How to be Content

From ancient civilisations to the modern day, philosophers, writers, artists, religious leaders, and health practitioners – to name a few – have debated the questions: 'What is happiness?' and 'How can we achieve it?' In this book, we take a meandering journey through the rich philosophical landscape of contentment, by way of Norse mythology, Persian symbolism, Scandinavian lifestyle, Buddhist teachings, and Aristotle’s theories. By exploring the many different facets of research and thinking on happiness, not only will we better understand this elusive concept, but we will also be armed with an array of practical ways to improve our personal wellbeing.
In a world obsessed with happiness, How to be Content is a chance to take stock of this age-old question – we may just discover that we already have the answer!

The sections in chapter one were what helped me the most, those being "Letting Go" and "Accepting Change". Those are two of the most difficult things for me to do, it was nice being able to read about how to change that and make my negatives into a positive. The whole book was great and had all kinds of advice on starting to be more content. The other thing I enjoyed most about this book were the illustrations, especially in the Mythology and Folklore chapter.

Thanks to #NetGalley for the ARC of #HowToBeContent by Arlene Unge
Pub Date: 22 Nov 2018

A journey through past civilizations to modern day philosophers the quest for contentment .A wonderful guide steps to take to find happiness simple things like walking noticing something different each day.Making sure to eat well .Take time to be kind compassionate.Follow the art of forest bathing ,walking in to the forest absorbing the atmosphere, A book you want to share with those close to you a perfect gift.#netgalley#Howtobecontent#quartopublishers.

This is a pleasant, easy to read practical guide for a more mindful and contented life. The author takes us on a journey from ancient civilizations to modern society in the quest for contentment. The book is short and compact, presenting meaningful wisdom along with conscientious practices.

This relatively short book is a little treasure trove. The layout, illustrations and colours of the pages make it a joy to read. The content is also about joy, about finding contentment, finding happiness. A plethora of practical exercises and tips connect folklore, mythology, common knowledge, different cultural habits and nature to help you find contentment and happiness.

Read it! There's something for everyone.

Honest and in-depth advice for living a life of contentment. This advice is presented in easy to follow language that can be broken up and applied in pieces at a time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Quarto Publishing Group – White Lion Publishing for the read of Arlene Unger’s, How to be Content An inspired guide to happiness.

I enjoyed this easy to read guide to a more calm and content way of life. It was very interesting going from the ancient civilizations to our modern way of searching out that elusive contentment. If we could all only truly appreciate the joy we can get from the simplest things like a walk on a lovely day, or being kind, we would find that calm and peace, much more achievable.

A great stocking-stuffer.

This book was not what I expected. It was different in way that it contains mythology and folklore. A nice change from a typical self help book. Nice read. Interesting read.

I found this really interesting, and contected to this book that I have not with other books relating to this subject. Gives ideas and tips of things to do in different areas. And does gives a few resources to help reader to go beyond the the book.

I enjoyed reading this book. The authors have done a wonderful job of organizing the book. Each chapter is helpful for a particular topic and offers practical tips drawn from different cultures. Also included are inspirational quotations. More information for further study is in the back. This book is perfect for daily use. Enjoy

This book is so cute; I really love the simplistic design of this book. What I like about pieces like this is that you can read this in one go as a deep-read or you can take your time and work through this one day by day and use it more as a tool than a book for reading. It has many good ideas and thoughts within the text and really cute illustrations. I would easily by this for people and gift it since it is so aesthetically pleasing and it has a strong message.

A neat little book about how to be more content with your life. Not preachy or judgey, so I enjoyed it. Self-help books can be a little condescending at times, but I enjoyed this one.

I loved this book. It was very underrated (and looks underrated with that cover), but brings up a lot of interesting ways to seek happiness in simple ways in every day life. As I was reading it, it made me aware of some daily enjoyments and victories.

Very simple and a dip in and out read. It was quite interesting but I didn't get any lasting help from the book.

This book is perfect both for a quick and intense read or to consult every now and then for a year. It provides interesting and fun information about different cultures and myths and how they did certain things, or what a certain symbol represents or represented for them. If you are a person that likes mythology and ancient cultures or simply learning about other cultures, this book is for you.
If you don't like that, this book can be for you, too. Every few pages there are tips and exercises you can do to live a better life, from meditation exercises to how to make your house or your bedroom more comfy to irradiate joy.

All in all, I think that this book is perfect if you are searching for little exercises or advice to improve your life, or you are simply looking for a cute book with joyful content and cosy drawings.

Thank you Quatro - White Lion Publishing and Netgalley for this ARC in return for my honest review.

This book was different to what I had expected. I had hoped for a book really digging in to contentment and what that really means.
This short book was pleasant to read and had some gems amongst it but felt more like a short foray on how to be happy rather than digging into the true meaning of contentment, which from my understanding is quite different to striving for always being happy.

There were four sections, each of which incorporated myths, legends, religious wisdom and life advice. Some of these were interesting, for example the page on stoicism and Taoism, but some, such as eat more fruit and veges, not so.

A pleasant enough book, but not one I would recommend to anyone really wanting to go deep into the subject of being content.

Thank you for this ARC in return for my honest opinion.

January is often a time for self-reflection and thoughts about how one wants to live over the next twelve months. That makes January feel like the perfect time for this book. It is divided into four sections: The Natural World, Cultures Around the World, Mythology and Folklore and lastly, Philosophers, Writers and Poets. Each section includes reflections, cultural examples and exercises for one to try. The book can be read in order or dipped into. It is recommended for anyone who is trying to figure out how to live their best life.

Thanks to NetGalley and Quarto for this e-galley in return for my honest opinion.

Full of tried and tested ways to make you feel happier with your lot. I didn’t find anything new in this book but some of the mythology is really interesting. It might be a nice gift for someone who’s been having a difficult time and is needing a pickmeup.

This book is divided into four sections:
- The Natural World
- Cultures Around the World
- Mythology & Folklore
- Philosophers, Writers & Poets.
which are designed to help you achieve contentment/happiness in this crazy; high-speed; modern life.

Each section contains a bit of background on the chapter subject; practical tips for achieving contentment as well as interesting facts.

There are topic-appropriate quotes throughout the book, many which you could jot down throughout your daily planner for reminders/inspiration throughout the year.

The "topics" within each section are perfectly-sized - just long enough to read daily in a few minutes and try practice or reflect on the rest of the day when time allows

The books; websites and apps listed in the back in "Discover More Joy" are handy additional resources.

Although I read an e-book version, the dimensions of the hard-cover book are ideal to pop into a handbag or backpack and take with you.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for allowing me the chance to read this book.

This book combines some good ideas in the area of happiness and well-being but there is nothing new here. The book is well illustrated, so maybe the aim was to make a coffee table book with very small chapters containing 2-3 pieces of actionable advice per chapter.

Also, I think the title was misleading. There was a lot less of how to be content and a lot more of how to live well. I expected a lot of tips on being happy with what you have because IMO that's contentment. But maybe, that's just me.

I received a free copy from NetGalley.

Really enjoyed the format but I thought that the writing was a bit condecending. Some people might get a lot from it.