Happiness Key

Meet four women who think they share nothing but a spit of land called Happiness Key. With her husband in prison, pampered Tracy Deloche is left with five ramshackle beach houses and no idea how to start over. Janya Kapur left her close-knit Indian family for an arranged marriage to a man she barely knows. Wanda Gray takes a job guaranteed to destroy her already failing marriage—if her husband cares enough to notice. Widow Alice Brooks has grown forgetful and confused. Her family comes to stay with her, but Alice isn't sure she's grateful. When the only other resident of Happiness Key dies alone in his cottage, the four women warily join forces to find his family. Together they discover difficult truths about their own lives and the men they love—and uncover the treasure of an unlikely friendship.

The revolution of 1905 challenged not only the social and political structures of imperial Russia but the sexual order as well. Throughout the decade that followed-in the salons of the artistic and intellectual avant-garde, on the pages of popular romances, in the staid assemblies of physicians, psychiatrists, and legal men—the talk everywhere was of sex. This eagerly awaited book, echoing the title of a pre-World War I bestseller, The Keys to Happiness, marks the first serious attempt to understand the intense public interest in sexuality as a vital dimension of late tsarist political culture. Drawing on a strong foundation of historical sources—from medical treatises and legal codes to anti-Semitic pamphlets, commercial fiction, newspaper advertisements, and serious literature—Laura Engelstein shows how Western ideas and attitudes toward sex and gender were transformed in the Russian context as imported views on prostitution, venereal disease, homosexuality, masturbation, abortion, and other themes took on distinctively Russian hues. Engelstein divides her study into two parts, the first focusing on the period from the Great Reforms to 1905 and on the two professional disciplines most central to the shaping of a modern sexual discourse in Russia: law and medicine. The second part describes the complicated sexual preoccupations that accompanied the mobilization leading up to 1905, the revolution itself, and the aftermath of continued social agitation and intensified intellectual doubt. In chapters of astonishing richness, the author follows the sexual theme through the twists of professional and civic debate and in the surprising links between high and low culture up to the eve of the First World War. Throughout, Engelstein uses her findings to rethink the conventional wisdom about the political and cultural history of modern Russia. She maps out new approaches to the history of sexuality, and shows, brilliantly, how the study of attitudes toward sex and gender can help us to grasp the most fundamental political issues in any society.

“This delightful story is full of humor and romantic moments . . . a sure hit with . . . fans and readers looking for a lighthearted and well-plotted beach book.” —Publishers Weekly Former socialite Tracy Deloche has nothing to her name but five ramshackle beach cottages and the unlikely friendships she’s formed with her tenants. Wanda, wise waitress turned popular pie-shop owner. Janya, the young Indian wife whose arranged marriage surprises her every day. Alice, a widow raising her complex tween-age granddaughter. And Maggie, Wanda’s daughter, a former Miami cop with a love life as complicated as Tracy’s own. The new man in Tracy’s life hasn’t mentioned love or commitment—and Tracy has just discovered she’s pregnant. Janya longs to be a mother—and suddenly has two young siblings in her care. Maggie helps out at Wanda’s Wonderful Pies . . . but is the kitchen big enough for both mother and daughter? And Alice may lose her beloved granddaughter to someone no one expected. . . . As a tropical storm brews, the wind carries surprises and secrets over the bridge to Happiness Key. Now, more than ever, five friends will discover just how much they need one another.

Happiness is just around the corner with this practical guide from the internationally bestselling author of The Little Book of Hygge Some people and even countries are simply happier than others. Meik Wiking, founder of the world's first Happiness Research Institute, has spent years crossing the globe to discover what makes people happy or unhappy and learn what each of us can do to improve our own well-being. In The Key to Happiness he shares the scientific results of this quest, identifying the six building blocks of happiness; togetherness, money, health, kindness, trust and freedom. By incorporating a healthy balance of all six, each of us can live happier, more purposeful and satisfied lives. While Meik has travelled across the globe to discover the secrets of the world's happiest people, this book shows us that you can be just as happy where you are. 'An inspiring and highly engaging exploration of what really makes us happy, all underpinned by the latest research' Dr Mark Williamson, Director of Action for Happiness 'A wonderful guide to happy living. It's based on hard evidence and written with a wonderful sense of fun' Richard Layard, Centre for Economic Performance, LSE and author of Happiness **Previously published as The Little Book of Lykke**

