• Before Happiness

  • The 5 Hidden Keys to Achieving Success, Spreading Happiness, and Sustaining Positive Change
  • By: Shawn Achor
  • Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
  • Length: 8 hrs and 14 mins
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (805 ratings)

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Before Happiness  By  cover art

Before Happiness

By: Shawn Achor
Narrated by: Mike Chamberlain
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Publisher's summary

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • “This fresh, uplifting book is filled with ideas for improving our organizations and our lives.”—Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and host of the podcast WorkLife

“With his characteristic blend of academic rigor and twinkle in the eye, Shawn Achor will change your view of happiness, of reality—and of yourself.”—Susan Cain, New York Times bestselling author of Quiet and Bittersweet

Why are some people able to make positive change while others remain the same?

In his international bestseller, The Happiness Advantage, Harvard-trained researcher Shawn Achor described why happiness is the precursor to greater success. Before Happiness is about what comes before both. Because before we can be happy or successful, we need to first develop the ability to see that positive change is possible. Only once we learn to see the world through a more positive lens can we summon all our motivation, emotion, and intelligence to achieve our personal and professional goals.

In Before Happiness, Achor reveals five actionable, proven strategies for changing our lens to positive:

The Most Valuable Reality: See a broader range of ideas and solutions by changing the details on which your brain chooses to focus
Success Mapping: Set goals oriented around the things in life that matter to you most, whether career advancement or family or making a difference in the world
The X-spot: Use success accelerants to propel you more quickly towards those goals, whether finishing a marathon, reaching a sales target, learning a language, or losing ten pounds
Noise-Canceling: Boost the signal pointing you to opportunities and possibilities that others miss
Positive Inception: Transfer these skills to your team, your employees, and everyone around you

By mastering these strategies, you’ll create a renewable source of positivity, motivation, and engagement that will allow you to reach your fullest potential in everything you do.

©2013 Shawn Achor (P)2013 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

In this remarkable book, one of the leading thinkers in the field of positive psychology digs deep into the science to find practical techniques for unleashing your genius for happiness. So forget about cheap gimmicks and gooey affirmations. Instead, listen to Shawn Achor -- and prepare to take notes!" (Daniel H. Pink, author of DRIVE, TO SELL IS HUMAN, and A WHOLE NEW MIND)

Before Happiness is the book that positive psychology fans have been waiting to read. Shawn Achor, the leading light in bringing the science of happiness to work, offers his signature blend of eye-opening research insights, entertaining stories, and infectious enthusiasm. This fresh, uplifting book is filled with ideas for improving our organizations and our lives. (Adam Grant, Wharton professor and bestselling author of Give and Take)

What listeners say about Before Happiness

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

NOT read by Shawn Achor

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

I have been a fan of Shawn Achor--his Ted talks, previous book, and listened to it as an audiobook. I did not read the details carefully, This book is narrated by a dry speaker who turns Shawn's personal anecdotes and research into boring and un-engaging listening. Shawn is a dynamic speaker, who shares his passion with ease and brings his stories to life as he narrates his previous book. I am hopeful that he will narrate this book at a later time. I'm returning my Audible "copy."

Who was your favorite character and why?

n/a

Would you be willing to try another one of Mike Chamberlain’s performances?

Never

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19 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

NOT READ BY AUTHOR

What would have made Before Happiness better?

This book was horrible because I know what Shawn's voice sounds like. I don't want to hear someone else acting as him

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14 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars
  • DC
  • 12-24-15

Worthwhile but no "Happiness Advantage"

If you liked "The Happiness Advantage", you'll enjoy this book. It helps add more dimension to the happiness/positive-psychology picture, doesn't seem as complete or focused as THA. As expected, Achor does balances theory, research and technique quite well, but I found THA more engaging. I also missed having Achor read the audio book.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    1 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Great content; Narrator is pretty bad

Would you try another book from Shawn Achor and/or Mike Chamberlain?

I would definitely get another book from Shawn Achor, but the narrator really detracts from the audiobook. His tone is really dry and disengaging, and apparently he doesn't know anything about delivering a joke.

Was Before Happiness worth the listening time?

I'd still say this was worth the listening time, and I have gone back, added bookmarks and written down suggestions from the audiobook. I did get a digital copy of the book as well to have on hand for reference material. There are tons of practical tips in here for working through tricky or stressful situations. The map making exercise was really insightful into where I am most emotionally connected in my life.

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12 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Every young person should be given a free copy

This is an absolute gem of a book - and unlike so much of the self-help literature, contains enough conceptualisation, reflection and recommendation for readers to emerge from listening with some clear, sensible and valuable ideas on how to address the challenges they face. Like his college professor, Brian Little, Shawn Achor has written a book borne of a brimming love of the human condition and the opportunities it holds for each of us. Having explored a number of online resources about Shawn, I have recommended him warmly to friends and family. If you have a spare credit on your account and you haven't read this book already, make it your next purchase - it's a treat, and potentially a life-changing one for many! :-)

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

I prefer to hear Shawn vs Mike read the book.

Would you consider the audio edition of Before Happiness to be better than the print version?

I don't know. I would have to read it to know.

Any additional comments?

Based on Shawn's reading of "The Happiness Advantage" I prefer to hear Shawn vs Mike reading the book. Mike sounded OK but I much preferred Shawn's more (for lack of a better term) "playful" reading.

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

What about non-business folks?

I enjoyed this book and it gave me new ideas on how to incorporate more happiness into my life. However, I don't know if the actual book would have been better than listening. Some of it left me wondering what it was or how to apply it. We're their figures or examples for success mapping? Honestly I hope Shawn Achor addresses other groups of people in his writing at some point. I understand that his focus is businesses and organizations but I'd like more examples of how to apply this to life outside the office! Some people are housewives, living in situations like care facilities, or have disabilities... not everyone works in a corporation. Trying to apply business examples to life outside an office is a task... he did use weight loss as an example a couple times... but pretty much glossed over it and any other thing that didn't have to do with business. I felt like he was really only addressing business managers and leaders. Not your average worker, self employed, or humble unemployed human. Unfortunately, I am not a business person so it was a hurdle trying to figure out how I could actually use things like positive inception. Smiling at my dog works fantastic but has negative responses from my teenager!

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2 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Good book!

One comment that I have is maybe toning down the voice of the narrator, too high of a tone sometimes makes it hard to listen especially in loud places on higher volume.

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  • Overall
    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Could not finish this book

I was pretty excited to read (idiot book) Shawn Achor’s book on Before Happiness. I was disappointed that he Did not narrate this book as he did his others. It took some getting used to, but I got over it. What I could not get over was the focus of negativity and pessimism through the book. I did not get much out of it. I found myself getting annoyed which is the opposite of what I believe the author intended.

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  • Overall
    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Authors should narrate their own books...

What could have made this a 4 or 5-star listening experience for you?

Having Mr. Achor read his book, the narrators voice was off putting in my opinion and because of this I couldn't bring myself to finish it.

What was most disappointing about Shawn Achor’s story?

I couldn't focus on the story! The narrators voice was too annoying.

How did the narrator detract from the book?

His voice was too unrelateable.

What reaction did this book spark in you? Anger, sadness, disappointment?

Disappointment - I wish I could get a refunded credit to get a book I can enjoy.

Any additional comments?

Authors should narrate their own books, we want to hear their voices with their stories!

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