A better title for this book would have been “Baby’s Guide to Emotions”. After a misleading introduction in which the author waxes philosophically about his depth of research and experience, he then backtracks and provides the most basic, common sense information. I went into this convinced I was going to learn something new about negative emotions and how to manage them, but instead the author provides a kindergarten-level description of emotions, interspersed with anecdotal stories illustrating the various emotions. This is surface level stuff and I’d only recommend it to those looking for a quick, light self-help read. On second thought, maybe this book would be better suited to a male audience or for those for whom basic emotional intelligence does not come naturally.

Also, this book is littered with references to “god” and what god wants, what pleases god, etc. in relation to your emotions. In every instance, these references could have been removed and the same general message conveyed. It was an unnecessary insertion of the author’s beliefs that made me question the integrity of the author’s knowledge and research entirely. This book needs to be marketed to Christian males as its target audience. That’s the only area I see it having success.

"Good Mood Revolution" by Matt O’Neill offers a compelling framework for understanding and cultivating lasting happiness. The core premise centers on the idea that our emotional landscape is primarily shaped by eight "bad moods" – pride, anger, desire, fear, sadness, hopelessness, guilt, and shame.

The author provides valuable insights into the root causes of these negative emotions and offers practical strategies for overcoming them. By recognizing these patterns and developing a deeper understanding of our emotional triggers, we can cultivate a more positive and fulfilling inner experience.
Furthermore, the book emphasizes the importance of cultivating eight "good moods" – peace, joy, love, gratitude, acceptance, confidence, responsibility, and humility. The author effectively demonstrates how these positive emotions can transform our relationships, improve our decision-making, and enhance our overall well-being.

Strengths:

Practical Advice: The book offers a wealth of practical advice and actionable steps for readers to implement in their daily lives.
Personal Anecdotes: The author effectively utilizes personal anecdotes to illustrate key concepts and make the material relatable.
Clear and Concise: The writing style is engaging and easy to understand, making the complex topic of emotional regulation accessible to a wide audience.

Potential Limitations:
Faith-Based Perspective: The author's perspective is grounded in a strong faith in God, which may not resonate with all readers.

Overall:
Despite the potential limitation of its faith-based perspective, "Good Mood Revolution" offers valuable insights and practical guidance for anyone seeking to improve their emotional well-being. The book's emphasis on self-awareness, emotional intelligence, and cultivating positive emotions provides a solid foundation for personal growth and lasting happiness.

Recommendation:
I recommend this book to anyone interested in personal development, emotional regulation, and cultivating a more positive and fulfilling life.

Thank you to NetGalley and Advantage Books for a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Advantage Books and NetGalley for this ARC in return of my honest review.

Influenced by Dr David Hawkins and his “Map of Consciousness” , Matt O’Neill suggests an alternative to living an “okay” life, providing a path to achieving “lasting happiness” through his ladder of moods.

I question the efficacy of wanting to seeking to achieve lasting happiness in life as I don’t believe this is a sustainable or even healthy striving given that to enjoy happiness we also need to embrace the sorrows and all that comes with a truly lived life. Seeking to be always happy is unsustainable and can set one up for a life of striving for the unobtainable.

Matt explains the role of Ego and how this manifests through moods, particularly bad ones. The aim, states Matt is to become aware of the ego and its manipulative tactics and then let them go,

There was some great information, particularly for readers who are not familiar with thought work or the working of the ego.
Matt provides the pathway to implementing our “good moods” through a spiritual lens.

Pros:
- Well set-up with the split between bad and good moods and the moods that qualify which makes it easy to go to the one you need most help with or review all.
- Down to earth examples that are relevant and not judgmental
- Helpful exercises that can be used in many ways

Cons
- A little too God based. I received this recommendation via NetGalley ad, and it did not mention God in that ad. I may not have chosen it based on that fact. I believe more in the Universe but also struggle with the letting go aspect.
- Some of the moods would have benefitted from a female perspective as well. For example, I deal with guilt but not in the sense of because I made a mistake. My guilt stems from choosing myself over others or even one task over another. I would have liked some help in conquering that.
- Some correlations between the Lie and the Mood did not make sense to me or fit into what I believed that mood to be

Overall, although I struggled with some aspects of this book, I am still glad I read it. I will be using some of the exercises such as recording daily wins or creating a list of lies I am telling myself and then comparing it to the truth. I cannot say that this book has radically changed my mood, but I think it is at least a decent start.

