The Secrets of Happy Families

Surprising New Ideas to Bring More Togetherness, Less Chaos, and Greater Joy

By: Bruce Feiler

Narrated by: Bruce Feiler

Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

• Don't worry about family dinner.
• Let your kids pick their punishments.
• Ditch the sex talk.
• Cancel date night.

These are just a few of the surprising innovations in this bold first-of-its-kind playbook for today's families. Best-selling author and New York Times family columnist Bruce Feiler found himself squeezed between caring for aging parents and raising his children. So he set out on a three-year journey to find the smartest solutions and the most cutting-edge research about families. Instead of the usual family "experts", he sought out the most creative minds - from Silicon Valley to the set of Modern Family, from the country's top negotiators to the Green Berets - and asked them what team-building exercises and problem-solving techniques they use with their families. Feiler then tested these ideas with his wife and kids. The result is a fun, original look at how families can draw closer together, complete with 200 never-before-seen best practices.

Feiler's life-changing discoveries include a radical plan to reshape your family in 20 minutes a week, Warren Buffett's guide for setting an allowance, and the Harvard handbook for resolving conflict. The Secrets of Happy Families is a timely, counterintuitive book that answers the questions countless parents are asking: How do we manage the chaos of our lives? How do we teach our kids values? How do we make our family happier?

Written in a charming, accessible style, The Secrets of Happy Families is smart, funny, and fresh, and will forever change how your family lives every day.

Download the accompanying reference guide.

©2013 Bruce Feiler (P)2013 HarperCollins Publishers

great resource, jammed packed with useful ideas

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

while at times, this work seemed like a mash up of what could be ten different books, it does a great job of highlighting the work of many other creative types and writers- pointing to lots of research, but not letting that bog down the message. Feiler does a nice job of boiling down the essence of many other sources to manageable highlights and how they play into his overarching goal for this book. highly recommended not only for families wanting to move toward happy, healthy, enriching life together, but to those looking for help with finances, team building at work, rising above the microscopic level of daily life and hearing the call to more fulfilling, rewarding experiences in general.

Any additional comments?

love it! will buy the print copy to have as a quick reference back to the many many great ideas and will also relisten to the audio version as well!

Finally!!!!!

What did you love best about The Secrets of Happy Families?

The book is straight forward and littered with practical activities. Refreshingly fantastic.

Who was your favorite character and why?

I love the idea about a family mission statement.

Any additional comments?

After listening to it, I listened to it again with my wife. She loved it too.

Really fun read!

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Yes because it looks at the "family" unit in a way we haven't before.

What did you like best about this story?

The different approach Bruce Feiler took to research how functional families work.

What does Bruce Feiler bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

Hear this read by Bruce Feiler makes it feel more like a discussion with the listener than just reading the book.

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

Realizing that we are moving into unchartered territory in our technology driven world and that we need to rethink how to connect with our children and one another as a family.

Any additional comments?

This book was not just informative, it was fun to listen to and I am going to try many of the suggestions!

I found it

I learned that the secret to happiness is to be a narcissistic prick who bails on his family to be with a crazy psycho and get into weird BDSM shit. Yup. I’m totally happy.

Easy listening

it was a breeze to listen to. Loved the ideas and the author's kind voice.

Easy listening, tips that have always been arround

Except one chapter, the whole book is fun, simple, yet gives you very insight info that is helping my family dynamic so much.

Really?! The source is a HOLLYWOOD SET AND a college & (whatever else)?!

How in the WORLD is a HOLLYWOOD SET YOUR FAVORITE place to study FAMILY success..as a source for study..
Nope
Just nope

Better luck next time

Good, not great

A few great concepts from other self improvement and leadership books applied to families. However, not much was insightful to me. Too many anecdotes. The author cites statistics of many correlations and then he assumes causation.

Couldn't get past author's performance

What did you like best about The Secrets of Happy Families? What did you like least?

some good advice from a variety of experts as related by Mr. Feller

Has The Secrets of Happy Families turned you off from other books in this genre?

No.

Would you be willing to try another one of Bruce Feiler’s performances?

No. This probably would work better for me in written format. From the "Hey Mom" on I found his read grating. He's probably very good at what he does, but most of these authors - with a few notable exceptions like Ken Robinson and David McCollugh (sp), should leave it to the pros.

Was The Secrets of Happy Families worth the listening time?

At times, but too many personal stories (the food in the fridg) that left me fast forwarding...