The Happiness Project | Summary

Gretchen Rubin’s book begins with the “story behind the story.” In “Getting Started,” Gretchen shares what sparked the whole idea of a “Happiness Project” to begin with. The idea was rooted in nothing more fateful than a bus ride. It was a typical day and a typical commute when Gretchen caught sight out the bus window of a woman juggling an umbrella, a cell phone, and a child. Not a very extraordinary woman, but someone that Gretchen could see herself in. She was that woman – ordinary, harried, and while not depressed, maybe not the happiest, either. That’s when it hit Gretchen – she was happy, but was she happy enough? Was this, an ordinary bus ride with ordinary feelings on an ordinary day really all there was for her in life? She knew she had life good, but could she have it even better? Gretchen decided to find out. A perfectionist and planner, Gretchen got started on her “Happiness Project” by doing some research. She read all the greats – from Plato to Schopenhauer in philosophy; Seligman to Lyubomirsky in religion; Tolstoy to McEwan to even Oprah in literature and pop-culture. She spoke with friends and family and colleagues, all of them a mix of critical and encouraging. This is a summary and analysis of the book and NOT the original book