This is one of those quiet reads that sticks with you. A collection of essays originally published in The Atlantic, it’s incredibly readable and is science first, then practical advice that feels surprisingly actionable.

Some ideas I keep thinking about:

- For complex decisions, going with your gut is often better than overanalyzing. Emotional decisions were more than twice as likely to lead to optimal outcomes.
- In midlife, your medium should shift from canvas to sculpture. Chipping away instead of adding more.
- Intelligence, like money or power, only becomes meaningful when shared.
- Ancient Egyptians had two words for procrastination: one for laziness, one for waiting for the right time. Knowing the difference matters.

Perfect as a lunchtime read or a quiet reset!

The Happiness Files is a carefully curated collection of essays drawn from the work of Arthur C. Brooks at Harvard and his long-running Atlantic column. The book is organized around four areas: managing yourself, work, relationships, and success. Each chapter focuses on one central aspect and provides readers with relevant research, anecdotes and actionable insights.

“Real success is measured not by wealth or accolades, but by peace of mind and the strength of your relationships.”

The sections on career and work are particularly well-developed. Drawing on his experience teaching “Leadership and Happiness” at Harvard Business School, Brooks explores how ambition, financial incentives, and personal values interact and how misalignment among them can lead to discontent. Similarly, his reflections on relationships as the cornerstone of a meaningful life are supported by decades of longitudinal studies yet presented in a manner that is immediately relatable and actionable.

“Happiness isn’t a destination to reach, but a direction to travel — one choice at a time.”

Whether you read it cover to cover or dip into a chapter when you need perspective, The Happiness Files is a reminder that happiness is not a destination, but a practice, one that begins with asking better questions of ourselves and making deliberate, if modest, changes in how we live and lead.

I found myself being reminded of How will you measure your life by Clayton Christensen. While both books attempt to answer the question of how to lead a meaningful, happy life, the approach is anything but same. Brooks curates essays which align with the central theme and these essays are practical and research-based. Christensen’s book is more of a reflection of his own and his students’ lives and reads like a linear chronology as one moves through career, life and relationships. Both are good companions to each other and complement each other well.

My introduction to Arthur Brooks came via the numerous podcast interviews, where I immediately found myself pausing to consider the wisdom he had to offer. Shortly after, I began to read his published books. Yet, that left the gap of reading through his columns within The Atlantic. Sure, I had come across blurbs and posts here and there, but since my introduction to Brooks came late, I was largely unfamiliar with his The Atlantic publication catalogue.

When I saw The Happiness Files was going to offer an opportunity to rectify this oversight, I was eager to dive in. Yeah, since the content within this collection is not necessarily new, many of the themes and ideas I had come across in those other media channels. Nonetheless, the carefully curated and compiled focus of The Happiness Files still offered something new to the reader. What I particularly appreciated was that happiness was not defined or fleshed out in just one chunk of life. Brooks navigates through what happiness looks like in the workplace and in the home and in our personal lives, generally.

Additionally, since these were originally published as columns, the reading is incredibly digestible. Nothing herein is longwinded. Read a chapter at a time. Or several. It all works. If you are familiar with Brooks' others works, then much of the content will seem familiar, even if presented in a fresh way. If you are unfamiliar with Brooks, then I think this is a great way to acclimate oneself with his thoughts and writing.

I do want to thank NetGalley and Harvard Business Review Press for the advanced readers’ copy and opportunity to offer my honest review of The Happiness Files.

Exactly what on work focused people need to read that are struggling with fulfillment/finding their happiness. Helped me dealing with my insecurities.

A compendium of articles with practical advice for life inclusive of work. Useful validation - it would probably suit younger people earlier in their career, as I didn’t learn anything new. Thank you to the author. Thank you to #netgalley and the publisher for an ARC.

I love Arthur C. Brooks and I regularly read his column. It's nice to have it all collected here, and I would absolutely purchase this as a gift. I will say it feels a bit more redundant than reading them a month at a time, but still clear, concise, and useful advice.

"The Happiness Files" by Arthur C. Brooks is a collection of his previously published essays from his popular "How to Build a Life" column in The Atlantic. This essay collection is organized by themes, ranging from the interpersonal realm to goal setting, managing your career, and seeking happiness through balance.

