I found myself dusting this afternoon. Why I was dusting on hot summer's day is a mystery to me. But, I was and as I was moving a few things around I found on on my desk underneath a pile of books Stumbling on Happiness (2006).
I don’t remember when I read this book, not that long ago. I do remember is how pleasantly surprised I was with the quality of the information and moreover the delightful way it was written. It was also not what I expected it to be about.
This is not a self-help book.
Stumbling on Happiness was written by Harvard psychologist Daniel Gilbert. The author portrays current psychological research in a manner that makes it is easy for the reader to understand and follow. Right from the first page Gilbert takes the reader on an unexpected journey and presents some interesting arguments on the interplay between our mind and emotions.
He also points out the short comings of the mind. "That shortcoming is caused by a trick that your brain plays on you every minute of every hour of every day - a trick that your brain is play on you right now. Let me tell you the brain's dirty little secret. "(page 78) I will let you find out for yourself what the dirty little secret is, but it stopped me to pause and say, “opps".
What I found particularly fasinating was Dan Gilbert's presentation on the interplay between how we perceive the past, how we imagine the future having everything to do with how we feel right now.
Stumbling on Happiness is well worth the read as a matter of fact, I think I will read it again, after I finish the dusting.
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