Secret Of Happiness

When a man discovers his father in New York has long had another, secret, family—a wife and two kids—the interlocking fates of both families lead to surprise loyalties, love triangles, and a reservoir of inner strength—"It would be impossible to overstate just how good this book is" (Ann Patchett). Ethan, a young lawyer in New York, learns that his father has long kept a second family—a Thai wife and two kids living in Queens. In the aftermath of this revelation, Ethan's mother spends a year working abroad, returning much changed, as events introduce her to the other wife. Across town, Ethan's half brothers are caught in their own complicated journeys: one brother's penchant for minor delinquency has escalated, and the other must travel to Bangkok to bail him out, while the bargains their mother has struck about love and money continue to shape their lives. As Ethan finds himself caught in a love triangle of his own, the interwoven fates of these two households elegantly unfurl to encompass a woman rallying to help an ill brother with an unreliable lover and a filmmaker with a girlhood spent in Nepal. Evoking a generous and humane spirit, and a story that ranges over three continents, Secrets of Happiness elucidates the ways people marshal the resources at hand to forge their own forms of joy.

Unhappy is the story of happiness. More than two thousand years ago, when the ancient Greeks first pondered what constitutes "the good life," happiness was considered a civic virtue that demanded a lifetime's cultivation. Not just mere enjoyment of pleasure and mere avoidance of suffering, true happiness was an achievement, not a birthright. Now, in an age of instant gratification and infinite distraction, history professor Richard Schoch takes a refreshingly contemplative look at a question that's as vital today as ever: What does it mean to be happy? Schoch consults some of history's greatest thinkers -- from Aristotle to Thomas Aquinas to Buddha -- in his quest to understand happiness in all its hard-won forms. Packed with three thousand years' worth of insights, many long forgotten, The Secrets of Happiness is a breath of ancient wisdom for anyone who yearns for the good life.

The Secrets of Happiness is an extraordinary tale of sisterhood, from Lucy Diamond author of The Beach Cafe. The best things in life . . . can be just around the corner Rachel and Becca aren't real sisters, or so they say. They are stepsisters, living far apart, with little in common. Rachel is the successful one: happily married with three children and a big house, plus an impressive career. Artistic Becca, meanwhile, lurches from one dead-end job to another, shares a titchy flat, and has given up on love. The two of them have lost touch, but when Rachel doesn't come home one night, Becca is called in to help. Once there, she quickly realizes that her stepsister's life is not so perfect after all: Rachel's handsome husband has moved out, her children are rebelling, and her glamorous career has taken a nosedive. Worst of all, nobody seems to have a clue where she might be. As Becca begins to untangle Rachel's secrets, she is forced to confront some uncomfortable truths about her own life, and the future seems uncertain. But sometimes happiness can be found in the most unexpected places . . .

THE TOP 10 BESTSELLEREveryone deserves a chance at happiness... Danniella is running from her past, so when she arrives at the beautiful seaside resort of Whitsborough Bay, the last thing on her mind is making friends. After all, they might find out her secrets... Alison is fun, caring and doesn't take herself too seriously. But beneath the front, she is a lost soul, stuck in a terrible relationship, with no family to support her. All she really needs is a friend. Karen's romance has taken a back seat to her fitness business. But she doesn’t want to give up on love quite yet. If only those mysterious texts would stop coming through... When the women meet at their local bootcamp, a deep friendship blossoms. And soon they realise that the secret to happiness is where they least expected to find it... An uplifting story of friendship and finding the strength to come to terms with the past, from million-copy bestseller Jessica Redland. What readers are saying about The Secret To Happiness: 'An emotional but uplifting page turner.The Secret to Happiness is a beautiful story of friendship and love' Fay Keenan. 'I loved how realistic and flawed the characters were, no perfect people, just honest characters with real problems.' 'Easily Jessica Redland's best novel so far. The amount of heart and depth that has gone into it is astounding.' 'This is a story that will have you enthralled from the start to the end with its many twists and turns. Jessica has the knack of drawing you into her "heroines". She always includes some humour in her books but wow, does she know how to bring you to tears as well.' 'Reading this book is the secret to happiness. Wow!' 'Loved the characters and didn't want it to end.'