Matt O'Neill not only writes the self-help book with real life examples, but also adds in very simple prompts for you to think about to help you grow your happiness. This is a great book if you're looking to grow yourself.

Thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to read an Advanced Readers Copy in exchange for an honest review.

Good Mood Revolution is a well written self help book with first person experience. It was very straightforward and eye opening! You can tell the author has done the work.

Interesting and informative read on how to focus, get, maintain and keep a good mood for yourself. Good personal stories woven in and exercises to do. Interesting IRS story and how it was handled. Thank you to Netgalley, Advantage Books and the Author for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Good Mood Revolution by Matt O’Neill is a self-help book with a big heart. Through personal stories, reflection prompts, and spiritual reflections, O’Neill offers guidance on how to build resilience, embrace authenticity, and find hope even during tough times. It is the kind of book that feels more like a conversation with a caring friend than a structured guide, which is both its charm and, for some, its limitation.

What I Loved: Warmth and Practical Reflection

The standout feature of this book is its authenticity. O’Neill writes from the heart, sharing his own struggles and triumphs in a way that invites readers to do the same. There is something deeply comforting about reading a book that does not pretend life is easy but instead encourages you to embrace the process of growth.

The prompts scattered throughout the book are a great highlight. They encourage you to pause, reflect, and engage with your own thoughts and feelings. If you are willing to reflect, there is potential for growth here.

Where It Missed the Mark: Religious Emphasis

A recurring theme in the book is the focus on God and faith. O’Neill frequently suggests asking God for help or reminds readers that life belongs to God. While these reflections are clearly deeply personal to him, they may not resonate with all readers. For some, the constant emphasis on spirituality may feel overwhelming or out of step with their own worldview, which risks alienating parts of the audience who might otherwise benefit from the book’s broader themes.

What Makes It Worthwhile

What stays with you, however, is the sincerity. This is not a book designed to tell you what to do but rather to walk beside you as you navigate life’s challenges. It feels real, like advice from someone who genuinely wants to see you thrive. Add to this the self-reflection prompts, and you have a tool that anyone can use to find a little clarity and hope.

Final Thoughts

Good Mood Revolution is not a perfect guide, and it does not need to be. It offers heartfelt support for those looking to reflect, grow, and embrace life with a fresh perspective. While some readers may find the religious focus difficult to connect with, its warmth, authenticity, and practical advice will leave a good impression.

If you are looking for a book that feels like a helping hand through hard times, this could be just the thing. Come to it with an open heart, and you will leave with a clearer sense of direction and self-worth.

A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I appreciated the author's personal stories of his mistakes on the path toward business and personal success. The advice in this book is certainly sound. I do, however, believe this is more of an introductory guide for someone who hasn't yet done a great deal of self-evaluation or inner work. Start here, sure, but I do recommend moving on to Tracy, Rohn, Robbins, etc. for a more advanced approach to self-improvement and the positive results on happiness, general success, and mood. Good Mood Revolution reads more like a primer.

A Pep Talk For Your Brain

Okay, so I picked up "Good Mood Revolution" thinking, “Maybe I’ll get a couple of tips to feel better.” What I didn’t expect was a book that would actually make me rethink how I approach my entire day—without making it feel like a chore.

You know those books that just get you? This one feels like the author sat down, looked at all the little things that drain our energy and joy, and said, “Here’s how to fix this—easily.” It’s not just “be positive!” or “go work out!” (thank goodness). Instead, it’s full of small, practical ideas you can start today—and they work.

