Solve For Happy

Engineer Your Path to Joy

By: Mo Gawdat

Narrated by: Mo Gawdat

Length: 11 hrs and 12 mins

Publisher's summary

Solve for Happy is a startlingly original book about creating and maintaining happiness, written by a top Google executive with an engineer's training and fondness for thoroughly analyzing a problem.

In 2004 Mo Gawdat, a remarkable thinker whose gifts had landed him top positions in half a dozen companies and who - in his spare time - had created significant wealth, realized that he was desperately unhappy. A lifelong learner, he attacked the problem as an engineer would, examining all the provable facts and scrupulously following logic. When he was finished, he had discovered the equation for enduring happiness.

Ten years later that research saved him from despair when his college-age son, Ali - also intellectually gifted - died during routine surgery. In dealing with the loss, Mo found his mission: he would pull off the type of moonshot that he and his Google [X] colleagues were always aiming for - he would help 10 million people become happier by pouring his happiness principles into a book and spreading its message around the world.

One of Solve for Happy's key premises is that happiness is a default state. If we shape expectations to acknowledge the full range of possible events, unhappiness is on its way to being defeated. To steer clear of unhappiness traps, we must dispel the six illusions that cloud our thinking (e.g., the illusion of time, of control, and of fear); overcome the brain's seven deadly defects (e.g., the tendency to exaggerate, label, and filter); and embrace five ultimate truths (e.g., change is real, now is real, unconditional love is real).

By means of several highly original thought experiments, Mo helps listeners find enduring contentment by questioning some of the most fundamental aspects of their existence.

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

©2016 Mo Gawdat (P)2016 Pan Macmillan Publishers Ltd.

This book will make you a happier person!

Thank you Mo, Thank you Ally for the gift of happiness. My life is forever changed by this wonderful book.

1 of the Top 3 best books i have listened to

I enjoyed the authors voice , a very calming authentic human voice , the book offers both insight into practical steps to take to be happy , i especially enjoyed listening to the parts about his son Ali , it sounds like Ali was such a wonderful young man that understand alot more about humanity as well , really good to see and feel how much love existed between Mo and his son Ali , wonderful book have already recommended to so many people - goes beyond the normal western approaches and i could relate to . Thank you Mo Gawdat .

i looked for a far superior version of myself,

and the book he would write.. thf hvdf dhbc eyvv xbhd dgvc eyv sgjv ghj

Life-changing and moving

Too much foto a single listening, need to listen ti it again to fully appreciate.
In the meantime, a heartfelt huge thank you to the author for sharing his research on happyness so clearly and sincerely. A big hug and thank you again. Awesome job

A wake up call to enjoy life.

I smiled, I cried, I stopped for several moments because it was so hard to continue knowing the struggle Mo was going through putting this wonderful words together for us.
At the end, in a nutshell “Solve for happy” is a gift for the soul, reading it is a transformative experience. Thanks Alli, thanks Mo. Gracias

impactful

A most beautiful story. Thank you Mo. Thank you Ali. My life is better for reading your book.

A wonderful take on ACT, and how to remove the barriers to contentment

I really enjoyed this book, which I discovered after I heard the author interviewed on a podcast.

I’ve tried reading Russ Harris’ book The Happiness Trap but could never get into it - now I know why, because the underlying premise (that humans aren’t “designed” to be happy all the time and constantly seeking happiness is what causes suffering) doesn’t sit with my own core belief - that our default can be contentment, if we can just remove the barriers to it. Mo Gawdat starts with this premise also, and then goes through strategies and stories to help us do the work to remove said barriers.

Although he doesn’t say it explicitly, most of the techniques he uses are very similar to ACT (which is basically a modern-day/scientific take on many Buddhist principals), expressed in a way I found easy to apply. So the tools he uses are the same as Russ Harris, but presented in a more… optimistic light, I guess.

I also loved that it was read by the author - I almost always prefer non-fiction read this way, as the authors emotion comes through well. And I found his accent added wonderfully to his storytelling.

Content Warning: there is mention throughout the book of the death of his son, and I cried several times because of this.

Great story, audio quality disappoints

I started this book in paperback but switched to Audio because I noticed that I couldn’t get myself to sit down and read.

I love the story but I notice that it’s almost impossible to hear him well if you’re on the road..

@Audible, is there be any chance that the overall audio level is increased on this book?

Great book!

The book provides an understanding of life principles and happiness in ways that most books cannot convey. The engineering approach to happiness mixed with an emotional story of who and what inspired the author makes this book one that anyone can relate to. I would recommend this to anyone. Thanks Mo!

Emotional and rational at the same time.

I loved this book. Mo was such a familiar voice. Poignant and thought provoking. Highly recommended.