10% Happier
by Dan Harris · first published 2014
6recommended by
8HN commenters
9mentions
2014–2022first – last mentioned
75% recommend25% neutral
Why HN recommends it
Skeptic-turned-practitioner memoir that makes meditation approachable by separating its practical benefits from the spiritual framing; funny, candid, and useful for beginners and busy readers who doubt self-help.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
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> Any tips what a good starting point would be? You might be interested in the book '10% Happier' by Dan Harris (https://www.amazon.com/10-Happier-Self-Help-Actually-Works/d...) The Appendix lists the basic instructions for learning to meditate. The book is a fun read, the journey of a skeptic…
on “Regular meditation may be more beneficial than vacation” ↗…mindfulness? If you're trying to find "mindfulness hacks" I think you'd probably be missing the point. There's plenty of "non-hippie" books out there on the subject these days... Waking Up by Sam Harris and 10% Happier by Dan Harris come to mind.
on “Ask HN: Mindfulness for Hackers” ↗…choice, added them on my list to read. My year was about mindfulness and productivity. So, I've read a dozen books on mindfulness and happiness this year. One of the most insightful turned out to be "10% Happier" by Dan Harris". Harris was a skeptic himself, cynical of the practice, and fully addresses the reservations he had before. There’s a lot of logical explanation in this book that will make you want to…
on “Ask HN: What book changed your life in 2020?” ↗I found a helpful primer to meditation and associated benefits in a good book by Dan Harris - "10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found a Self-Help That Actually Works" Mainly he decouples the practice from the spiritual part of it. so you can go in without…
on “A Simple Guide to Meditation” ↗10% Happier by Dan Harris (audio book, narrated by the author) A light hearted account of a news anchor's introduction to meditation
on “Ask HN: What book have you given as a gift?” ↗You could also listen to or read the book 10% Happier by Dan Harris. It's motivating and extremely funny. I recommend the audio book[1] which is narrated with the author's booming newscaster voice. I happen to own more Audible credits than I can spend.…
on “Author of ‘Sapiens’ on how meditation made him a better historian” ↗I think you should read 10% Happier by Dan Harris. He's a news anchor that tried meditation after having a panic attack on air. He's doesn't oversell the benefits (he says he feels about 10% happier) and he covers his journey from skeptic…
on “Ask HN: What exactly is a mindfulness meditation?” ↗…series. The Trauma of Everyday Life by Mark Epstein The fourth book I've read by him, a really good synthesis of Buddhism and psychology. I was pleasantly surprised to see him appear in Dan Harris's 10% Happier, too.
on “Ask HN: What is HN reading?” ↗…not constitute 'meditation' depends on one's training. I've heard the arguments of "I don't need to meditate, running is my meditation", which some may agree with to a certain degree (like Dan Harris' 10% Happier book) and others strictly disagree with (like pretty much anyone who's done a week or two-week long retreat). In the end, the question is, what are you looking for in meditation. If all you're looking…
on “Why I’m into meditation” ↗