The Good Life: Life-Changing Lessons from the World's Longest Study of Happiness
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- Create Date：2023-04-03 06:52:05
- Update Date：2025-09-06
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- Author：Robert Waldinger
- ISBN：1797149334
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Summary
What makes for a happy life， a fulfilling life？ A good life？ According to the directors of the Harvard Study of Adult Development， the longest scientific study of happiness ever conducted， the answer to these questions may be closer than you realize。
What makes a life fulfilling and meaningful？ The simple but surprising answer is: relationships。 The stronger our relationships， the more likely we are to live happy， satisfying， and overall healthier lives。 In fact， the Harvard Study of Adult Development reveals that the strength of our connections with others can predict the health of both our bodies and our brains as we go through life。
The invaluable insights in this book emerge from the revealing personal stories of hundreds of participants in the Harvard Study as they were followed year after year for their entire adult lives， and this wisdom is bolstered by research findings from this and many other studies。 Relationships in all their forms—friendships， romantic partnerships， families， coworkers， tennis partners， book club members， Bible study groups—all contribute to a happier， healthier life。 And as The Good Life shows us， it’s never too late to strengthen the relationships you have， and never too late to build new ones。
Dr。 Waldinger’s TED Talk about the Harvard Study， “What Makes a Good Life，” has been viewed more than 42 million times and is one of the ten most-watched TED talks ever。 The Good Life has been praised by bestselling authors Jay Shetty （“Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz lead us on an empowering quest towards our greatest need: meaningful human connection”）， Angela Duckworth （“In a crowded field of life advice and even life advice based on scientific research， Schulz and Waldinger stand apart”）， and happiness expert Laurie Santos （“Waldinger and Schulz are world experts on the counterintuitive things that make life meaningful”）。
With warmth， wisdom， and compelling life stories， The Good Life shows us how we can make our lives happier and more meaningful through our connections to others。
What makes a life fulfilling and meaningful？ The simple but surprising answer is: relationships。 The stronger our relationships， the more likely we are to live happy， satisfying， and overall healthier lives。 In fact， the Harvard Study of Adult Development reveals that the strength of our connections with others can predict the health of both our bodies and our brains as we go through life。
The invaluable insights in this book emerge from the revealing personal stories of hundreds of participants in the Harvard Study as they were followed year after year for their entire adult lives， and this wisdom is bolstered by research findings from this and many other studies。 Relationships in all their forms—friendships， romantic partnerships， families， coworkers， tennis partners， book club members， Bible study groups—all contribute to a happier， healthier life。 And as The Good Life shows us， it’s never too late to strengthen the relationships you have， and never too late to build new ones。
Dr。 Waldinger’s TED Talk about the Harvard Study， “What Makes a Good Life，” has been viewed more than 42 million times and is one of the ten most-watched TED talks ever。 The Good Life has been praised by bestselling authors Jay Shetty （“Robert Waldinger and Marc Schulz lead us on an empowering quest towards our greatest need: meaningful human connection”）， Angela Duckworth （“In a crowded field of life advice and even life advice based on scientific research， Schulz and Waldinger stand apart”）， and happiness expert Laurie Santos （“Waldinger and Schulz are world experts on the counterintuitive things that make life meaningful”）。
With warmth， wisdom， and compelling life stories， The Good Life shows us how we can make our lives happier and more meaningful through our connections to others。
Reviews
Jim Oddo
，
The best book I have read in 2023 so far。。。
Choong Chiat
，
This was an illuminating and insightful read。 Though its conclusion of how good relationships are essential to one's happiness might seem somewhat clichéd， it goes beyond this conclusion to offer helpful and useful advice on how one can improve one's relationships with significant others， family， friends， and colleagues。 This was an illuminating and insightful read。 Though its conclusion of how good relationships are essential to one's happiness might seem somewhat clichéd， it goes beyond this conclusion to offer helpful and useful advice on how one can improve one's relationships with significant others， family， friends， and colleagues。 。。。more
