Happiness for Beginners by Katherine Center

I read about this book online, and I'm not sure where, exactly. A researcher I admire, Brene Brown, wrote an endorsement of it, so that tipped the scales for me to order a used copy and read it. It was an enjoyable and light read. There are some sexual scenes and some profane language, but these are milder than most.

While it's not great writing, it's good. The characters were interesting and somewhat predictable. The plot was pretty predictable. But it was still an enjoyable experience because of the transformation of the main character. Helen is grumpy and unhappy, the survivor of a painful divorce. By signing up for a survival course in the mountains, she hopes to do some serious healing. What's well-portrayed is her inner struggle to change and become more positive. The author also takes the opportunity to educate the reader into a more positive mind state. Simple things like appreciating three good things every day are indeed helpful practices. I'm not sure that "happiness" in and of itself is a worthy goal; it feels kind of selfish to me. But the author cites a helpful (to her) book called "Happiness at Last: The Thinking Person's Guide to Finding Joy." Because I struggle with staying positive, I am curious about whether this book would help...

One thing I was hoping for was more description and relating to the wonderful outdoor world; that aspect of the survival course was lacking. This author focused much more on the characters and dialogue more than the joy of being outside. Still, an enjoyable book with an interesting setting.