Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to Happiness
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- Create Date：2021-09-19 09:50:58
- Update Date：2025-09-06
- Status：finish
- Author：Bill Bailey
- ISBN：1529412455
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Summary
In Bill Bailey's Remarkable Guide to Happiness， Bill explores the nature of happiness and ways to be， well， happy。 Being Bill Bailey however， he does so in his own， remarkable， Bill Bailey way。
From paddle-boarding down the Thames in a Santa hat， to wild swimming in a glacial river， Bill considers the exhilaration of the outdoors， as well as the quieter pleasures of clearing out your moth-eaten grey t-shirts。 He attempts to see beyond the mumbo-jumbo of the wellness industry and aims for the heart of real joy and contentment - and how we can all achieve it。
This collection of funny， meditative and thoughtful essays seeks out simplicity and clarity as a corrective to the endless background noise of anxiety-inducing news chatter。 Whether it's whooping aloud while cycling through a pine forest， putting pen to paper， or immersing yourself in music， Bill's guide to happiness is an antidote to the frenetic whirl of modern life。
Fully illustrated with drawings by Bill himself， this is a wonderful gift of a book for anyone who needs a slice of comfort。
From paddle-boarding down the Thames in a Santa hat， to wild swimming in a glacial river， Bill considers the exhilaration of the outdoors， as well as the quieter pleasures of clearing out your moth-eaten grey t-shirts。 He attempts to see beyond the mumbo-jumbo of the wellness industry and aims for the heart of real joy and contentment - and how we can all achieve it。
This collection of funny， meditative and thoughtful essays seeks out simplicity and clarity as a corrective to the endless background noise of anxiety-inducing news chatter。 Whether it's whooping aloud while cycling through a pine forest， putting pen to paper， or immersing yourself in music， Bill's guide to happiness is an antidote to the frenetic whirl of modern life。
Fully illustrated with drawings by Bill himself， this is a wonderful gift of a book for anyone who needs a slice of comfort。
Reviews
Clare
，
Cheered me up no end
Emma Stubbs
，
4。5
Nicky Moxey
，
A good giggleAn uplifting and joyous romp。 Not to be read anywhere where a belly laugh would be frowned upon; because you will。
Kath
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Truly remarkableBetter than any other book on happiness and better than any other book。。。。i recommend this if you are wanting to feel a bit better， perhaps experience laughter or a glimmer of joy and recognition as you read。 If you like Bill Bailey read this book。。。。if you dont know who he is then read it anyway， watch Black Books and book a show of his when he tour。。。。maybe buy a paddleboard。
Wanda
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Comforting and charmingBill Bailey enjoys life and is very skilled at explaining why。 I found this book just right when dealing with difficulties recently。 It was serious but had flashes of humour and gentleness。
Beki
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Really good book！ Not a guide on how to be happy as such， but how to look at things differently。 I read it with Bill Bailey's voice in my head， so I thoroughly enjoyed it！Sorry， but still don't plan to deep sea dive or sky dive， but sounds like some people would like it like Bailey did！ Really good book！ Not a guide on how to be happy as such， but how to look at things differently。 I read it with Bill Bailey's voice in my head， so I thoroughly enjoyed it！Sorry， but still don't plan to deep sea dive or sky dive， but sounds like some people would like it like Bailey did！ 。。。more
David
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Much as I like Bill Bailey， this book comes across as self indulgent。 The insights pertain to his own experiences of happiness but don't translate as a useful guide to others。 Ice swimming in Iceland for instance， isn't something the general populous could associate with。 The situations/predicaments he observes are hilarious at times， but wouldn't necessarily have the same effect if they'd happened to someone else。 Much as I like Bill Bailey， this book comes across as self indulgent。 The insights pertain to his own experiences of happiness but don't translate as a useful guide to others。 Ice swimming in Iceland for instance， isn't something the general populous could associate with。 The situations/predicaments he observes are hilarious at times， but wouldn't necessarily have the same effect if they'd happened to someone else。 。。。more
Webcowgirl
，
As a non-fiction book， this actually made me laugh and thus accomplished its goal of helping me be a little bit more happy， which is a long distance away from "The Happiness Project" by Rachel Rubin （I think） which in the age of Covid seems as useless as a book of marital advice from the Victorian age。 Play some miniature golf！ Sing！ Spend some time outside！ Bill's advice is all perfect for the world I'm living in RIGHT NOW and a whole lot less self absorbed than Rubin's book， which I realize no As a non-fiction book， this actually made me laugh and thus accomplished its goal of helping me be a little bit more happy， which is a long distance away from "The Happiness Project" by Rachel Rubin （I think） which in the age of Covid seems as useless as a book of marital advice from the Victorian age。 Play some miniature golf！ Sing！ Spend some time outside！ Bill's advice is all perfect for the world I'm living in RIGHT NOW and a whole lot less self absorbed than Rubin's book， which I realize now I will never finish。 My advice to being happy？ READ BOOKS YOU ENJOY and cut your losses quickly when you're not enjoying them。 Thank you。 （BTW at about 2-3 pages per happiness item this is a PERFECT bathroom read。） 。。。more
Simon Evans
，