Topher Colin
，
fantastic！
Eleodor
，
The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness is an excellent book that explores the key factors that contribute to happiness and fulfilling life。 The five stars go more towards the study lengths and methodology than to the writing style。 Waldinger's writing is engaging and accessible， and he uses personal anecdotes and stories from the study participants to illustrate his points effectively。 It is however lenghty at times。 Robert Waldinger is a psychiatry profess The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness is an excellent book that explores the key factors that contribute to happiness and fulfilling life。 The five stars go more towards the study lengths and methodology than to the writing style。 Waldinger's writing is engaging and accessible， and he uses personal anecdotes and stories from the study participants to illustrate his points effectively。 It is however lenghty at times。 Robert Waldinger is a psychiatry professor at Harvard Medical School， and it draws on data from the longest-running study of adult development， which began in 1938 and has followed the lives of over 700 men。It is a fascinating and insightful account of what really matters in life， and it challenges many of the assumptions we have about happiness and success。 One of the key takeaways from the book is that our relationships with others are crucial to our happiness and well-being。 The study found that people who had close， supportive relationships with family and friends were more likely to be happy and healthy than those who were socially isolated。 Another important lesson from the book is that material wealth and professional success are not the key drivers of happiness and that meaningful work and a sense of purpose are more important。Overall， The Good Life is a thought-provoking and insightful book that offers practical advice on how to live a happy and fulfilling life。 。。。more
Cori W
，
It could feel a bit repetitive but in the end， the wonderful stories of the study participants made up for it。 The authors were engaging narrators and I was inspired to rethink certain things about relationships in my life。 Overall — recommended！
Abdullah Almuslem
，
This book is a summary for the Harvard Study of Adult Development which is considered to be the longest study that was ever been done。 They have tracked the lives of more 700 people for more than 80 years （1938 to present day）。 I have watched the TED talk that preceded this book which I thought it to be sufficient to get a good idea about this study。 You can see the talk below in youtube:https://www。youtube。com/watch？v=8KkKu。。。The summary of this long study is that: good relationships keep us h This book is a summary for the Harvard Study of Adult Development which is considered to be the longest study that was ever been done。 They have tracked the lives of more 700 people for more than 80 years （1938 to present day）。 I have watched the TED talk that preceded this book which I thought it to be sufficient to get a good idea about this study。 You can see the talk below in youtube:https://www。youtube。com/watch？v=8KkKu。。。The summary of this long study is that: good relationships keep us happier and healthier ！ So， in short， find a good partner to live with and surround yourself with family and friends and you shall live a happy life。 I’ll have to admit that after watching the TED talk and reading the book， I thought that this is a very shallow conclusion giving the length and the scale of the study ！Few Highlights:Life， even when it’s good， is not easy。 There is simply no way to make life perfect， and if there were， then it wouldn’t be good。 Why？ Because a rich life—a good life—is forged from precisely the things that make it hard。People who are more isolated than they want to be find their health declining sooner than people who feel connected to others。The people who were the most satisfied in their relationships at age 50 were the healthiest （mentally and physically） at age 80。The way we feel in life is determined only in part by what happens around us， and to a great extent by what happens inside of us。When asked at the end of their lives， “What do you wish you’d done less of？ What do you wish you’d done more of？” our Study participants， male and female， often referenced their middle years， and regretted having spent so much time worrying and so little time acting in a way that made them feel alive: “I wish I hadn’t wasted so much time。”“I wish I hadn’t procrastinated so much。”“I wish I hadn’t worried so much。”“I wish I’d spent more time with my family。” 。。。more
Amy Davis
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I loved this book。 One of my new favorites in nonfiction。 The lessons learned from the 85 year study of happiness will definitely stay with me。 According to their research the key to a happy life is connection and relationships — just thinking about that makes me smile。
