I liked reading this book despite not having previous knowledge of Paula Poundstone. She conducts happiness experiments throughout this book, which are written in lab record format. Paula is obviously a witty person. I love self-deprecatory jokes and those are aplenty in this book. I was snorting occasionally at some of her jokes.

This witty human loves Harry Potter as much as we all do–she has cats named Sirius and Tonks! The occasional Potter-related jokes had me cackling while reading the book in public.

“Why does everyone make such a fuss over Harry? He couldn’t even do a summoning charm without Hermione.”

Poundstone’s jokes are what drives this book. She has a witty way of saying seemingly normal things and this will definitely make the reader smile in appreciation.

“He’s extremely funny, a naturally sarcastic man who not only sees the glass half-empty but also suspects that someone may have spit in it.”

Bonus quote:

“To me, the Fairy Godmother is an enabler. If Cinderella, a grown woman, sits in a corner and cries, she gets her wish. Perfect.”

I LOVE this woman now. I really do!

I wouldn’t say I loved the book as much as I love Paula, though. At one point, the number of experiments got tiring. There were also some moments were I just wasn’t able to relate. I got a little bored at the 70% mark and was waiting for the book to end. I started enjoying the book again towards the end, at the last experiment, where Paula goes to a senior citizens care facility. That right there gave me a lot of of happiness. 🙂

Rating: 3.5 out of 5

I've heard Paula Poundstone on NPR for quite a while and enjoy her take on things. When I received an advance copy of her latest book, I was happy (not sure how many heps happy). This book cemented my positive impressions of her as a comic. Want an entertaining read? I recommend this one.

Paula Poundstone's "The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness" delves into the comedian's inner psyche as she navigates through mainstream tips on how to "get happy." She takes one for the team, allowing herself to serve as a pseudo-guinea pig for the cause.

This was a cute chronicle of Poundstone's search for happiness-- I feel a bit odd reviewing it because I could tell from 1/4 of the way through that it wasn't necessarily the book for me. I think it was a bit too long and didn't necessarily have the central tie-in that I was looking for. That being said, definitely entertaining and will probably be better-suited for someone else! 3 STARS.

This book is like a modern day Ecclesiastes. Paula Poundstone shares with us her quest for happiness through such means as exercise, dance, technology and helping others. It is totally entertaining while at the same time exposing aspects of her life showing her need for the search. Her son's response to Bob's mathematical problem had me laughing so hard I was crying. I will definitely be recommending this book to family and friends.

In this heartfelt collection of essays, Paula Poundstone explores different methods of finding happiness; recounting her results in an honest yet humorous way, while peppering in stories about her life.

The author tackles each experience with candor and an open mind, jumping right into experiments that were clearly out of her comfort zone and embracing new challenges. Her experiences were sometimes fun, quite aggravating at times, but usually rewarding - whether successful or not. A metaphor for life itself.

If I were asked to pin a moral to this story, I’d say that trying new things can result in unexpected adventures. Sometimes those adventures are fun, sometimes aggravating, and sometimes rewarding. This book is a lot of fun, but I think there is real meaning among the gags, the embarrassments, the moody teens, and the cats.

And even more surprisingly, I found this book to be somewhat scientific despite the tongue-in-cheek disclaimer in the title and the heavy use of ironically scientific report headers throughout. After all, what is science but testing out an idea and documenting your results. This book is the result of seven years of intense personal research, and the results of the experiments are mixed. Some worked, some didn’t, and none were predictable, even within the same experiment. To tell you the truth, I’m impressed with the author for putting herself out there and jumping right into some things that were very much out of her comfort zone.

I loved the chapters that give the results in a running, time stamped log. The movie day one was hilarious. The mortifying foray into swing dancing was another favorite, both because of the humor, but also because the experience highlights another interesting result, that happiness is complex.

Anyhow, I really liked this book. While it wasn’t as over the top as I’d expected from a book by a comedian, it was real, it made me laugh, and near the end there, if I’m honest, it made me cry a little, too. I’d totally recommend this to folks who enjoy memoirs with a good dose of humor and also to those who want the inside scoop on finding their own personal brand of happiness.

Paula Poundstone is a force in the comedy world. She does not disappoint in her latest book. I did not want to stop reading, even though at times I couldn't breath or see for the tears rolling down my face from laughing. She is a comedic genius and I look forward to more titles from her in the future.

Poundstone has always been one of my favorite comics. Her books are almost as good as seeing her live. She tells her stories with truth and and a lot of humor