I would not have bought this for myself despite being a fan of the mighty Mr Bailey。 It was a gift and I am glad of it。 It's short and to the point – a collection of 30-odd short essays on subjects which bring Bill happiness。 From paddle-boarding to letter-writing from getting back to nature to acts of altruism。 It was just what I needed during the frequent lockdowns of 2020-21 and I will be dipping into it again。Nobody can convince me that camping is a great idea though， not even Bill！ I would not have bought this for myself despite being a fan of the mighty Mr Bailey。 It was a gift and I am glad of it。 It's short and to the point – a collection of 30-odd short essays on subjects which bring Bill happiness。 From paddle-boarding to letter-writing from getting back to nature to acts of altruism。 It was just what I needed during the frequent lockdowns of 2020-21 and I will be dipping into it again。Nobody can convince me that camping is a great idea though， not even Bill！ 。。。more
Rich B
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This was an odd kind of book， a rambling list of the author’s thoughts on what makes people happy。 Overall it was enjoyable， but quite inconsistent。 An OK but not great reading experience。 It’s undoubtedly pleasant， and at times amusing， but some chapters were bland and forgettable。 Not something I thought I’d ever say about Bill Bailey。I’ve been a fan of his humour for a long time。 At its best in this book， you can hear his ‘voice’ come through in the way he writes。 Where he lets humour loose， This was an odd kind of book， a rambling list of the author’s thoughts on what makes people happy。 Overall it was enjoyable， but quite inconsistent。 An OK but not great reading experience。 It’s undoubtedly pleasant， and at times amusing， but some chapters were bland and forgettable。 Not something I thought I’d ever say about Bill Bailey。I’ve been a fan of his humour for a long time。 At its best in this book， you can hear his ‘voice’ come through in the way he writes。 Where he lets humour loose， you have some nice surreal and interesting facts， anecdotes and stories that I enjoyed。 But there’s also sections which just didn’t excite or engage。 Maybe this was rushed out to meet a publication deadline， but it felt like it needed a bit of pruning to bump up the strong chapters and trim some of the weaker ones。 Probably the hardest part is the structure of the book。 It’s like a collection of mini-essays， and jumps from topic to topic。 Felt like I was reading a selection of blog posts， or five minute monologues that might go into his live show， rather than enjoying it as a overall book。 This left it feeling a bit one-paced all the way through， and not really heading towards much of a conclusion。 If you like his view of the world， it’s a decent enough read。 But based on this， I’d be sticking with following him more as a performer than an author。 。。。more
Ruth McAvinia
，
A lovely book of short essays， written with typical Bill Bailey charm and occasional incongruity。
Sara Eames
，
A good read - amusing in parts - written in Bill Bailey's inimitable style A good read - amusing in parts - written in Bill Bailey's inimitable style 。。。more
David
，
A Happy ReadBill suggests 36 ways in which our happiness can be enhanced， with topics such as Walking， Cycling， Birdsong， Letter Writing and Facing Our Fears。I enjoyed reading his take on things; I just felt a tad inadequate with all the life experiences he has to draw on…
Piers
，
Happiness is a warm passportReading about， and imagining all the things that make Bill Bailey made me happy。 Fine， I've never trekked through the Sumatran jungle， and probably never will， but I felt like there was something to take from each little essay。 At heart， Bill's thesis is that happiness is something you have to let in wherever you can， rather than search for。 Happiness is a warm passportReading about， and imagining all the things that make Bill Bailey made me happy。 Fine， I've never trekked through the Sumatran jungle， and probably never will， but I felt like there was something to take from each little essay。 At heart， Bill's thesis is that happiness is something you have to let in wherever you can， rather than search for。 。。。more
Helen
，
Bill is probably my favourite comedian ever so obviously I'm going to love this book。 A light bit of distraction about appreciating the little things。 Bill is probably my favourite comedian ever so obviously I'm going to love this book。 A light bit of distraction about appreciating the little things。 。。。more
Dave Woolley
，
If you like Bill Bailey you'll love this bookOne of the best Happiness books on the market。 No fluff or BS， just how Bill lives his life。 And what an interesting life！ If you like Bill Bailey you'll love this bookOne of the best Happiness books on the market。 No fluff or BS， just how Bill lives his life。 And what an interesting life！ 。。。more
Diane
，
Very enjoyable list of Bill Bailey’s happy things。
Felicity
，
A wonderful mindful romp through all the things that make Bill happy！ And as he says in his introduction， this is absolutely not a self help book and therefore avoids the preaching over-simplified instruction present in other books on happiness。Instead， his comic's skill of observation apply to all the little things （and some of the big things） that are worth giving attention to in life。 Best read on a Sunday morning in bed with a strong coffee。 A wonderful mindful romp through all the things that make Bill happy！ And as he says in his introduction， this is absolutely not a self help book and therefore avoids the preaching over-simplified instruction present in other books on happiness。Instead， his comic's skill of observation apply to all the little things （and some of the big things） that are worth giving attention to in life。 Best read on a Sunday morning in bed with a strong coffee。 。。。more
Jacqui
，