There were a number of essays in this collection that I hadn't previously encountered that were delightful and thought-provoking, which I flagged to return back to for times I find myself in a thought spiral. I particularly enjoyed the first section ("On Managing Yourself") as it contained essays that spoke to the specifics of common dilemmas most of us find ourselves grappling with. Brooks offers relevant research that speaks to each of these challenges (from dealing with overwhelm to burn-out to worrying less) and practical tactics that one can apply in their life right away.

The strongest section was "On Jobs, Money, and Building Your Career" and it is clear why his class on leadership and happiness at Harvard Business School is so popular. The insights from this section are clear, pointed, and prompt the reader to consider self-reflecting in purposeful ways.

The section "On Balancing Work, Life, and Relationships" was not as strong, as it seemed like it was pulling from research that just scratched at the surface of these topics (friendships, conflict, parenting) which are each large topics within themselves. I could easily see an entire book dedicated to just this section, that is fleshed out even further. That being said, there are still some interesting nuggets to consider that readers will find helpful.

Overall, I really enjoyed reading through this collection of essays. As someone who has followed Arthur Brooks' work so far, it was nice to see some of the gems from his previous work highlighted in this collection. I wish there had been a bit more context-setting or voiceover for each section, with Brooks offering a bit more of a narrative wrapper around each bundle of essays. I would have loved to get more of his perspective on how he sees the ideas from each of these essays connected to each other and an overarching narrative thread connecting them. Aside from that one area of improvement, I enjoyed this book and would recommend it to anyone hoping to get a broad survey on research behind happiness science.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher — I received an early copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I'll post this review to Amazon closer to the publish date. I've already shared it on Goodreads.

Most of this information isn't new, but the author put it together in a way that was easily readable.
I enjoyed it.

Thank you to Harvard Business Review Press and NetGalley for a digital ARC of this title in exchange for my honest review.

#NetGalley #HarvardBusinessReviewPress #ArthurCBrooks #TheHappinessFiles

Each time I have the pleasure to read Arthur Brooks, I feel it ends with a sense of clarity and a readjustment of my thinking. I consistently read his work in The Atlantic, and am pleased to see much of that work compiled into this book. Brooks has a grasp on leading a successful life that no other writer currently has. Not only does he address the usual issues of finances and setbacks but he does so in a way that connects readers deeply within the core of their humanity, and within our present moment.

He speaks about tough issues and conveys lessons that are hard to hear (Ch. 2) with a graceful and supportive tone. His voice, in my mind, comes across as a very calm, listening demeanor. This isn't the catchy bestselling self-help books as of late with the shock titles and the in your face "Go live your dreams. Now." type message. This is the wise mentor who's there to give you a leg-up. I found his discussion of hyperbolic discounting as not only enlightening but also refreshing. Instead of writing like a motivational speaker, or a blogger (we have enough books written in that tone), Brooks provides some background followed by great advice. Most of his articles incorporate anecdotes and some good reflective thoughts (they may not be overtly labeled as such, but enough that I would recommend you to read with a notebook or some post it notes)

The Happiness Files, as one may expect, is not a downer book, but an uplifter. True, he does talk about downer events, but he provides a way for readers to reframe their experiences to get the most out of them (see Ch. 8). I hesitate to make the comparison, because Brooks in no way is writing a business book here, but in some ways, I feel it is a go-to book similar to the work of Dale Carnegie, but for a different purpose, different audience, at a different time. And, if you are unsure of if this is the book for you, maybe start with Ch. 17. You'll find he provides company to your thoughts and frustrations.

Many of the essays felt familiar, echoing themes I’ve come across in other self-help books. Perhaps because this book is a collection of his essays from the How to Build a Life column in The Atlantic.

Personally, I like his other book, From Strength to Strength, much more.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an ARC in exchange for my review.

Lots of tried and true advice on happiness from formerly published columns of the author.

I like the author and appreciate his advice, but I’ve read much of this before so didn’t really find anything particularly new or interesting.

If this is your first foray into happiness material, you’ll probably find some good nuggets!