This seemed overly simplified at times and seemed like some common sense things. I think maybe it's because I'm a naturally happy person who tries to always find the good in everything, but I'm guessing that maybe after reading this book, there are people who need to hear the things in it. I liked the practical, real-life examples, but it felt like there were too many and it jumped around a lot. I thought the audio narration was stilted sounding sometimes, but overall I enjoyed the author reading it. I would've had a better experience had I read along with the physical or ebook as I was listening, I think, because it just felt like I was missing individual stories because they were so short and told so quickly.

This is a fun book about changing your perspective to pursue happiness. I found the first parable, from Native American folklore, to be a little off color (which tribe? what culture does it come from?) but I really enjoyed the following anecdotes from followers of the author. I personally don't think this book works very well in the audiobook format, and i would encourage readers to read the book rather than listen, but I think this is a good resource for those seeking to gain new perspectives on happiness.

This is indeed a practical guide to happiness, reminding us not to take the little things for granted, and that happiness is different for all of us, and helping us to find happiness even in the midst of darkest days

This audiobook had a lot of the same stuff that you find in any self-help book. I didn't think it was very unique and I didn't like that it started with the author talking about the group she founded, the Society of Happy People. The fact that she was the founder and would be talking about her organization was not on the cover and I didn't like coming into the book feeling like I was missing information.

There were good aspects to it though. There were interviews that were really interesting in that they let other people tell their perspectives on happiness. Overall, I thought this audiobook was fine and that it made some good points about looking for the positives in different situations.

Disclaimer: I work for a bookstore, all thoughts and opinions are my own and not affiliated with the store or company.
Thank you to Netgalley and HighBridge Audio for providing me with an audiobook version of this book.

Although this book is out of my usual reading preferences, I thoroughly enjoyed myself while reading this.
As a whole, most of this book preaches the same concepts that most self-help happiness books do. Although none of this was bad or negative, I would have loved a deeper insight into some of these ideas. While I felt that the main education aspect of the book was nothing new I enjoyed how it set up and concluded my favourite element of the book- the many stories of strangers discussing their experience with sadness and happiness.
Hearing the perspectives of strangers was a unique twist on the idea of happiness. It created a broader look into how happiness can manifest in the average person's life which was something I have previously not seen in a book revolving around mental health.
This aspect is what made me connected to this book.

As for the audiobook portion, the voice and speed were very clear and I had no trouble distinguishing the narrative the author was trying to say. As usual, I listened to this book at 2x speed, except for the elements of the strangers' stories in which I would slow the speed down slightly.

Thank you again for letting me listen and enjoy this story. It had unique elements that I would recommend others to listen to and read.

Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC digital copy. I have not been compensated for my opinion and this is an honest review.

Unfortunately, I was unable to finish reading this ARC digital copy before needing to switch to other books that were being archived. The book remains on my Goodreads "want to read" list, and I will update my review to reflect an updated opinion when I finish it at a later date..

Not a lot of new information, more a collection of other peoples idea of happiness then a self-help book.
Might be more interesting for people that have been part the Society of Happy People.
The author did a good job narrating the book.

Practical Happiness: Four Principles to Improve Your Life was written and narrated by Pamela Gail Johnson. People think happiness is a singular feeling, but it isn't. The real way to feel happier is to expand your definition of happiness and manage your Happiness Zappers. Pamela Gail Johnson, founder of the Society of Happy People, identified the four practical happiness principles that have helped thousands of people shift their mindsets so they naturally notice more happiness, whether it feels sparse, abundant, or somewhere in between. Pamela shares real stories from real people who put the four practical happiness principles into action. With thought-provoking workbook-style questions, you can immediately apply these principles to your life. You'll discover how happiness is unique to you and your circumstances; how to manage common experiences that zap your happiness; how happiness changes; and thirty-one types of happiness.

Practical Happiness is a well organized book with information and tools for finding and recognizing happiness that could be very helpful to readers. I recognized much of what was written as being true and useful, but mostly things I have heard before in other context and in some cases have been doing for years. Since I am not someone that normally seeks out or reads self help books I found it odd that most of what I was hearing n the audiobook were things that were familiar. However, I did find the descriptions of different types of happiness and it's zappers interesting and mostly new to me. I think many people will find the book helpful, and for me it was a good reminder to be more present and acknowledge the little moments and to allow myself to work through the happiness zappers rather than trying to simply ignore them until they are a bigger issue. I think that Johnson did a decent job of narrating her book. I find that authors reading their own work do a good job, as they know where they want the emphasis on and what the flow of the text should be. That was true here, but sometimes the pauses were a bit too long- and I feel like she must be a great in person speaker but that does not always translate to a great audiobook reader. Sadly, the pauses and the very natural mouth noises made through out the book often distracted me and made me want to offer her a glass of water. Others might not notice it, but it is one of my irks in life so I found it hard to ignore.

Practical Happiness is a good book for those looking to learn more about finding and appreciating happiness more.

Practical Happiness by Pamela Gail Johnson was great! I enjoyed listening to this book read by the author and I know I'll be thinking about for a long time. I enjoy self help style books and found that this one was encouraging, empowering and direct. I'm already incorporating strategies into my everyday life and noticing a difference. This book would make a perfect gift or great way to start some introspection!