"Who would imagine that a story about some cats (and monkeys and an elephant), could be so illuminating?" Martin Colin, Goodreads Do you ever wonder how some people always seem to be happy, no matter what? Have you ever felt more depressed than others and unable to join their state of happiness? You're not alone... At one time or another, we've all been in a pit of despair where it feels like happiness is an impossibility. It is here Mystic the cat begins his journey toward a place of pure joy and harmony—a place we all can reach. Mystic loses everything he thought was the cause of his joy and reason for existence when his best friend, an elephant named Bumpa goes missing. Heartbroken, Mystic decides to search for his lost friend, and regain his happiness. But on his journey, he meets a strange, beautiful black cat named Freedom who insists he doesn't need Bumpa to be happy, and a terrifying red cat named Trembly who tries to convince him that happiness is an illusion. Mystic's hope shatters and his worst fears threaten to push him into a bottomless abyss of pain. Will Mystic have the strength to face his fears? Will he ever see Bumpa, or be truly happy ever again? More than an adventurous cat story, this novel illustrates how to quiet the deceptively negative noise of the mind so the pure joy that is you can finally shine through. Follow Mystic on his journey of discovery, and with him, unlock the secret to true happiness... Buy your copy today!

A smart and funny book by a prominent Harvard psychologist, which uses groundbreaking research and (often hilarious) anecdotes to show us why we’re so lousy at predicting what will make us happy – and what we can do about it. Most of us spend our lives steering ourselves toward the best of all possible futures, only to find that tomorrow rarely turns out as we had expected. Why? As Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert explains, when people try to imagine what the future will hold, they make some basic and consistent mistakes. Just as memory plays tricks on us when we try to look backward in time, so does imagination play tricks when we try to look forward. Using cutting-edge research, much of it original, Gilbert shakes, cajoles, persuades, tricks and jokes us into accepting the fact that happiness is not really what or where we thought it was. Among the unexpected questions he poses: Why are conjoined twins no less happy than the general population? When you go out to eat, is it better to order your favourite dish every time, or to try something new? If Ingrid Bergman hadn’t gotten on the plane at the end of Casablanca, would she and Bogey have been better off? Smart, witty, accessible and laugh-out-loud funny, Stumbling on Happiness brilliantly describes all that science has to tell us about the uniquely human ability to envision the future, and how likely we are to enjoy it when we get there.

A fun, illustrated guide that takes us around the world, discovering the secrets to happiness. Author Helen Russell (The Year of Living Danishly) uncovers the fascinating ways that different nations search for happiness in their lives, and what they can teach us about our own quest for meaning. This charming and diverse assortment of advice, history, and philosophies includes: Sobremesa from Spain Turangawaewae from New Zealand Azart from Russia Tarab from Syria joie de vivre from Canada and many more.

Happiness. It's what we all long for, what all human beings seek in our jobs, our relationships, our activities. We try so hard to be happy, and all too often we end up empty and unsatisfied. Why? Because, says Billy Graham in this classic work, we are looking for happiness in all the wrong places. We haven't learned the secret Jesus taught in the Beatitudes – that true, lasting happiness simply isn't to be found by seeking it directly. Happiness is a by-product, a bonus that comes when we seek what is really important. And the things that will bring us the satisfaction we long for are not necessarily what the world considers meaningful. Jesus did not have to have an outward stimulus to make Him happy, Billy Graham points out. "He had learned a secret that allowed Him to live above the circumstances of life and fear of the future. He moved with calmness, certainty, and serenity through the most trying circumstances – even death! What was His secret? He gave it to us in the Beautitudes." Presented with Billy Graham's characteristic vigor and simplicity in this landmark book, it is a secret that can transform your life.