Happiness and Other Small Things of Absolute Importance by Haim Shapira Summary
Overview of Happiness and Other Small Things of Absolute Importance
In "Happiness and Other Small Things," Haim Shapira playfully dissects life's ultimate pursuit through philosophy and wit. Harvard's Tal Ben-Shahar calls it "seriously playful" - a book readers revisit repeatedly for wisdom. Can happiness be formulaic, or is your path uniquely yours?
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Key takeaways
The Happiness Paradox: Why Joy Remains Elusive
What if everything you thought you knew about happiness was wrong? Despite countless books promising lasting joy through simple practices, most of us aren't significantly happier. The fundamental problem is that knowing "how to" be happy doesn't actually help achieve happiness. Generic advice like "rise every morning with a smile" offers no practical path to joy because our needs and desires are profoundly individual. When asked about their happiest day, people reveal vastly different visions. Heinrich Heine imagined a Swiss Alpine cottage with fresh baguettes, beautiful scenery-and his enemies hanging from trees. These varying responses reveal three insights: many don't know what they truly want, one's ideal companion may not be their partner, and fundamentally, we cannot accurately predict what will make us happy. Rather than offering another formula for happiness, Shapira aims to shift our perspective on happiness itself. As Galileo noted, "We cannot teach people anything; we can only help them discover it within themselves." Finding the path to happiness is difficult; following it proves even harder. Perhaps the first step is embracing Wu Wei-the Chinese concept of "without effort" that suggests knowing when to act and when to let things happen naturally. Like Winnie-the-Pooh, we should balance purposeful action with simply "being." Doing nothing without guilt is surprisingly difficult-our minds constantly push us toward productivity, making it challenging to relax without feeling we should be accomplishing something.
Three Philosophical Principles for Living Well
The Choice Between Optimism and Pessimism
The Curious Gender Divide in Happiness
The Four Emotions That Rule Our Lives
The Fox's Secret: What Makes Life Meaningful
Finding Wisdom in an Uncertain World
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From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
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"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
From Columbia University alumni built in San Francisco
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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