Secrets of Adulthood (Simple Truths for Our Complex Lives) by Gretchen Rubin is collection of aphorisms, short, little truth nuggets, that will make you think. I love the author’s books and have read several before.

This is unlike the author’s previous books in that this feels light and gentle andjust asks you to think and feel the wisdom behind each aphorism.

This is a quick read, but one that should be referenced and reflected on. This book will make a great graduation, new job, new house, celebrate life, or simply ‘thinking of you’ gift.

I definitely recommend reading Secrets of Adulthood!

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Secrets of Adulthood (Simple Truths for Our Complex Lives) by Gretchen Rubin
Publisher: Crown Publishing; Crown
Genre: Self-Help
Published: April 1, 2025

Gretchen Rubin is my favorite author in the "self help" category and I always look forward to reading her newest books! Secrets of Adulthood is a little different than her previous work, so it is helpful not to expect a traditional personal development book. Instead of finding long chapters and paragraphs full of antidotes and advice, you'll find many short, but wise, aphorisms that will make you think. While I prefer her traditional style books, this would make a fantastic graduation gift or one to keep by the dining room table to use each aphorism as a conversation starter with older children.

Secrets of Adulthood is a thoughtful, witty collection of aphorisms from happiness expert Gretchen Rubin. Drawing from both research and personal experience, Rubin distills life’s complex lessons into short, memorable truths—perfect for moments of reflection or conversation. From tackling procrastination to accepting ourselves while striving for growth, these bite-sized insights offer comfort, humor, and clarity.

I especially enjoyed reading this with my teenage daughter. The brief, wise reflections sparked some meaningful conversations between us and offered a gentle way to approach deeper life topics. It's a great book to dip into, reflect on, and share—especially during times of change or transition.

This is really not a book. It's a collection of sayings that Rubin has collected over the years. It really could have been a pamphlet.

Gretchen Rubin has been offering her wisdom to readers over the course of many books. She began with The Happiness Project and most recently Life in Five Senses, with several others in between.

This title is a bit different from some of Rubin’s others in that it consists of a series of aphorisms-dictionary definition is “a pithy observation that contains a general truth.” Rubin compiled these for herself and her family. She now shares them with her readers.

This is a title that can be dipped in and out of. It is divided into sections including Cultivating Ourselves, Facing the Perplexities of Relationships, Making Things Happen, Confronting Life’s Dilemmas, and more. Each of sections has a number of entries as for example, Comfort, Responsibility and, Getting It Wrong.

This book could make a nice graduation gift for someone. Those who are not of school age may also find wisdom here. For myself, I think that aphorisms were not quite enough. I wish that there had been more commentary. However, that was not the author’s intention. She was looking for short, meaningful things to guide others.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for this title. All opinions are my own.

I appreciate these wise, pithy sayings that Gretchen Rubin shares in her book. Each one is insightful in its own way. I also like the way she structures the book by topics so you can skip around to find whatever you may be looking for.

Some of my favorites from the book are:

"Nothing is more exhausting than the task that’s never started."

"Do you need more time, or do you need to make a decision?"

"Telling someone to calm down usually has the opposite effect."

My thanks to NetGalley for the review copy of this book.

I'm not sure what I thought it would be, but a pamphlet of aphorisms wasn't it. I feel like this has either been covered in other books or could have been consolidated into another book.

Bite-size pieces of wisdom to help anyone live a more enjoyable and productive life. We call her ‘Saint Gretchen’ in our house and she is quoted on a regular basis.

Thanks to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for an ARC of this book.

I have been a fan of Gretchen Rubin and her writing for years. Her previous work like "The Happiness Project", "The Four Tendencies", "Happier at Home", and "Outer Order Inner Calm" have been not only great resources for understanding others and oneself but have also provided great tools for living happier lives. "Secrets of Adulthood" missed this mark for me. I do like the idea of making note of aphorisms that have been impactful in one's life. However, if you are going to title the book "Secrets of Adulthood", I do think it would be a better read for the author to truly describe how these aphorisms fit within the categories laid out in the book ("Cultivating Ourselves", "Facing the Perplexities of Relationships", "Making Things Happen", and "Confronting Life's Dilemmas"). I am sure this was designed so that all readers would find something to relate to and then be able to add their own aphorisms that speak to their own versions of what adulthood means to them, but I think I was just expecting more from this.

I found this quick-read book delightful and thought-provoking.

The book collects all the aphorisms (wisdom captured in a clever phrase) that Gretchen Rubin has authored based on her own life observations and experience. The aphorisms are separated into thematic collections and each collection has a short introduction. I am a many-years devotee of Gretchen Rubin and so the content of this book is right up my alley. But anyone interested in self-knowledge, self-improvement, or just pondering the truths of the world would enjoy this book. While reading this book, I found myself pondering what little life truths I have observed and what aphorisms I might write.

