Official Review: 10 Ways to Happy by Lori Spensieri

PetraWelch · Post by **PetraWelch** » 26 Feb 2020, 18:24

[Following is an official OnlineBookClub.org review of "10 Ways to Happy" by Lori Spensieri.]

3 out of 4 stars

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10 Ways to Happy by Lori Spensieri is a short self-help workbook. It touches upon different people’s individual interpretations of what being happy means to them and proceeds to offer a variety of methods one can incorporate into their everyday life to be happier.

The part I enjoyed most about this book was how interactive it is. I liked that I was not only reading scientific definitions, stories of other people’s experiences or vague one-size-fits-all advice. I was given practical exercises that could easily be completed each and every day, with information that only I could fill in. Being able to customize everything in this way, made the tasks much more personal and encouraging, as opposed to trying to apply techniques that don’t contain my own specific likes and dislikes, hopes and struggles.

One part of the book that I was not quite as satisfied with was the beginning, where the author stated that her book would change your life and make you a happier person. I understand that this is the goal of the book, however the wording worried me. I have found that the most helpful books are the ones that allow their readers to make up their own minds about how they are affected, without being told how the words will make them feel. I simply would not want someone to read the book and then, if for example, they did not feel that they were happier or that their life had been changed, wonder if there was something wrong with them or even question their entire capacity for being a happy person and living a happy life. That being said, Lori Spensieri did go on to mention that no two people will experience happiness the same way or arrive at that feeling by the same means. Otherwise, the only difficulty I experienced was the fact that none of her “click here” links worked for me. But this may not be the case for everyone.

Unfortunately, 10 Ways to Happy did not seem to have been professionally edited, since there was at least one grammar mistake on almost every page. I also struggled with the fact that the author included so many links to other articles. I appreciate her citing her sources and giving her readers the option of reading more if they would like to, however, I feel that if I purchase a book, I want all of the information I need to be included in that book and not need to search elsewhere to complete what is missing. Due to these facts, I would rate this book 3 out of 4 stars. Lori Spensieri did give helpful tips and fun exercises to complete, I just didn’t get the feeling that she had put her own personal twist on all the compiled information to make it uniquely her own.

Despite the doubts that I expressed, I would still recommend this book to both young adults and adults alike, that are having trouble finding joy in their lives, especially if they are prone to keeping their emotions to themselves. It is a quick read and the tasks are useful for exploring one’s feelings and discovering their true self. If they put in the effort that is required, everyone that reads 10 Ways to Happy can find some hope within themselves.

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10 Ways to Happy
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Kanda_theGreat · Post by **Kanda_theGreat** » 14 Mar 2020, 05:55

It's so discouraging that the book has glaring typographical errors and mal-functioning links.
Thank you for the honest review.

Post by **Ngozi Onyibor** » 14 Mar 2020, 07:05

Self-help books are not my cup of tea, however, I like that this one has exercises that a reader can tailor to their needs and complete daily. I hope the author takes your review to heart and make the necessary improvements.