10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works - A True Story

· Hachette UK
4.3
55 reviews
Ebook
256
Pages
Eligible
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About this ebook

#1 New York Times Bestseller

'An enormously smart, clear-eyed, brave-hearted, and quite a personal look at the benefits of meditation' - Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love

'Dan Harris skilfully demystifies meditation, reminding us all that a healthy and happy mind is not only essential for our own sanity, but also for those around us. More importantly, he provides a compelling invitation to move beyond words, from the idea to the experience. A wonderful book and excellent advice.' - Andy Puddicombe, founder of Headspace

10% Happier is a spiritual book written for - and by - someone who would otherwise never read a spiritual book. It is both a deadly serious and seriously funny look at mindfulness and meditation as the next big public health revolution.

Dan Harris always believed the restless, relentless, impossible-to-satisfy voice in his head was one of his greatest assets. How else can you climb the ladder in an ultra-competitive field like TV news except through nonstop hand-wringing and hyper vigilance? For a while, his strategy worked. Harris anchored national broadcasts and he covered wars. Then he hit the brakes, and had a full-blown panic attack live on the air. What happened next was completely unforeseen. Through a bizarre series of events - involving a disgraced evangelical pastor, a mysterious self-help guru and a fateful gift from his wife - Harris stumbled upon something that helped him tame the voice in his head: meditation. At first, he was deeply suspicious. He had long associated meditation with bearded swamis and unwashed hippies. But when confronted with mounting scientific evidence that just a few minutes a day can literally rewire the brain for focus, happiness and reduced reactivity, Harris took a deep dive. He spent years mingling with scientists, executives and marines on the front lines of a quiet revolution that has the potential to reshape society. He became a daily meditator, and even found himself on a ten-day, silent meditation retreat, which was simultaneously the best and worst experience he'd ever had.

Harris's life was not transformed into a parade of rainbows and unicorns, but he did gain a passion for daily meditation. While the book itself is a narrative account of Dan's conversion amid the harried and decidedly non-Zen world of the newsroom, it concludes with a section for the novice on how to get started.

Ratings and reviews

4.3
55 reviews
gyanendra arya
July 1, 2024
records a captivating and personal journey. brings out the merits of meditation without any religious bias. the instructions at the end are practically useful.
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Heinrich Zerbe
April 19, 2020
I really enjoyed reading this. The way Dan Harris shares his journey is not just information and interesting but also quite funny. I highly recommend this to someone who would want to be 10% happier.
6 people found this review helpful
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Mathieu Norry
May 11, 2019
À wonderful introduction to and démystification of the world of meditation. Dan writes with humour and passion as he explores the whole new world of how to keep his ego in check via the ancient practice of mindful meditation.
2 people found this review helpful
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About the author

Dan Harris is host of the 10% Happier Podcast. For 21 years, he worked at ABC News, where he was the co-anchor of Nightline and the weekend editions of Good Morning America. He also reported from all over the world, including war zones and presidential campaigns. Before joining ABC, he worked for local news outlets in Boston and Maine. He lives in New York with his wife, son, and a gaggle of rescue cats.

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