This is a book I would love to own and thumb through occasionally because often I felt that I wanted to consider an aphorism for a while, and I would love to be reminded of them from time to time to see what strikes me. This book would also make a great gift to a college graduate, a retiree, or anyone else entering a new chapter of adulthood, even a new parent.

Thank you so much to Crown Publishing and Net Galley for the advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

First, thank you to to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I have been a big fan of Gretchen Rubin and was thrilled to get a look at this book in early. Less of a typical verbose chapter book, it is truly a book of wisdom in small bites. I love the aphorisms and found myself highlighting several passages to write down for my self. There is something for everyone in this book.

Chances are, you’ve already heard one of Gretchen Rubin’s aphorisms: “The days are long, but the years are short”. More a quick coffee table reference than a book you’d read in one sitting, Rubin’s ‘Secrets of Adulthood’ is a lovely collection of wisdom. After a brief introduction, Rubin jumps right into her aphorisms, most without additional explanation.

Of course, different aphorisms will speak to different readers, and readers familiar with Rubin’s podcast or previous books will recognize how steadfast she is in speaking clearly and unapologetically from her own perspective (and only her perspective). Often, our perspectives align — “A strong voice repels as well as attracts” — and other times, Rubin loses me — “People don’t talk enough about how comforting work is.” But overall, Rubin has succinctly and enjoyably distilled her worldview into bite-sized pieces. I think everyone can find a few aphorisms that resonate, making this slim collection well worth picking up. 5*.

Thank you to Crown Publishing and NetGalley for providing this e-arc.

As I was reading this (I'm a huge Gretchen Rubin fan) I was inspired to take one of the aphorisms and use it as a jumping off point for a journal entry daily. For example: "Leave some room in the suitcase"...think of all of the things you could journal about that idea in life to leave space. Right? This book is short and filled with sayings like this to get you thinking.

Also, while reading this I thought this would be an excellent graduation gift as that time of the year is here. This is a lovely gift for yourself or for someone else - I'm going to pick up copies for folks, You should too.

Thanks to the publisher for the advanced copy!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing a digital copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. I'm partial to anything Gretchen creates and this is no different. A great compilation of aphorisms and quotes on the 'Secrets of Adulthood' that are endearing and relatable! I too used to have an old notebook I used to collect and write down quotes that spoke to me at certain times of my life and this is what I envisioned mine to look like if I ever published it. This would be a cool coffee table book and a great gift for a college grad!

A little disappointing. I am not familiar with Gretchen Rubin's prior work, so I came into this with a blank slate. I thought the short page count would mean she would be concise, but impactful, instead it was as she mentioned in the intro, a lot of aphorisms. I was just expecting more stories to go along with each aphorism, as that is what I was looking forward to, but alas, it was not meant to be.

I absolutely love Gretchen Rubin's work, and am very excited every time she releases a new book! That said, this book was a bit of a disappointment for me, because it was not truly a book from her persepective about her "life experiments," or even a book about the theory of something (like the Four Tendencies), but rather a collection of aphorisms. I knew that the book was *about* aphorisms, but I wasn't expecting that to be the whole thing--I was hoping there'd be more anecdotes, applications, &c. It was also very short--in ebook form, felt more like a pamphlet than a book!

However, it was well-organized, and I can certainly appreciate the satisfaction of compiling something like this! And I enjoyed reading through the aphorisms.

When I heard that Gretchen had a new book coming out, I knew I needed to get it. Thankfully you all granted my wish! I find the book so full of advice that means something. Thank you for the opportunity to read it.

This is a short and sweet book that really condenses Gretchen Rubin's books down to her main ideas. If you have read her books, it's a bit repetitive but it's a good primer if you haven't. It's a very quick and easy read so everyone should be able to find something inspiring or thought-provoking in it.

If you are a fan of Gretchen Rubin or The Happier Podcast, you will enjoy this fun book. It's short and sweet but packs a punch- packed full of aphorisms which are divided by categories including Making Things Happen, and Confronting Life's Dilemmas among others. Some are common sense, and some will truly make you think. This will make a great coffee table book to pick up and enjoy as well as a great gift for graduation.

This book is set to publish on April 1, 2025 and I truly recommend it.

Thank you to NetGalley and Crown Publishing for providing and ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion and review.

I have read almost all of Gretchen Rubin's books and especially like the Happiness Project and Better Than Before. This book is an expansion of her practices of collecting quotes and aphorisms from others, as well as making her own. Secrets of Adulthood is a short book that organizes these aphorisms in sections including Cultivating Ourselves, Relationships, Life Dilemmas, and Making Things Happen. If you are are a fan of Rubin's work, this would make a great addition to your library. The book would also be great for a recent college graduate.