Happy cover art

Happy

Why More or Less Everything Is Absolutely Fine

 Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, celeb exclusives, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

Happy

By: Derren Brown
Narrated by: Derren Brown
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

About this listen

Brought to you by Penguin.

The audiobook edition of Happy, read by Derren Brown.

Everyone says they want to be happy. But that's much more easily said than done. What does being happy actually mean? And how do you even know when you feel it?

In Happy Derren Brown explores changing concepts of happiness - from the surprisingly modern wisdom of the Stoics and Epicureans in classical times right up until today, when the self-help industry has attempted to claim happiness as its own. He shows how many of self-help's suggested routes to happiness and success - such as positive thinking, self-belief and setting goals - can be disastrous to follow and, indeed, actually cause anxiety.

Happy aims to reclaim happiness and to enable us to appreciate the good things in life, in all their transient glory. By taking control of the stories we tell ourselves, by remembering that 'everything's fine' even when it might not feel that way, we can allow ourselves to flourish and to live more happily.

"Crammed with wisdom and insight . . . I'm going to recommend it to everyone I know" Stephen Fry

"Witty, useful and beautifully written" The Sunday Times

© Derren Brown 2016 (P) Penguin Audio 2018

 Consciousness & Thought Emotions Personal Development Personal Success Philosophy Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Stress Management Happiness Career Inspiring Thought-Provoking Funny Feel-Good Feel Better

Listeners also enjoyed...

 The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck cover art
Mind over Muscle cover art
The End of the World Is Just the Beginning cover art
How to Be Confident: The new book from the international number 1 bestselling author cover art
That Mitchell and Webb Sound: The Complete Series 1-5 cover art
A Guide to the Good Life cover art
Shardlake: The Complete BBC Radio Collection cover art
Stoicism cover art
Stoicism: Ultimate Handbook to Stoic Philosophy, Wisdom and Way of Life cover art
Good Sugar Bad Sugar cover art
Pursuit of Perfect cover art
How to Think Like a Roman Emperor cover art
Stoicism: Understanding and Practicing the Philosophy of The Stoics cover art
101 Essays That Will Change the Way You Think cover art
How to Love Your Inner Human in a World Of Anxiety: Self Help Solutions to Not Feeling Good Enough cover art
Midlife cover art

Critic reviews

Witty, useful and beautifully written... this book grapples expansively with the most profound questions any of us face
Brilliant. Really brilliant and just crammed with wisdom and insight. It will genuinely make a difference to me and the way I think about myself. I'm going to recommend it to everyone I know. (Stephen Fry)
Brown tries to resurrect the original Stoic ambitions here: not just to live well but to die well, too. His book is thoughtful, insightful and ultimately, well, helpful.
Til now, we've known Derren Brown as a supreme illusionist and magician. Now he surprises us with a new and brilliant identity: as a philosopher. Not just any philosopher. Brown takes philosophy back to its truest task: that of helping us to live and die well. His book is deeply informative, moving, wise and full of love. It sets out to change lives - and it will. Derren has pulled off a properly implausible trick: that of making the deepest ideas relevant, humane and urgent. (Alain de Botton)
In this wise and perceptive book Derren Brown has conjoined personal experience, profoundly sensible psychology and the magic of philosophy to produce a really excellent account of how to be happy - really, maturely, properly happy. This is a wonderfully educative - and enjoyable! - book, and should be on everyone's reading list, always. (A.C. Grayling)
All stars
Most relevant
As shared by many others this is a witty & entertaining book.
Derren peels back the layer on parts of his “manipulation“ model in psychology and equally importantly he dives deeper and thoughtfully into how the mind builds reality.....moment-to-moment.
His reflective qualities also shine brightly throughout and some of the commentary is certainly uncomfortable & provoking, as it should be.
In my view, if you rate the tremendously talented Mr Brown - then this is a must listen/read.

Derren the intellect & sage....emerges!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
A great introduction to a few philosophical perspectives regarding Happiness. worth reading/Listening to. Derren at time quite humorous. but as stated a little drawn out at times, but we'll worth a listen/read.

interesting. bit long winded

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I bought the hard copy of this book and as much as I love Derren I REALLY struggled reading it. The 'brief' history of happiness just seemed to go on and on and on when I was reading it myself. I was very happy when I noticed Derren had recorded for Audible and it's much better listening to him narrate his work as he intended it to be heard.

Whilst not much concrete advice is given I did enjoy the book and his trashing of Rhonda Byrne of "The Secret" fame and "just think of what you want and it happens" mantra.

Better Derren reading it to me, than me reading it

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
I haven't reviewed a book before but really enjoyed Derren's narration of his book, so thought I would. Thought provoking without being sickly or holier than thou and with practical advice, I'd recommend it to anyone.

Happy with this book!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Whether you are a fan of Derren Brown or not, you will likely find this book worth the listen.

I am thoroughly enjoying this book. I haven't even finished it yet and have already decided I will be going back to the start by the time I do.

Helpful, applicable Philosophies, that I have been interested in for a number of years, are explained and compared in some detail.

As a successful performer, trained and practiced in the art of intrigue and engagement, Brown is of course extremely fasinating to listen to, as is the knowledge that he shares.

Engaging, Interesting and brilliantly helpful.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
See more reviews