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 Fond du Lac Public Library
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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.

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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
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * The author of The Happiness Project discovers a surprising path to a life of more energy, creativity, luck, and love: by tuning in to the five senses. "Life in Five Senses invites us into the seismic shift toward a life grounded...

152.1 Rubin 2023

Languishing : how to feel alive again in a world that wears you down
Keyes, Corey L. M.
Paper Book
"With his pioneering research, Corey Keyes put languishing on the map. In this powerful book, he brings it to life. Get ready to rethink your understanding of mental health, update your views on happiness, and come closer to realizing your potential."--Adam Grant, #1 New York Times...

152.1886 Keyes 2024

Njuta : (enjoy, delight in) : the Swedish art of savoring the moment
Brantmark, Niki
Ebook

152.42 Brantmark 2023

Happiness
Chittister, Joan.
Paper Book
Everyone wants to be happy. Many, however, wrongly believe that happiness comes from having enough money, fame, personal comfort, worldly success, or even dumb luck. Happiness just seems to be so elusive and arbitrary -- something all too often just out of reach. Joan Chittister sees...

152.42 C449 2011

The comfort book
Haig, Matt
Paper Book
An instant 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

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
Ebook
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....

152.42 Sun 2021

Joy on demand : the art of discovering the happiness within
Tan, Chade-Meng
Audiobook
A long-awaited follow-up to the New York Times bestselling Search Inside Yourself shows us how to cultivate joy within the context of our fast-paced lives and explains why it is critical to creativity, innovation, confidence, and ultimately success in every arena. In Joy on Demand, Chade...

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

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

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.
Paper Book
New York Times #1 Bestseller More Than 1 Million Copies Sold Updated With New Material "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 ...

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
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * In this lovely, easy-to-use illustrated guide to decluttering, the beloved author of The Happiness Project shows us how to take control of our stuff--and, by extension, our lives.   Gretchen Rubin knows...

158 Rubin 2019

Your brain is always listening : tame the hidden dragons that control your happiness, habits, and hang-ups
Amen, Daniel G.
Ebook
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

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

This book won't make you happy : eight keys to finding true contentment
Feliciano, Niro
Paper Book
"Thought-provoking, insightful, full of practical tidbits, and a fun read." --Dr. Leah Katz, psychologist and author of Gutsy: Mindfulness Practices for Everyday Bravery When people find out she is a therapist, Niro Feliciano knows she isn't going anywhere anytime soon. At soccer games, at...

158.1 Feliciano 2022

Enchantment : awakening wonder in an anxious age
May, Katherine
Paper Book
#1 NATIONAL BESTSELLER "When I tell you that I dogeared almost every page in this book, I'm telling God's honest truth. I didn't know how much I needed someone else to validate what I was going through. The sense that I had lost my curiosity, my imagination, my ability to make...

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

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

The good life method : reasoning through the big questions of happiness, faith, and meaning
Sullivan, Meghan
Paper Book
Two Philosophers Ask and Answer the Big Questions About the Search for Faith and Happiness For seekers of all stripes, philosophy is timeless self-care. Notre Dame philosophy professors Meghan Sullivan and Paul Blaschko have reinvigorated this tradition in their wildly popular...

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

Undistracted : capture your purpose, rediscover your joy
Goff, Bob
Paper Book
The world has never been more distracting--joy has never been more possible. You live with a massive amount of distraction: desperate headlines smartphone scrolling an endless to-do list   Not to mention the nagging...

248.4 Goff 2022

How happiness happens : finding lasting joy in a world of comparison, disappointment, and unmet expectations
Lucado, Max
Paper Book
These are tough times. Amid global isolation, economic downturn, and social unrest, could you use a dose of happy right about now Learn the secret to lasting joy that will endure through any season of life. In How Happiness Happens, Max Lucado shares the unexpected path...

248.4 Lucado 2019

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

Modern friendship : how to nurture our most valued connections
Goldfarb, Anna
Paper Book
From the "Friendship Explainer," a definitive step-by-step guide to understanding the fundamental mechanics of friendship Modern friendships can be painfully ambiguous. But they don't have to be. Journalist Anna Goldfarb has your back. "It's understandable if your friendships...