'Happiness is not something ready made. It comes from your own actions' The Dalai Lama, patron of Action for Happiness. Vanessa King, positive psychology expert for Action for Happiness has created 10 key evidence-based actions that have been shown to increase happiness and wellbeing - at home, at work and in the world around you. If you have read The Art of Happiness, The Happiness Project or Sane New World, this book will be the perfect complement. We all want to be happy but what does that actually mean and what can we do in our everyday lives to be happier? Fortunately, psychologists, neuroscientists and other experts now have evidence of what really makes a difference and helps us to be happier and more resilient to life's ups and downs. In this book, Vanessa King of Action for Happiness has drawn on the latest scientific studies to create a set of evidence-based practical actions. They will help you connect with people, nurture your relationships and find purpose. You'll get ideas for taking care of your body, making the most of what's good and finding new ways to stimulate your mind. So here are the 10 Keys to Happier Living - ideas, insights and practical actions that you can take to create more happiness for yourself and those around you.

Do you want to know how to be happy, all the time, no matter what's going on around you? Sure you do. But before you can experience that, you must be able to answer 2 questions: What is happiness ... really? How can you get from where you are now into that Experience? The Ultimate Key To Happiness will offer unusual answers to you. Through the pages of this book, you ll discover what no one has been telling you about: What happiness really is (hint: it's not what you were taught) What happiness really isn't What's been blocking you from experiencing happiness consistently How to dissolve that block Why the common "prescriptions" for happiness fail to produce results The exact steps you can take to experience True Happiness, all the time, no matter what s going on around you And much more ... Through the pages of this book, you ll discover why happiness has remained so elusive, despite how badly you want it, how hard you ve tried to experience it, and the promises made to you by experts and gurus. The happiness you ve been seeking has been hiding in plain sight all along. Through what this book sets into motion, you ll finally be able to see it, grasp it, and integrate it permanently into your Being. Odds are, what you ll discover in this book will surprise you, shock you, rock your world, and literally blow your mind.

Join five women connected only by their growing friendship and the road that runs like a lifeline between their cottages in a run–down Florida development called Happiness Key Tracy Deloche finally gets a chance to swap business for a romantic evening with Marsh Egan, but dinner goes cold when she spots her ex–husband prowling outside her cottage. CJ is supposed to be in prison and out of her life for good. Exactly what is this modern–day pirate seeking and what will it mean for Tracy's future? Janya Kapur envies every pregnant woman she sees, but Rishi, her husband, is suddenly reluctant to talk about children. Is he disappointed in her inability to conceive? Their marriage was a contract between strangers. Can they ever hope for anything more? Waitress Wanda Gray loses her job after new owners turn the Dancing Shrimp into a tapas bar. Wise neighbor Alice Brooks's suggestion that Wanda start her own business seems like a brilliant solution, until Wanda starts Pie War I with the owners of the local bakery. When the empty cottage at Happiness Key is rented by single mother Dana Turner, everything seems perfect. With Alice volunteering to watch Dana's daughter while she works and Wanda's offer of a job, this spit of Florida Gulf Coast land should be a fortunate harbor for a mother and daughter who have moved far too often. Except for Dana's shocking secret. As the women of Happiness Key struggle to discover the truth in time to help their new neighbor, their only weapon is friendship. But will friendship be enough?

What if you could change your life--without changing your life? Gretchen had a good marriage, two healthy daughters, and work she loved--but one day, stuck on a city bus, she realized that time was flashing by, and she wasn’t thinking enough about the things that really mattered. “I should have a happiness project,” she decided. She spent the next year test-driving the wisdom of the ages, current scientific studies, and lessons from popular culture about how to be happier. Each month, she pursued a different set of resolutions: go to sleep earlier, quit nagging, forget about results, or take time to be silly. Bit by bit, she began to appreciate and amplify the happiness that already existed in her life. Written with humour and insight, Gretchen’s story will inspire you to start your own happiness project. Now in a beautiful, expanded edition, Gretchen offers a wealth of new material including happiness paradoxes and practical tips on many daily matters: being a more light-hearted parent, sticking to a fitness routine, getting your sweetheart to do chores without nagging, coping when you forget someone’s name and more.