Betsy
，
Fascinating account of the longest scientific study of happiness。 It shares stories from some of the participants and leaves the reader with the reassurance that it’s not too late。 Everyone can make changes to their lifestyle at any point。 And without a doubt， it is the relationships that people have that influence so much of our happiness。 It takes effort though。 The book was easy and enjoyable to read and well organized。 Highly recommended！！
Jaysen Huculak
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Short and packed with great advice backed by years of research。 They jump right into relationships being the most important thing but find good ways to layer and add to that throughout book。 The Good Life and Why We Sleep are the two science books I would recommend on well being。
Molly
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4。5 stars
Daniel Valle Lara
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Una inmensa colección de obviedades， tópicos y simplezas que se reducen， básicamente， a que es mejor tener amigos que carecer de ellos y que una buena actitud es mejor que una mala para afrontar los problemas vitales。 Manual de autoayuda para gente simple。 Les faltó terminar el libro con la frase “el bien es mejor que el mal”。 Tantos títulos académicos y tanto Harvard de los autores， para tan poco。 Una completa pérdida de tiempo。
Victoria
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A very good read which gave cause to reflect。
Jerry Smith
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The study is groundbreaking in how long it has been running and how valuable the information is。The book is pretty good， to be honest I mainly skimmed and read the parts where the study subjects were talking and less of the analysis。 The takeaway is "relationships" = happiness。 Once you get it， you don't really need to read every word of the scientists。 The anecdotes of the subjects were great。 The study is groundbreaking in how long it has been running and how valuable the information is。The book is pretty good， to be honest I mainly skimmed and read the parts where the study subjects were talking and less of the analysis。 The takeaway is "relationships" = happiness。 Once you get it， you don't really need to read every word of the scientists。 The anecdotes of the subjects were great。 。。。more
Donna
，
One of the best books I've ever read。 Bought my own copy。 Thank you to all the participants and researchers for giving me hope for a HAPPIER future。 One of the best books I've ever read。 Bought my own copy。 Thank you to all the participants and researchers for giving me hope for a HAPPIER future。 。。。more
Larc
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Incredible。 Highly recommend。
David Nash
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So i owe an apology。 This book came highly recommended from someone i respect highly。 After one chapter i called this dear friend and said im going to tap out as the message is clear， prioritize relationships。 Thankfully he persuaded me otherwise After listening cover to cover i can see the NEED to read this。 As a new first time father and someone who has struggled with work relationships and regrettably de prioritized family， i juat wish i read this a decade agoI would be a much better， happier So i owe an apology。 This book came highly recommended from someone i respect highly。 After one chapter i called this dear friend and said im going to tap out as the message is clear， prioritize relationships。 Thankfully he persuaded me otherwise After listening cover to cover i can see the NEED to read this。 As a new first time father and someone who has struggled with work relationships and regrettably de prioritized family， i juat wish i read this a decade agoI would be a much better， happier personNever too late！ 。。。more
Deb （Readerbuzz） Nance
，
The Good Life draws on what has been learned from the world's longest scientific study of happiness， the Harvard Study of Adult Development， to help people use that information to create a good life for themselves。 The study began over eighty years ago， and is ongoing today。 Instead of looking at what goes wrong in people's lives， this study chose to concentrate on the factors that make for a good life。The authors begin the book by asking a question: If you had to make one life choice， right now The Good Life draws on what has been learned from the world's longest scientific study of happiness， the Harvard Study of Adult Development， to help people use that information to create a good life for themselves。 The study began over eighty years ago， and is ongoing today。 Instead of looking at what goes wrong in people's lives， this study chose to concentrate on the factors that make for a good life。The authors begin the book by asking a question: If you had to make one life choice， right now， to set yourself on the path to future health and happiness， what would it be？