It was alright in places but mostly disappointing。 I think for the same information I would have preferred if it had been written in bullet points for each chapter heading with a couple of sentences of joy explanation under each one and then I would have found it a better use of my reading time。I also felt that there were way too many mentions of all the exotic places in the world Bill had been to which gave him happiness and I didn’t find that very helpful at all…。 a bit indulgent actually。
Melanie
，
I gave up on this。 I love the man as a comedian， but this read like a privileged white man telling us what a nice life he's had and what stuff he's got that makes him happy。 No secrets to everlasting happiness here！ I got bored and have too many other books waiting for me。 I gave up on this。 I love the man as a comedian， but this read like a privileged white man telling us what a nice life he's had and what stuff he's got that makes him happy。 No secrets to everlasting happiness here！ I got bored and have too many other books waiting for me。 。。。more
Jonny Brick
，
The star is docked for charging £20 for a hardback with a lot of drawings but this lockdown project is full of advice from the son of a doctor & a nurse: test your limits， give time for self-reflection， headbang to Metallica， get in touch with nature。 A national treasure with a warm writing style。
Gaby Meares
，
Thank you Bill for making me laugh out loud - something I'm not known for doing。 You are a funny man， and sometimes very wise。 Thanks again。 Thank you Bill for making me laugh out loud - something I'm not known for doing。 You are a funny man， and sometimes very wise。 Thanks again。 。。。more
Em Robinson
，
A lovey little book that made me chuckle throughout。 Reads very much like Bill's standup， an effect with is amplified by his fun drawings and photographs throughout。 Also love that Sonisphere 2011 was mentioned twice， i was there and it made me happy too 😊 A lovey little book that made me chuckle throughout。 Reads very much like Bill's standup， an effect with is amplified by his fun drawings and photographs throughout。 Also love that Sonisphere 2011 was mentioned twice， i was there and it made me happy too 😊 。。。more
Beth Pennington
，
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟- I don't normally do book reviews of non fiction but this book made me so unbelievably happy and gave me some incredibley profound moments。 I love Bill Bailey - his comedy is some of my favourite and his overall personality comes across so great。 Watching him perform at a heavy metal festival Sonisphere 10 years ago was on another level 🎶His way with words and views of the world mean you can't resist putting a huge smile on your face。 As per the blurb， this is in no way Bill telling you ho 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟- I don't normally do book reviews of non fiction but this book made me so unbelievably happy and gave me some incredibley profound moments。 I love Bill Bailey - his comedy is some of my favourite and his overall personality comes across so great。 Watching him perform at a heavy metal festival Sonisphere 10 years ago was on another level 🎶His way with words and views of the world mean you can't resist putting a huge smile on your face。 As per the blurb， this is in no way Bill telling you how to see happiness or indeed how to live to be happy。 But his insights are some that pass us by so easily in modern life and it really makes you stop and think。 There are over 30 chapters in this book covering so many random things - there will definitely be something in this for everyone and I urge you to go and find out what this is for you ❤️ 。。。more
Kim Hayes
，
A nice book for the times we are in just to bring us back to basics。 Yes he is privileged， but he knows that and he is only relating his own experiences。 You can really hear Bill narrating though！
Kate
，
A delightful little book that you can easily dip in and out of， where Bill Bailey gently muses on the things that have made him happy。 Written during lockdown it covers both memories of happiness past and the smaller pleasures that could be found in lockdown。 An enjoyable read and the drawings made me happy。
Emily
，
This book was like having a lovely chat with a friend from far away。
simon
，
Bill Bailey's little book of calmPleasure to read， simple notes on personal happiness， always feel a connection with BB's work this is no different additional note on happiness， read the book。 Bill Bailey's little book of calmPleasure to read， simple notes on personal happiness， always feel a connection with BB's work this is no different additional note on happiness， read the book。 。。。more
Snicketts
，
Bill Bailey is a stalwart of the panel show - he has a quiet humour that is amusing but not showy and can sometimes be overlooked because of that but in this book he has a chance to shine as he sets out to skim the edge of light science of happiness with examples from his own experience mixed with factoids from the professionals。 Some of the anecdotes are so British， they are a chance to have a chuckle at yourself， some are a tiny bit naive and others have you laughing aloud。 Bill is a guy who l Bill Bailey is a stalwart of the panel show - he has a quiet humour that is amusing but not showy and can sometimes be overlooked because of that but in this book he has a chance to shine as he sets out to skim the edge of light science of happiness with examples from his own experience mixed with factoids from the professionals。 Some of the anecdotes are so British， they are a chance to have a chuckle at yourself， some are a tiny bit naive and others have you laughing aloud。 Bill is a guy who likes to take off on a tangent and inject his own non-linear thought processes into an anecdote and these are little gems。It's not a how to book; it won't change your life， but that is no criticism。 I'm going to buy a copy for my father - it's that kind of a book。 It's gentle and quietly wise and something you can share with anyone。A light read， but no less charming for that。 。。。more
Matthew Waller
，