Here are a few things that really hit home for me:

Food matters more than you think. We’ve all heard “you are what you eat.” But the way the author connects food and mood just clicked for me. Little changes, like adding more real, energizing food, can make such a difference. And no, they’re not asking you to go full-on kale smoothies unless you want to.
Move, but in a way that feels good. No one’s telling you to run a marathon (phew). It’s more about moving your way—stretching, walking, dancing in your kitchen. I tried a 10-minute walk when I hit that afternoon slump, and honestly? It worked.
Rethink your thoughts. Although it appears straightforward, interrupting negative spirals and changing my perspective has been transformative. It’s like giving your brain a breather.
What I loved most is how doable everything feels. This isn’t one of those “change your life overnight!” books. It’s more like, “Hey, try this. You’ll feel better.”

If you’re someone who’s been feeling a little “blah” lately, or even just looking to boost your energy and mindset, I can’t recommend this book enough. It’s part science, part pep talk, and all super practical. You’ll put it down feeling like you can actually build a better mood—one small, easy step at a time.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This was a quick read with some interesting facts. The stories were great as examples. I enjoyed the book, but the ideas were nothing new. It was put together strategically and made a lot of sense

I would recommend this book

Thanks to NetGalley and Advantage Books for this advanced reader copy. This is my honest opinion.

"'Tis the season" for joy and laughter, which I employ daily. Truly! I am a mostly happy person who shares good things with people in my sphere of influence; this book would not be among my good tidings. I do not bear this author ill will, I just don't agree with a plug into happiness whenever you need or want it. Life presents challenges which may seem insurmountable at times... they prompt us to seek something more but there is no magic formula to maintaining true happiness all of the time. If this book helps others cope with the challenges that they face, I applaud the author for his contribution, no matter my personal feelings.

Matt O'Neill's book promises to turn happiness into a learnable skill, focusing on eight primary bad moods—shame, guilt, hopelessness, sadness, fear, desire, anger, and pride—and offering strategies to overcome them. Then focuses on eight primary good moods—humility, responsibility, confidence, acceptance, gratitude, love, joy and peace—and showing how we often lie and self-sabotage, then providing a truth to counter and overcome each lie. The author's approach of contrasting each negative mood with its positive counterpart provides an intriguing perspective on emotional management.

O'Neill's writing is direct and accessible, making emotional concepts digestible. The book's brevity is both a strength and a weakness. Concise chapters provide quick, actionable guidance, but readers seeking deep psychological insights might find the treatment superficial. The God-centered approach adds a spiritual dimension that will resonate differently with various readers.

The most valuable aspect is its emphasis on personal agency. O'Neill reinforces that we are active creators of our internal emotional landscape, offering techniques for cultivating confidence and breaking free from negativity. However, the book doesn't break significant new ground in the self-help genre, with many concepts feeling familiar to seasoned personal development readers.

"Good Mood Revolution" serves as a solid primer for individuals beginning their journey of emotional self-improvement. It's a quick read that provides practical lessons and a framework for understanding and managing one's emotional state. The book's greatest strength lies in its accessibility and its core message: happiness is not something to be chased, but something to be consciously created using the tools (and downloadable exercises) he provides.

A big thank you to Advantage Books and NetGalley for providing an advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is totally fine, but it's just another way of saying what people have been advising for years: don't listen to that angry inner voice, be mindful and in the moment, and focus on what you can control. I don't love the suggestions that this is all it takes to be happy, but I can accept that this might put you in a good mood once in a while. I think this is best for people who don't suffer from chronic depression or anxiety.

Good Mood Revolution gives simple tips for living a happier life but at times these tips are a bit too simple for my liking. The book paints a picture in which simply choosing to be in a good mood gives the desired result. Maybe it is for some, but I believe this to be a bit more complicated.

Some of the advice relating to perspective shifting is useful, such as: "the difference between excitement and anxiety is the story you tell yourself about the sensations you feel". Other advice, like the chapter on responsibility, suggests choosing not to be a victim and becomes reminiscent of the lessons of the NXIVM cult where participants were shamed for "choosing" to be the victims of such heinous crimes as sexual assault. This is a dangerous road to go down and this book goes all in without even a mention that there ae situations where you might truly be a victim.

Additionally, the book consistently touts that if you trust in God good moods will follow. By no means is this the sole focus of the book, nor does it come without actionable advice, but it was an unexpected element. Most self help books do include a spiritual aspect, however the religious implications here may be off putting to certain audiences of different faiths.