That gets you thinking， doesn't it？And what is the answer？ Here is what the authors say:"For eighty-four years （and counting）， the Harvard Study has tracked the same individuals， asking thousands of questions and taking hundreds of measurements to find out what really keeps people healthy and happy。 Through all the years of studying these lives， one crucial factor stands out for the consistency and power of its ties to physical health， mental health， and longevity。 Contrary to what many people might think， it’s not career achievement， or exercise， or a healthy diet。 Don’t get us wrong; these things matter （a lot）。 But one thing continuously demonstrates its broad and enduring importance: Good relationships。 In fact， good relationships are significant enough that if we had to take all eighty-four years of the Harvard Study and boil it down to a single principle for living， one life investment that is supported by similar findings across a wide variety of other studies， it would be this: Good relationships keep us healthier and happier。 Period。"Waldinger， Robert J。; Schulz Ph。D， Marc 。 The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness （p。 10）。 Simon & Schuster。 Kindle Edition。 The rest of the book deals with ways to build better relationships。 I think this study and this book are fantastic tools， tools we urgently need in our world。 If you have any interest in having a better world or a happier life， I strongly recommend this book to you。Here are a few more of my takeaways from this book。。。"Recent research has shown that for older people loneliness is twice as unhealthy as obesity， and chronic loneliness increases a person’s odds of death in any given year by 26 percent。"Waldinger， Robert J。; Schulz Ph。D， Marc 。 The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness （pp。 92-93）。 Simon & Schuster。 Kindle Edition。 "In the United States， a 2018 study suggested that three out of four adults felt moderate to high levels of loneliness。" （My note: And this was before the pandemic！）Waldinger， Robert J。; Schulz Ph。D， Marc 。 The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness （p。 93）。 Simon & Schuster。 Kindle Edition。 "Our strongest feelings emerge from our connections with other people， and while the social world is filled with pleasures and meaning， it also contains doses of disappointment and pain。 We get hurt by the people we love。 We feel the sting when they disappoint us or leave us， and the emptiness when they die。 The impulse to avoid these negative experiences in relationships makes sense。 But if we want the benefits of being involved with other people， we have to tolerate a certain amount of risk。"Waldinger， Robert J。; Schulz Ph。D， Marc 。 The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness （p。 112）。 Simon & Schuster。 Kindle Edition。 "Curiosity—real， deep curiosity about what others are experiencing—goes a long way in important relationships。 It opens up avenues of conversation and knowledge that we never knew were there。 It helps others feel understood and appreciated。 It’s important even in less significant relationships， where it can set a precedent of caring and increase the strength of new， fragile bonds。"Waldinger， Robert J。; Schulz Ph。D， Marc 。 The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness （p。 113）。 Simon & Schuster。 Kindle Edition。 "。。。research。。。shows。。。some of the natural outgrowths of focused attention: reciprocal love and consideration， a sense of belonging， and positive feeling about human relationships in general—which then leads to more positive relationships， and better health。"Waldinger， Robert J。; Schulz Ph。D， Marc 。 The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness （p。 137）。 Simon & Schuster。 Kindle Edition。 "It’s one of the great ironies of life—and the subject of millions of songs， films， and great works of literature—that the people who make us feel the most alive and who know us best are also the people able to hurt us most。"Waldinger， Robert J。; Schulz Ph。D， Marc 。 The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness （p。 141）。 Simon & Schuster。 Kindle Edition。 "It’s often easier to turn away than it is to confront what troubles us。 But doing so can have unintended consequences， and the effect of avoidance can be especially pronounced in the place it happens most: our personal relationships。 Many studies have shown that when we avoid confronting challenges in a relationship， not only does the problem not go away， but it can get worse。"Waldinger， Robert J。; Schulz Ph。D， Marc 。 The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness （p。 146）。 Simon & Schuster。 Kindle Edition。 "The model that follows provides a way for you to slow your reactions and put them under a microscope。 We offer it as something you can keep in your back pocket （metaphorically） and use anytime， for any emotional situation。"Waldinger， Robert J。