler
Paper Book
For millennia, trees have offered renewal and inspiration. They have provided for humanity on every level, from spiritual sanctuary to the raw material for our homes, books, and food. In this beautiful and revealing book, National Geographic combines legendary photography with cutting-edge science...

582.16 Hitchcock 2022

Brain wash : detox your mind for clearer thinking, deeper relationships and lasting happiness
Perlmutter, David
Paper Book

612.82 Perlmutter 2020

Tame your anxiety : rewiring your brain for happiness
Breuning, Loretta Graziano
Ebook
Anxiety is natural. Calm is learned. If you didn't learn yesterday, you can learn today. It's not easy, of course. Once your natural alarm system is triggered, it's hard to find the off switch. Indeed, you don't have an off switch until you build one. Tame Your Anxiety shows you how...

612.8233 Breuning 2019

The comfort crisis : embrace discomfort to reclaim your wild, happy, healthy self
Easter, Michael (Health and fitness writer)
Paper Book
Discover the evolutionary mind and body benefits of living at the edges of your comfort zone and reconnecting with the wild-from the New York Times bestselling author of Scarcity Brain. "If you've been looking for something different to level up your health,...

613 Easter 2021

The in-between : unforgettable encounters during life's final moments
Vlahos, Hadley
Paper Book
What can people at the end of their lives teach us about living well today? In this heart-warming memoir of wisdom, redemption and even joy, Hadley Vlahos beautifully shares life lessons and stories from being a palliative care nurse, and how end-of-life patients informed her sense of purpose...

616.029 Vlahos 2023

Designing your work life : how to thrive and change and find happiness at work
Burnett, William (Consulting professor of design)
Paper Book
The authors of #1 New York Times bestseller Designing Your Life taught readers how to use design thinking to build meaningful, fulfilling lives. Now, in the original DESIGNING YOUR WORK LIFE, they apply that transformative thinking to the place we spend more time than anywhere else-...

650.1 Burnett 2020

The elevation approach : harness the power of work-life harmony to unlock your creativity, cultivate joy, and reach your biggest goals
Wells, Tina
Paper Book
"A powerful, innovative plan for finding creative fulfillment and bringing your passions to life."-Marie Forleo,#1 New York Times bestsellingauthor of Everything Is Figureoutable Make room for your dreams and revolutionize how you manage your time and energy using...

650.1 Wells 2023

Four thousand weeks : time management for mortals
Burkeman, Oliver
Paper Book
AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER "Provocative and appealing . . . well worth your extremely limited time." --Barbara Spindel, The Wall Street Journal The average human lifespan is absurdly, insultingly brief. Assuming you live to be eighty,...

650.11 Burkeman 2021

Time smart : how to reclaim your time & live a happier life
Whillans, Ashley V.
Ebook

650.11 Whillans 2020

Beyond happiness : how authentic leaders prioritize purpose and people for growth and impact
Lim, Jenn
Paper Book
The co-founder and CEO of Delivering Happiness updates the Delivering Happiness model for our new abnormal, showing organizations of every kind how to cultivate a culture that can adapt to change, be highly profitable, and support all its people...starting with yourself.

658.314 Lim 2021

Colourful fun embroidery : featuring 24 modern projects to bring joy and happiness to your life!
Albans, Clare
Ebook
Be creative, de-stress and brighten up your world with these twenty-four embroidery projects for crafters of all skill levels. With projects ranging from things you could complete in an afternoon to others that you can take your time over, enjoy every step of the making process...

746.44 Albans 2020

Design a healthy home : 100 ways to transform your space for physical and mental wellbeing
Heath, Oliver
Ebook

747 Heath 2021

Design happy : colorful homes for the modern family
Wentz, Betsy
Paper Book
An accessible and inspiring guide full of creative ideas and practical lessons for designing happy, family-friendly spaces. In her first book, interior designer Betsy Wentz shares 13 fabulous family homes. The book is really a practical design guide for anyone who may not want-...

