Stumbling on Happiness

By: Daniel Gilbert

Narrated by: Daniel Gilbert

Length: 7 hrs and 26 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2006 Daniel Gilbert (P)2006 Random House, Inc. Random House Audio, a division of Random House, Inc.

Critic reviews

“Stumbling on Happiness is an absolutely fantastic book that will shatter your most deeply held convictions about how your own mind works. Ceaselessly entertaining, Gilbert is the perfect guide to some of the most interesting psychological research ever performed. Think you know what makes you happy? You won’t know for sure until you have read this book.”–Steven D. Levitt, author of Freakonomics

“Everyone will enjoy reading this book, and some of us will wish we could have written it. You will rarely have a chance to learn so much about so important a topic while having so much fun.”–Professor Daniel Kahneman, Princeton University, Winner of the 2002 Nobel Prize in Economics

“This is a brilliant book, a useful book, and a book that could quite possibly change the way you look at just about everything. And as a bonus, Gilbert writes like a cross between Malcolm Gladwell and David Sedaris.” –Seth Godin, author All Marketers Are Liars

Hilarious and Insightful

This book was better than I expected. I recommend it to anyone who has even a slight interest in Psychology. Gilbert's sense of humor will make you forget you're learning something.

Entertaining and insightful

I laughed a lot and learned even more. Moreover, my mood significantly improved during the course of reading the book. The work is a fantastic antidote to depression, despite the author’s refusal to make any claim to that effect. Highly recommended!!!

Mixed bag

On the one had, very interesting information that at times seems accurate. But, I think I’m in the minority here. And, I’m not sure if it’s even “the average” person, but then again could be. Many things I have noticed about others and have been baffled because I clearly in many cases don’t have the “average” response. IE if I don’t like something, I don’t feel differently about it a few days later. It also seemed like it fell into the same trap as some of the things he mentioned in the beginning. Creating surveys to get the response you want. Maybe that’s why I hate surveys. They only allow you to choose certain answers and usually none are my preferred response because they don’t take into consideration other important factors.. IE if you ask someone how they feel about their sports team losing the big game and give options of, that sucks to don’t really care. But, then interpret that as most people predicted they would be more bothered by it than they were when you ask them days later, how did you feel the day your team lost? Well, they likely did feel their team losing sucked. But, they have an entire day of different situations to feel about, hence, they probably felt a mixture of emotions all day. So, feeling that losing the game sucked, but you got the job you wanted means your overall day was probably great. Just seemed very misleading in many ways by trying to single out how someone feels about a specific thing or event, but then translating it to mean their overall feelings. Even the section on why people supposedly spend their life working even after they reach middle class and don’t just stop and be like the bum on the side of the road. Um...if they stop working, they will no longer be able to maintain their middle class lifestyle, plain and simple. I don’t believe “most people” work to be happy, they work to eat, have stability, and shelter. The majority of people are not even in a position to decide they have enough financial freedom to stop working. So, that’s totally erroneous. I don’t know anyone who works to be happy. They work to live and survive even if they are fairly well off. If you are not financially independent, not working would mean life would definitely get harder and your food and shelter are no longer secure. So, yes, indirectly, you are working to stay in as happy or stress free as one can. But, most people are not in a position to work for simple greed. And, having experienced loss, I don’t imagine my pain was less or more than it was at the time even though it was years ago?! I don’t think I know anyone who lost someone close and was in a great deal of pain at the time but then decided 5-10 years out it wasn’t so bad. While people heal, they remember that it was very painful at the time? Maybe there are people like, but I don’t know them. Most people know they don’t feel the same level of pain as they did at the time, but do remember how they felt?!

That said, other areas seemed spot on about how some people do seem to flip flop on how they feel or felt. Clearly, some of it is based on people who’s minds clearly play tricks on them and make them very erratic. The writing is quite entertaining, which kept me listening. The narration was also quite well done. It was an interesting listen. It just made me want to really see the structure of these “studies” to see just how they were presented to people to get these responses.

Awesome knowledge poor story

This books is so informative and useful but it’s not engaging thank you Daniel I love it

great read ... but no solution

Great read that shows how the brain actually works ... but unfortunately does not offer any usable solutions for how to make these natural flaws for for you, not against you.

Fascinating and Funny

If (like me), you're interested in how your brain works, you will enjoy this book. The author does a terrific job of presenting factual information in an accessible way, with frequent doses of humor. This title definitely benefits from being read by the author; his style is warm and engaging, and another narrator would likely not have presented the humorous bits with the inflection intended by the author.

Not what I expected, but more.

I am a fan of these types of books so my review will have some inherent bias. However, the way the author describes everyday occurrences, explains them, rationalizes them, and ties them into the next subject is flawless. I will be listening to this book multiple times for sure!

Engaging and Funny!

Great listen. Clear, pointed, well reasoned with great examples AND the author is pretty darn funny with an engaging style of speaking!

Makes you think

This book really changed my perspective on “the illusion of choice”. Everybody should read this. When my buddy recommended it I was like man that sounds kinda depressing but it had the opposite effect. There is power in knowing more about our “human condition”

excellent

The main point is about how we fool ourselves with our visions of the future. How this vision leads us to do many things. And then how are visions arent fullfilled in the future and how we end up unsatisfied. Very cool and entertaining audiobook. Does have a lot to do with the human perspective.