Books of Joy
Over the past couple of years, I’ve been reading as many books on joy as I can find. Each one has a slightly different take on it. Some tell stories, some provide research, and some outline practical tips for adding more joy into your life. If you are looking for some late summer reading, I recommend the following books focused on adding more joy to your life and work.
Joyful by Ingrid Fetell Lee is an entertaining, fun read about how our surroundings can influence our level of joy. It combines scientific research, personal anecdotes, and real-life examples into a practical guide for incorporating joy principles into your life.
The Book of Joy is a conversation between the Dalai Lama and Archbishop Desmond Tutu where they explore the nature of joy and how to attain it in today’s challenging world. Much of the book outlines the positive principles that lead to more joy called the “Eight Pillars of Joy”. Filled with fun stories and deep conversations, this book is one to keep and share.
Happier Hour by Cassie Holmes is about how we can make the most of the time we have by focusing on what matters most. We only have so many hours in the day, so how can we make the most of it and learn to create and savor moments of joy throughout. Based on the author’s hugely popular course at UCLA, she takes scientific insights and easy-to-implement tools and gives the reader the gift of practicality and a way to make the most of each day.
Joy Works by Alex Liu is a blueprint for making people feel safe and inspired at work. It is a step-by-step guide for achieving joy at work. Quick, thorough, and easy to read guide for anyone who is looking for ways to add more joy at work.
Joy - 100 Poems is a collection of poems edited by Christian Wiman with the underlying theme of the importance of joy. The poems are compiled from several different authors all with the theme of bringing more light and happiness into your life. If you like poetry, this book is for you.