Overall, the simple exercises throughout the book are helpful but the core message of "choosing" a good mood ignores the more complicated nature of life.

Authentic happiness is not what most people are usually experiencing. O'Neill helps readers work through a series of emotions to joy and peace. We learn how to conquer bad moods, and how to choose good moods by altering thought patterns. While we will never be free of challenges, we can be free of negatively thinking about them. O'Neill shares some of his own experiences in giving readers good ideas and practical suggestions. While there is some space to write responses, additional resources, such as worksheets, will be available at the book website.

A couple of my favorite insights include the role of forgiveness in conquering anger and recognizing that a disappointing event might very well be making the way for something better in the future. Another section I really liked was his teaching on getting rid of victim thinking. And perhaps the best, the importance of gratitude, a way of loving your life as it is.

This is a good book for readers who desire to live a life of authentic, sustainable joy. This book gives us the tools but we will have to do our own inner work. While not particularly a Christian book, O'Neill does mention God's role in our joy and the importance of daily thanking God.

I received a complimentary egalley of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.

Good Mood Revolution by Matt O’Neill

Hey hey, my favorites! 😁💚 Let’s talk about Good Mood Revolution, a book that’s a total game-changer for anyone seeking a happier, healthier life!

After reading this, I can honestly say Matt O’Neill has cracked the code on how to balance your mind and body for better moods. From nutrition tips to simple strategies for managing stress, this book feels like a manual for taking care of yourself holistically. What stood out most to me was how seamlessly he connects small lifestyle changes to big emotional shifts.

Here’s my takeaway: Good Mood Revolution isn’t just about being happy; it’s about building a strong foundation so you can handle life’s ups and downs with grace. I found the chapters on food and mood especially insightful—who knew your plate could be the key to peace of mind?

This book left me inspired and ready to make changes that feel doable, not overwhelming. If you’re looking for something practical, uplifting, and rooted in science, you’ve found your next read. Trust me, your future self will thank you!

#annieethebookiee
"Buzzing through books that light up your life!"

If you’re tired of chasing happiness and ready to start living it, Good Mood Revolution: Igniting the Power of Conscious Happiness by Matt O’Neill is the guide you need. O’Neill approaches happiness not as an elusive state of being but as a skill that can be mastered with intentional effort. His revolutionary framework helps readers confront and conquer the eight bad moods that often hold us back—shame, guilt, hopelessness, sadness, fear, desire, anger, and pride.

What I found most compelling about this book is its actionable advice. O’Neill doesn’t just stop at identifying negative emotions—he equips readers with practical tools to transform their mindsets and moods. His strategies for cultivating unshakable confidence and breaking free from negativity are particularly empowering.

The tone of the book is inspiring yet grounded, making complex concepts about emotional well-being accessible. While some parts may feel slightly repetitive, the consistent reinforcement of key ideas helps drive home the message.

Overall, Good Mood Revolution is an uplifting and transformative read, perfect for anyone looking to take charge of their emotional health and lead a life of purpose and passion. It’s more than a book—it’s a call to action for a happier, more fulfilling existence.

Rating: ★★★★☆
This is a fantastic resource for readers at any stage of their self-improvement journey!

Thank you to NetGalley, Matt O'Neill, and Advantage Books for the eARC of this book.

"When you listen to the ego, you harm your joy. To reclaim your happiness, you must become consciously aware of the manipulative thoughts the ego presents you and then decide to let them go."


"The more pleasurable something is, the happier you feel. The second dimension of happiness is loss versus gain. The more gain you receive from something, the happier you feel. But this two-dimensional model of happiness is incomplete. You could have pleasure from drugs, and you could gain by stealing from someone. Both actions would be detrimental to your long-term well-being."


This book starts of with the negative emotions and how to cope with them. There are different tools such as gratitude and affirmations that have been included in this book. These are helpful for someone who is struggling to regulate their emotions. Both sides, negative and positive, have theory attached to them from a psychological perspective. This is what I found interesting in this book. I also liked some of the examples that the book provided in atune to the coping strategies. This book is well laid out and impressive given the amount of research mental health teams have to run through in order to publish this book. I highly commend the author.