747 Wentz 2023

My hygge home : how to make home your happy place
Wiking, Meik
Paper Book
An inspiring book from Meik Wiking, the New York Times bestselling author of The Little Book of Hygge, about how to use space, light, and Danish design to transform your home to fit your needs. ​Inspired by Danish design and traditions, Meik...

747 Wiking 2022

Nature style : cultivating wellbeing at home with plants
Langan, Alana
Paper Book
It's no secret that time spent in nature is good for us. Nature helps us thrive, improves our health and wellbeing, decreases stress and increases happiness. But if you don't have the luxury of a forest at your doorstep, bringing the outside in can provide an immediate connection to the natural...

747.98 Langan 2022

A pocketful of happiness
Grant, Richard E.
Paper Book
'A gorgeously candid account of acting and show business. And an intimate and heartfelt story of love, loss and a life spent together. It is an honour to be invited in on these diaries. I cannot remember being so moved by a book' Dolly Alderton 'Fascinating, funny and...

791.43 Grant, Richard Grant 2023

Happy accidents
Lynch, Jane
Paper Book
This is the hilarious and inspiring story of how Jane Lynch changed from a real-life Sue Sylvester to the happy and fulfilled actress she is today. In 1974, a fourteen-year-old girl in Dolton, Illinois, had a dream. A dream to become an actress, like her idols Ron Howard and Vicki Lawrence...

792.028 L991 2011

All you need is rhythm & grit : how to run now -- for health, joy, and a body that loves you back
Wharton-Malcolm, Cory
Paper Book
An infectiously positive and inclusive guide to running, from everyone's favourite Apple Fitness+ and Nike trainer, Coach Cory Wharton-Malcolm. "Everything Wharton-Malcolm does has the aim of helping people achieve the best version of themselves."--Evening Standard...

796.42 Wharton-Malcolm 2024

Living the vanlife : on the road toward sustainability, community & joy
Grevemberg, Noami J.
Paper Book
Discover what it's really like to live and work on the road in a camper van full time from eco-vanlifer and founder of the Diversify Vanlife movement, Noami Grevemberg. Feeling dissatisfied with her office job and her "stationary home," in 2016 Noami Grevemberg took a bold step....

796.7 Grevemberg 2023

Dusk, night, dawn : on revival and courage
Lamott, Anne
Paper Book
"Anne Lamott is my Oprah." -Chicago Tribune From the bestselling author of Help, Thanks, Wow comes an inspiring guide to restoring hope and joy in our lives. In Dusk, Night, Dawn, Anne Lamott explores the tough questions that many of us...

813.54 Lamott Lamott 2021

The book of (more) delights
Gay, Ross
Paper Book
From bestselling author of The Book of Delights and award-winning poet, a book of lyrical mini-essays celebrating the everyday that will inspire readers to rediscover the joys in the world around us. In Ross Gay's new collection of small, daily wonders,...

814.6 Gay, Ross 2023

Bring your baggage and don't pack light : essays
Ellis, Helen
Paper Book
The bestselling author of American Housewife and Southern Lady Code returns with a viciously funny, deeply felt collection of essays on friendship among grown-ass women. When Helen Ellis and her lifelong friends arrive for a reunion on the Redneck Riviera, they...

817.6 Ellis, Helen 2021

The happiest man on Earth
Jaku, Eddie.
Paper Book
WINNER OF THE ABIA BIOGRAPHY OF THE YEAR 2021Life can be beautiful if you make it beautiful. It is up to you. Eddie Jaku always considered himself a German first, a Jew second. He was proud of his country. But all of that changed in November 1938, when he was beaten, arrested and taken to a...

940.5318 Jaku Jaku 2021

Looking for the good war : American amnesia and the violent pursuit of happiness
Samet, Elizabeth D.
Paper Book
"A remarkable book, from its title and subtitle to its last words . . . A stirring indictment of American sentimentality about war." --Robert G. Kaiser, The Washington Post In Looking for the Good War, Elizabeth D. Samet reexamines the literature, art, and...

940.5373 Samet 2021


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