; Schulz Ph。D， Marc 。 The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness （p。 149）。 Simon & Schuster。 Kindle Edition。 "The W。I。S。E。R。 Model of Reacting to Emotionally Challenging Situations and Relationship Events:Stage One: Watch。Watch refers to the entire situation: the environment， the person you’re interacting with， and you。 Is the situation unusual or common？ What typically happens next？ What have I not considered that might be an important part of what is unfolding？Stage Two: InterpretThis is the stage where things often go wrong。 Just asking the question—What is it I’m assuming here？—can bring what looks like a mountain closer into line with its molehill reality。 Assumptions are the source of an incredible amount of misunderstanding。 As the old saying goes， Never assume， because when you assume， you make an ass of u and me。 But it’s also possible to err in the opposite direction and make true mountains into molehills。。。Stage Three: SelectNow the question becomes: What should I do？ Slowing down can allow us to consider possibilities and think about the likelihood of success for those possibilities。。。The key is to try to slow things down where you can， zoom in， and move from a fully automatic response to a more considered and purposeful response that aligns with who you are and what you are seeking to accomplish。Stage Four: Engage （Implementing with Care）Even the most logical response can fail if we do a poor job implementing that strategy。 Practice—either in our minds or running it by a trusted confidant—can help。 Chances of success also increase if we first reflect on what we do well and what we don’t do so well。Stage Five: ReflectHow did that work out？ Did I make things better or worse？ Have I learned something new about the challenge I’m facing and about the best response？Waldinger， Robert J。; Schulz Ph。D， Marc 。 The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness。 Simon & Schuster。 Kindle Edition。 "Not every type of emotion is equally predictive of the health of a relationship， however。 Some are particularly important， and in our study， two categories of emotion stood out: Empathy and affection。"Waldinger， Robert J。; Schulz Ph。D， Marc 。 The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness （p。 177）。 Simon & Schuster。 Kindle Edition。 "These missteps are not failures or signs that dancing together is impossible。 Instead， they are opportunities to learn。。。In the end， what matters most are not the challenges we face in relationships， but how we manage them。"Waldinger， Robert J。; Schulz Ph。D， Marc 。 The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness （p。 180）。 Simon & Schuster。 Kindle Edition。 'Whatever the “problem” is， the implication is clear: my partner needs to be fixed。 But in reality， there’s almost always a deeper， more complex tension within the relationship that the couple has not acknowledged。 Discovering that tension usually requires both self-reflection and conversation。'Waldinger， Robert J。; Schulz Ph。D， Marc 。 The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness （p。 181）。 Simon & Schuster。 Kindle Edition。 "The intense feelings that emerge in recurring arguments， however trivial， often come down to one of a few common， but profound concerns。 See if any of these ring a bell: You don’t care about me。 I’m working harder at this than you are。 I’m not sure I can trust you。 I’m afraid I’m going to lose you。 You don’t think I’m good enough。"Waldinger， Robert J。; Schulz Ph。D， Marc 。 The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness （p。 181）。 Simon & Schuster。 Kindle Edition。 "Mutual， reciprocal vulnerability can lead to stronger and more secure relationships。 The ability for partners to trust and be vulnerable with each other—to pause， notice their own and their partner’s emotions， and comfortably share their fears—is one of the most powerful relationship skills that a couple can cultivate。 It can also relieve a lot of stress， because both partners can get the support they need without having to muster energy in an attempt to be stronger than they really are。 If we do manage to cultivate a strong and trusting bond， we’re still not out of the woods， because even the best relationships are susceptible to decay。 Just as trees need water， intimate relationships are living things， and as the seasons of life pass they can’t be left to fend for themselves。 They need attention， and nourishment。"'There are a few additional techniques that might be useful in that case。 One is known as “reflective listening。” It helps us make sure we’re hearing correctly what our partner is trying to say， and it shows that we care， that we are trying to empathize。 It works like this: First， listen without commenting。 Then， try to communicate what you’ve heard your partner say without judgment。。。'Waldinger， Robert J。; Schulz Ph。D， Marc 。 The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness （p。 