Happiness
by Matthieu Ricard · first published 2007
88% recommend13% critical
Why HN recommends it
A practical, rationally argued introduction to happiness as a learnable skill, drawing on Buddhist thought and brain-science findings. It offers a grounded guide to inner well-being.
Summarised by Claude from recommending comments
"In his ... book, Buddhist monk Matthieu Ricard shows that happiness is not just an emotion, but a skill that can be developed. Free of jargon, Happiness contains simple exercises that will train the mind to recognize and pursue happiness by concentrating on the fundamental things in life, and in doing so change the way we view the world"-- Back cover.
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Happiness by Matthuei Ricard (great book!) Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind Book by Shunryū Suzuki Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle Quantum and the Lotus by Mattuei Ricard
on “Ask HN: Looking for new books to read” ↗I think you might get something out of reading 'Happiness' by Matthieu Ricard. http://www.amazon.com/dp/B007K9W0KM/ It's a nice rational introduction to Buddhist thought on happiness, which I thought might be relevant because of their acknowledgement of 'Dukkha',…
on “Suicide, a Crime of Loneliness” ↗I read the following 3 in this order and it definitely co-incided with a change in my life for the better: * A confession and other religious stories by Leo Tolstoy * Happiness by Matthieu Ricard (a counter argument against French philosophers who believe happiness doesn't exist) * The Diary of Anne Frank * A Life Interrupted by Etty Hillesum (the most beautiful book I will…
on “Ask HN: What book changed your life?” ↗In chronological order: - Rich Dad, Poor Dad by Kiyosaki - PG Essays/ HNews - Happiness by Matthieu Ricard - Walden by Throreau - Zen and the art... by Pirsig
on “Ask HN: What books have helped make who you are today?” ↗Happiness, by Riccard Mathieu[0]. He gave an introductory talk at google too[1]. [0]http://www.amazon.com/Happiness-Guide-Developing-Lifes-Impor... [1]http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-1424079446171087119...
on “Ask HN: What is the greatest book you've ever read?” ↗“Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill” by Matthieu Ricard Phenomenal book by a molecular biologist turned monk who talks about happiness being a skill that can be developed through practice.…
on “Ask HN: What Are You Reading?” ↗…my ability to focus on work. It's helped me cope with pain, and maintain resilience even when I was feeling particularly low. There are lots of wonderful books on this subject. Another great one is "Happiness" by Matthieu Ricard (another scientist). Sam Harris talks about mindfulness extensively, so you might check his work, and his app (although the app is a paid service).
on “Ask HN: Are you depressed?” ↗Money can buy the appearance of happiness, but happiness comes from inside, not from outside. It's a skill one can develop. Recommended reading: Matthieu Ricard's book "Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill"
on “Money can buy happiness” ↗You may enjoy the books "Happiness" and "Altruism" by Matthieu Ricard, who's been called the "happiest man alive" based on extensive brain scans. His advice is basically to help others in practical ways, as well as more abstract ways…
on “Ask HN: Why am I so unhappy in spite of material success?” ↗Reading "Happiness: A Guide to Developing Life's Most Important Skill" from Matthieu Ricard.
on “Ask HN: What's been your best investment?” ↗…that come to mind that I would have enjoyed much more if their were 20% of pages: - The courage to be disliked (Ichiro Kishimi) - The simple path to wealth (J.L. Collins) - Peak (K Anders Ericsson) - Happiness (Matthieu Ricard) - Clean Code (Robert C Martin)
on “Show HN: Chrome extension to summarize blogs and articles using ChatGPT” ↗