I really wanted to listen to this audio book but unfortunately I could not download it.

Thank you for the advanced copy.

I’ve enjoyed a lot this audio book. The subject is very interesting and the narrator’s voice was not annoying. The only downside for me was that I found it has more personal stories than facts to achieve practical happiness in our daily life. Overall it was a very interesting audio book.

**please note due to low rating I will not be leaving a public review for this book**
Narrator, 5 stars because of the great voice
The content was 2 stars because I just couldn’t get into it and it just isn’t my style.

This book starts with a good story about people, God and happiness. Really thought the story was a great way to start this book.
The book describes the science behind happiness. It tells you what makes people happy. It also encourages you to not take small things for granted. All good things to know and think about. Happiness is a personal thing for each of us.
Then the book goes into things that take away our happiness. There are just things that happen in life that take away happiness for a period of time. We cannot avoid these things, they happen to all people in life. But we can still have moments of happiness during this time. We can also reduce the time that these sad things take away our happiness.
Then we all have issues that can steal our happiness. We need to anticipate these things and have a plan for them. This will allow us to be happy more of the time.
Happiness is not something that I feel like I have a problem with, but I thought the title and description of the book were interesting. I will use some of the tools I learned and recommend this book to others.
I listen to a lot of audio books while I travel (8-12 hours per week). The author was the narrator of this audiobook. I think a professional could make it more interesting to listen to.

A guide to learning how to think differently about happiness, and instruction on what happiness can appear to be. I thought it was a methodical approach and informative. The author gives examples on the 31 types of happiness, helps you identify feelings that you can explore to make yourself happy.

I did not exactly enjoy the narration but the information was great. Author tripped over her words numerous times and inflection kind of bothered me but I got through it.

I gave the narration three stars but the subject was five stars!

Not my usual audiobook choice but it was an interesting listen . Useful insights on how to deal with ‘happiness zappers’ ,it put a lot of things in perspective.

The narrator was the author and she did a good job.

Arc received via net gallery.

Format: audiobook
Author: Pamela Gail Johnson ~ Title: Practical Happiness ~ Narrator: Practical Happiness
Content: 4 stars ~ Narration: 4 stars

Practical Happiness is an audiobook for all who want to be happy but don’t know how to achieve that. As the author writes in her book, this is not as difficult as we often think.

The author writes about themes like how happiness is unique to you and is not the same for different people. And how, over time, what makes us happy can change. She includes many examples from people’s lives. Practical Happiness is a lightweight and very positive book that will make you think about your happiness and what you can do to be happier.

Narration by the author is good, but I think it could be better if someone else narrated it because it often feels a bit robotic.

Thanks to HighBridge Audio for the ALC and this opportunity! This is a voluntary review and all opinions are my own.

Aren't we all on a quest to find more joy in our day?

I sure am. That's why I listened to Pamela Gail Johnson's "Practical Happiness: Four Principles to Improve Your Life." As the founder of the Society of Happy People, she asks her fellow members what makes them happy.

The audiobook is four hours of practical ways real people are seeking real happiness. Plus, there are loads of questions to journal in regard to your own happiness journey.

I'm grateful for the chance to listen to the advanced audio from HighBridge audio via the NetGalley app.

I listened to this book as I was walking on the treadmill and found myself nodding along and smiling! This is a book for all ages and includes stories from real people finding happiness in every day life. Practical Happiness is a great read and is also a reminder that joy happens in so many different ways.

this practical guide to living a happier life explores the 4 principles of happiness. It also provides ways to manage happiness zappers so you can lead a happier life.

the author narrates which lends authority and authenticity to the book.

Listening to this book got me thinking about my own way of looking at happiness. I have days when everything seems to be going fine and I’m on top of my game, and days when a single unpleasant event (emotional zappers) ruins my mood and I can’t get over it...

When it comes to the later, it can be quite challenging to get back on track, especially if you don’t have an emotional emergency kit to rely on. This is where “Practical Happiness” comes in handy!

Through a combination of stories and lessons learned, Pamela Gail Johnson provides a book that is not only great when going through challenging emotional times, but also helps with putting in mechanisms in place to prevent zappers from hijacking our happiness. Although some of the stories can be quite hard to listen to or read, I had to remember that this is **not** a work of fiction and that life doesn’t always go as expected. Being aware of the what’s going on and, even better, knowing how to react to what happens to us, can make a difference in successfully overcoming negative experiences. It’s a book that I definitely recommend to anyone interested in improving their emotional intelligence or who are just at the beginning of this journey.

One thing to be aware of (or it least for me to remember the next time I listening to the audiobook version) is the slow start of the book. It might seem that it’s all talk and no action, but after half an hour of listening, the content starts becoming so captivating, that you might find yourself not wanting to press the pause or stop button.

Special thanks to NetGalley, HighBridge Audio and the author for giving me the opportunity to review the ARC in audiobook format and to you, my reader, for taking the time to read this honest personal book review.

If you are interested in other of my book reviews, make sure to follow me on GoodReads!

#LifeLongLearning #PracticalHappiness #NetGalley