194）。 Simon & Schuster。 Kindle Edition。 "A second technique that is helpful in its own right and can make reflective listening even more valuable is to offer some understanding of your partner’s reasons for a feeling or behavior。 The goal is not to point out your brilliance and ability to see things your partner cannot， but to let your partner know that you see them。 You want to communicate that it makes sense that she feels this way or that he is behaving in that way， and to nurture that bedrock of empathy and affection that research has shown to be valuable。"Waldinger， Robert J。; Schulz Ph。D， Marc 。 The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness （p。 194）。 Simon & Schuster。 Kindle Edition。 'A third useful practice is to try to step back a bit from the conversation， a practice that psychologists call “self-distancing，” and look at your experience as if you are watching someone else。'Waldinger， Robert J。; Schulz Ph。D， Marc 。 The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness （p。 194）。 Simon & Schuster。 Kindle Edition。 "。。。there are a couple of simple （though difficult！） things we can do to encourage our ability to see what’s really happening， and thus be more likely to reap the benefits of corrective experience。 First， we can tune in to difficult feelings rather than try to ignore them。 Second， we can notice when we are having experiences that are more positive than we expected。 Third， we can try to “catch” other people when they are behaving well。。。The final and most powerful approach is simply to remain open to the possibility of people behaving differently than we expect。"Waldinger， Robert J。; Schulz Ph。D， Marc 。 The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness （p。 216）。 Simon & Schuster。 Kindle Edition。 And， shades of Mister Rogers。。。"One simple thing we can all do is to notice when we find ourselves wanting someone to be different than they are。 We can ask ourselves， What if I just let this person be themselves without passing judgment？ How would this moment be different？ Recognizing another person for who they are and meeting them where they are can go a long way toward deepening a connection。"Waldinger， Robert J。; Schulz Ph。D， Marc 。 The Good Life: Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness （pp。 219-220）。 Simon & Schuster。 Kindle Edition。 。。。more
Dan Brigman
，
I enjoyed this monograph on what the authors consider to be "the good life"。 It is summed up with the idea that relationships are critical to a good life。 The study was prompted by Harvard staff in the first half of the 20th century and continues to this day。 That alone is a monumental feat of science and record-keeping。 I didn't find much surprising given that relationships' importance are already well-known to human society。 We have evolved and continue to evolve based on the relationships we I enjoyed this monograph on what the authors consider to be "the good life"。 It is summed up with the idea that relationships are critical to a good life。 The study was prompted by Harvard staff in the first half of the 20th century and continues to this day。 That alone is a monumental feat of science and record-keeping。 I didn't find much surprising given that relationships' importance are already well-known to human society。 We have evolved and continue to evolve based on the relationships we have with other humans （and other species）。 Yet。。。it may not be clear to most folks that relationships are indeed important。 Far more important that we sometimes think of。 So， for that alone， I highly recommend this short volume。 。。。more
Robert L。 Stewart
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TimelyMy wife passed away at the end of 2022。 She was my world， and now my world has changed。 At about the same time， I heard about this book。 It felt like hope for me， so I had to read it。 And I am so glad I did。 I'm thankful for the grief counseling that I have received， but I am also thankful for this book。 I know that things won't be easy for me， and that this book doesn't have all the answers， but I know it will be a good guide for me。 I have family and friends to keep in touch with， and ho TimelyMy wife passed away at the end of 2022。 She was my world， and now my world has changed。 At about the same time， I heard about this book。 It felt like hope for me， so I had to read it。 And I am so glad I did。 I'm thankful for the grief counseling that I have received， but I am also thankful for this book。 I know that things won't be easy for me， and that this book doesn't have all the answers， but I know it will be a good guide for me。 I have family and friends to keep in touch with， and hopefully new friends to make in the future。I highly recommend this book to everyone。 。。。more
Caleigh DuCote'
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Not my typical go to genre but read for our book club at work and found the studies so interesting！
Amy