302.34 Goldfarb 2024

Happiness is a choice you make : lessons from a year among the oldest old
Leland, John
Paper Book
ANew York TimesBestseller! An extraordinary look at what it means to grow old and a heartening guide to well-being,Happiness Isa Choice You Makeweaves together the stories and wisdom of six New Yorkers who number among the "oldest old"-- those eighty-five and...

305.26 Leland 2018

Happy city : transforming our lives through urban design
Montgomery, Charles
Paper Book
A globe-trotting, eye-opening exploration of how cities can--and do--make us happier people 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...

307.1216 M766 2013

Brain wash : detox your mind for clearer thinking, deeper relationships, and lasting happiness
Perlmutter, David
Paper Book
Fight back against a modern culture that is rewiring our brains and damaging our health with this practical, doctor-approved plan for healing that includes a ten-day boot camp and forty delicious recipes. Contemporary life provides us with infinite...

612.82 Perlmutter 2020

Tame your anxiety : rewiring your brain for happiness
Breuning, Loretta Graziano
Paper Book
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...

612.8233 Breuning 2019

The Blue Zones challenge : a 4-week plan for a longer, better life
Buettner, Dan
Paper Book
Get started on the path to a longer, healthier, happier life with this quick start to building your own Blue Zones lifestyle. Dan Buettner, founder of the Blue Zones and author of the New York Times number one best-selling Blue Zones Kitchen, offers the challenge of a lifetime- Build a...

613 Buettner 2021

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

Breathe in, breathe out : restore your health, reset your mind and find happiness through breathwork
Sandeman, Stuart
Paper Book
The internationally bestselling practical guide on how to breathe for better sleep, stress management, improved self esteem, and to care for your mental health. It's time to get your breath back. Since tragic loss brought him to breathwork,...

613.192 Sandeman 2022

The in-between : unforgettable encounters during life's final moments
Vlahos, Hadley
Paper Book
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER * Passionate advocate for end-of-life care and TikTok star Hadley Vlahos shares moving stories of joy, wisdom, and redemption from her patients' final moments in this "brilliant" (Zibby Owens, Good Morning America) memoir.   "This...

616.029 Vlahos 2023

Make space for happiness : how to stop attracting clutter and start magnetizing the life you want
McCubbin, Tracy
Paper Book
It's time to make room in your life for happiness to blossom Do you feel like you have too much stuff? A cluttered space isn't just inconvenient--the truth is it's hard to lead a joyful, purposeful life when the things around you detract from your relationships, habits, and goals. But...

648.8 McCubbin 2022

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.
Paper Book
There's an 80 percent chance you're poor. Time poor, that is. Four out of five adults report feeling that they have too much to do and not enough time to do it. These time-poor people experience less joy each day. They laugh less. They are less healthy, less productive, and more...

650.11 Whillans 2020

Share your joy : mixed media shareable art
Gardner, Sarah J.
Paper Book
Share Your Joy embraces shareable and mixed-media art through projects, prompts, and stories that invite you to explore your creativity and have fun with art supplies.

702.81 Gardner 2023

Design a healthy home : 100 ways to transform your space for physical and mental wellbeing
Heath, Oliver
Paper Book
With indoor air pollution at its worst, and many of us spending more time in our own homes, this interior design guide will help you create calm, social, and comfortable spaces. Let leading sustainability architect, Oliver Heath, give you all the practical solutions you need to...

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: it improves our health and well-being and can decrease our stress. 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 world and...

747.98 Langan 2022

Happy accidents
Lynch, Jane
Paper Book
In the summer of 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. But it was a long way from the South Side of Chicago to Hollywood, and it didn't help that she'd recently dropped out of the school play,...

792.028 L991 2011

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

The happiest man on Earth : the beautiful life of an Auschwitz survivor
Jaku, Eddie
Paper Book
A New York Times Bestseller In this uplifting Holocaust survivor memoir in the vein of The Last Lecture and Man's Search for Meaning, a survivor pays tribute to those who were lost by telling his story, sharing his wisdom, and living his best possible life.<...

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

The pursuit of happiness : how classical writers on virtue inspired the lives of the founders and defined America
Rosen, Jeffrey
Paper Book
A New York Times bestseller and an "enriching...brilliant" (David W. Blight, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of Frederick Douglass) examination of what "the pursuit of happiness" meant to our nation's Founders and how that famous phrase defined their lives and became the foundation of...

973.3092 Rosen 2024

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