10% Happier

How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found a Self-Help That Actually Works

By: Dan Harris

Narrated by: Dan Harris

Length: 7 hrs and 50 mins

Publisher's summary

Nightline anchor Dan Harris embarks on an unexpected, hilarious, and deeply skeptical odyssey through the strange worlds of spirituality and self-help, and discovers a way to get happier that is truly achievable.

After having a nationally televised panic attack on Good Morning America, Dan Harris knew he had to make some changes. A lifelong nonbeliever, he found himself on a bizarre adventure, involving a disgraced pastor, a mysterious self-help guru, and a gaggle of brain scientists. Eventually, Harris realized that the source of his problems was the very thing he always thought was his greatest asset: the incessant, insatiable voice in his head, which had both propelled him through the ranks of a hyper-competitive business and also led him to make the profoundly stupid decisions that provoked his on-air freak-out.

We all have a voice in our head. It's what has us losing our temper unnecessarily, checking our email compulsively, eating when we're not hungry, and fixating on the past and the future at the expense of the present. Most of us would assume we're stuck with this voice that there's nothing we can do to rein it in but Harris stumbled upon an effective way to do just that. It's a far cry from the miracle cures peddled by the self-help swamis he met; instead, it's something he always assumed to be either impossible or useless: meditation. After learning about research that suggests meditation can do everything from lower your blood pressure to essentially rewire your brain, Harris took a deep dive into the underreported world of CEOs, scientists, and even marines who are now using it for increased calm, focus, and happiness.

10% Happier takes listeners on a ride from the outer reaches of neuroscience to the inner sanctum of network news to the bizarre fringes of America's spiritual scene, and leaves them with a takeaway that could actually change their lives.

PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying reference material will be available in your My Library section along with the audio.

©2014 Daniel Benjamin Harris (P)2014 HarperCollinsPublishers

No nonsense meditation evaluation.

Masterfully constructed real-life story about the mindful evolution of a meditation skeptic. Humorous, insightful, entertaining, and "enlightening". Thank you Dan Harris for sharing with all of us.

Awesome -This is the way all skeptics should write

I really appreciated the approach that Dan took to this experience. I found comfort and trust in his humours journey which I could relate to. I look forward to listening and perhaps even reading again.

Very enjoyable

I really enjoy authors that narrate their own books. The tempo and meter of the story is more fluid, it sounds more like a conversation than a reading.

Great read for the persuadable skeptic

Great book for anyone who loves a good story and who has struggled with cutting through the self-help *noise* to find a useful path to greater peace, fulfillment - and, of course, happiness. Worthwhile read!

Loved it!

As an avid believer in the power of meditation, I already had a lot of familiarity going into the book. But he’s such a good storyteller, I laughed out loud throughout the book, and I love the progression of where he was at the start of the book, and where the book ended. Really powerful! And his story will help neutralize the stigma that surrounds meditation. I plan to give his book to quite a few people at Christmas. Thank you Dan!

Excellent on all counts

"10% Happier" is a superb blend of reporting, memoir, and self-help info, an odd and delightful hybrid of a book. Loved every moment of it.

10% Happier That I Read This Book

A thoroughly enjoyable and thought provoking story. A great story and truly actionable tasks one can take. Glad it was read by the author

Funny and Insightful

Harris takes you on a journey from skeptic to meditation practitioner with humor and insight. I recommend this book for anyone with a budding interest in Buddhism and/or meditation.

Nailed it!

As it turns out, the voice in my head is an asshole.:) Brilliant and powerful.

Good investment for 10% of your time

Simple story about how Dan became more mindful while traversing all the trials and challenges of meditation and Metha. The story was interesting when he describes what worked for him and less on what others thought about him. Bottom line: Meditation will give you a 10% bump in madness as a starting point.