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A good overview of some of the takeaways from the Havard Study of Adult Development。
Steven
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This is not a self-help book。 It is a reflection on and an account of 80 years of longitudinal studies of the personal lives， some successful and some not so successful， of hundreds of various people by Harvard psychologists。 Any suggestion or recommendation for having a happier life is based on empirical evidence; it's not just a psychologists opinion。 It's a lot more useful than I thought it might be。 This is not a self-help book。 It is a reflection on and an account of 80 years of longitudinal studies of the personal lives， some successful and some not so successful， of hundreds of various people by Harvard psychologists。 Any suggestion or recommendation for having a happier life is based on empirical evidence; it's not just a psychologists opinion。 It's a lot more useful than I thought it might be。 。。。more
Amy Stohs
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I did this on audio but I think I might have preferred print。 I was so engaged in it and wanted to keep reading though so the audio was nice for that。 I loved the balance of personal stories from the study and the data。 I enjoyed that they brought in some other studies apart from the long range Harvard study。 A lot of this book is common sense but it’s the type of common sense we brush off as “sure， it’s important but I’m fine” while this book uses statistics to remind you that relationships， fr I did this on audio but I think I might have preferred print。 I was so engaged in it and wanted to keep reading though so the audio was nice for that。 I loved the balance of personal stories from the study and the data。 I enjoyed that they brought in some other studies apart from the long range Harvard study。 A lot of this book is common sense but it’s the type of common sense we brush off as “sure， it’s important but I’m fine” while this book uses statistics to remind you that relationships， friends， family， and our day to day choices at work really do make a difference not just in how we feel but in our health。 And it’s really backed up by research in more than a feel good way。 I found it fun to hear about the lives of real people。 I’d definitely recommend the book！ 。。。more
inseo
，
Loved it， though I can see why some people may find it repetitive or "nothing new"。 We all know relationships matter， but it's nice to be told this！Really enjoyed the （anonymised and edited） stories and examples from participants of the Harvard study， and some of the findings particularly on the relationships or connections that you may think of less instinctively such as work colleagues and positive social media use （vs family， friends， marriage etc）。 For example， we spend 112，000 hours （！） at Loved it， though I can see why some people may find it repetitive or "nothing new"。 We all know relationships matter， but it's nice to be told this！Really enjoyed the （anonymised and edited） stories and examples from participants of the Harvard study， and some of the findings particularly on the relationships or connections that you may think of less instinctively such as work colleagues and positive social media use （vs family， friends， marriage etc）。 For example， we spend 112，000 hours （！） at work （and work colleagues） vs 8，800 hours with friends - and the benefits these， more peripheral， relationships can bring。I enjoyed the read and the self-reflection it subtly guided me through。 。。。more
Ellen L
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Audio book。 Much repetition of the obvious。 But the longevity of the study is fascinating。
Brion
，
Eye opening
Dana
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I enjoyed reading the stories about the study participant's lives the most。 Long story short， having warm relationships and purpose makes for a more satisfying life。 And if you don't have one or both， it's all flexible and you can always change course for the better。 I enjoyed reading the stories about the study participant's lives the most。 Long story short， having warm relationships and purpose makes for a more satisfying life。 And if you don't have one or both， it's all flexible and you can always change course for the better。 。。。more
SY NA
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This was a quick read by me on a whim since it was available in my libby app。 I was curious to see if the book lived up to the title and subtitle and was pleasantly surprised that it actually did！ The book goes into what is the most important pieces to a happy life and draws the data heavily from the longest scientific study of happiness which was a harvard study that's been going on since its inception in 1938 and follows quite a number of people， some of which are in their mid 90s and then exp This was a quick read by me on a whim since it was available in my libby app。 I was curious to see if the book lived up to the title and subtitle and was pleasantly surprised that it actually did！ The book goes into what is the most important pieces to a happy life and draws the data heavily from the longest scientific study of happiness which was a harvard study that's been going on since its inception in 1938 and follows quite a number of people， some of which are in their mid 90s and then expanded the study group to include the offsprings of the original group such that the total group now numbers over 1000 people。The TLDR on the book， and i usually don't do spoilers， but i feel this is one of those books that are worth spoiling， is that the key to happiness is to have good relationships。 Not just with your immediate partner， but also with a variety of folks。 We evolved to be the dominant species on the planet mostly because we are social beings， and no matter how introverted oneself is， the basic biology does not change。 We thrive only when we have meaningful relationships with a variety of people。 While you can argue that the relationship with your spouse is the most important one， that's basically a single point of failure and you must have other relationships that matter to you to be truly happy。 The book also touches upon money and how much that contributes， on dwelling on past mistakes or glories， and other less important things to happiness， but the biggest deal really is relationship。 Its also universal across all cultures。It might be something that seems obvious in retrospect， but this one is borne out by the studies and I'm happy to say that its at least backed up by repeatable science。 Well worth the very short read for any additional insights or nuggets you might get out of this book！ 。。。more
Catherine Linna
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Infuriatingly， we all really need each other。
Rudi
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Onderhoudend boek ， 1 ster gevallen omdat ik het bij momenten wel veel tekst vond om te zeggen dat geluk （kig） zijn / zit / worden ，in de relaties met anderen 。。。 ergens dacht ik wel dat de relatie met jezelf ook redelijk goed moet zijn voor de relaties met anderen， （ de ene ander is ook de ander niet net als dat zelf ook soms wat in de knoop kan liggen met zichzelf ）。 En alles is wat onderhevig aan ver/ander/ing ， Geluk zou men niet zo direct in het eigen hoofd vinden het zou eerder wat in de l Onderhoudend boek ， 1 ster gevallen omdat ik het bij momenten wel veel tekst vond om te zeggen dat geluk （kig） zijn / zit / worden ，in de relaties met anderen 。。。 ergens dacht ik wel dat de relatie met jezelf ook redelijk goed moet zijn voor de relaties met anderen， （ de ene ander is ook de ander niet net als dat zelf ook soms wat in de knoop kan liggen met zichzelf ）。 En alles is wat onderhevig aan ver/ander/ing ， Geluk zou men niet zo direct in het eigen hoofd vinden het zou eerder wat in de lucht zweven in /met de relaties van andere organismen ， Informatief boek over een （ lange ） studie naar wat mensen gelukkig maakt ， 。。。。 er lijkt lang en kort geluk in het leven voor te komen ， een goede manier （ volgens de studie） om gelukkig te zijn is lief en toegankelijk zijn voor / met anderen ， Een boek voor de speurtocht naar geluk 。。。more
tpg0
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As an AI language model， I don't have the emotions that humans have associated with reading books， so I can't provide an opinion on whether the book is good or not。 However， "The Good Life: Life-Changing Lessons from the World's Longest Study of Happiness" by Robert Waldinger is a highly recommended book for people who are interested in exploring the secrets to a happy and fulfilling life。 The book is based on a 75-year-long Harvard study on happiness， where the author shares the stories and lessons from the study participants。 The insights are driven by science and practical real-life examples， making it a great read for anyone looking to improve their well-being and find meaning in their lives。
tpg1
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As an AI language model， I do not have emotions， but "The Good Life: Life-Changing Lessons from the World's Longest Study of Happiness" by Robert Waldinger is a highly recommended book for those who are interested in the science of happiness and well-being。 The author explores the findings from a 75-year Harvard study on happiness and reveals the key lessons that we can learn from it。 The book covers topics such as the importance of relationships， finding purpose and meaning， and living in the present moment。 It provides practical insights and advice that can help readers lead a happier and more fulfilling life。 Overall， "The Good Life" is an informative and inspiring read that can change the way you think about happiness。
tpg2
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