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All That Happiness Is: Some Words on What Matters

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From New Yorker staff writer Adam Gopnik, a slim, elegant volume presenting a radical alternative to our culture of relentless striving. Our society is obsessed with achievement. Young people are pushed toward the next test or the “best” grammar school, high school, or college they can get into. Adults push themselves toward the highest-paying, most prestigious jobs, seeking promotions and public recognition. As Adam Gopnik points out, the result is not so much a rat race as a rat maze, with no way out. Except one: to choose accomplishment over achievement. Achievement, Gopnik argues, is the completion of the task imposed from outside. Accomplishment, by contrast, is the end point of an engulfing activity one engages in for its own sake. From stories of artists, philosophers, and scientists to his own fumbling attempts to play Beatles songs on a guitar, Gopnik demonstrates that while self-directed passions sometimes do lead to a career, the contentment that flows from accomplishment is available to each of us. A book to read and return to at any age, All That Happiness Is offers timeless wisdom against the grain. none Read more

Publisher ‏ : ‎ Liveright (April 23, 2024)


Language ‏ : ‎ English


Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 64 pages


ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 1324094850


ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 52


Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds


Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.8 x 0.4 x 7.6 inches


Best Sellers Rank: #433,160 in Books (See Top 100 in Books) #186 in Vocational Guidance (Books) #4,649 in Happiness Self-Help #6,989 in Motivational Self-Help (Books)


#186 in Vocational Guidance (Books):


#4,649 in Happiness Self-Help:


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Top Amazon Reviews

    • Very interesting and quick read
I picked this book up blind and am pretty happy I found it. It’s a very quick read; it’s about 50ish pages long and should take about an hour or so to read. The message really spoke to me though; I always find myself trying to keep busy and doing things, but am I really accomplishing anything meaningful? That’s just one of many points that made me really sit back and re-evaluate my life and approach to happiness. I won’t really dive too much into the book (like I said, it’s a quick and interesting read), but I did find myself engaged and intrigued through the entirety of it. The shortness is actually a huge plus to me too. I can see myself picking this book up and reading through it every year or so. I’m happy with it and am glad to have it as part of my personal library. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 19, 2024 by Hamish
    • Quick inspirational gem of a read on one of the most important topics of all...
Review Image by Cheryl G. Cheryl G.
A quick jolt of inspiration to fully appreciate the validity of the pursuit of happiness – totally non-denominational, no prior knowledge of positive psychology, no meditation cushion or batteries required! This is a quite timely, relevantly uplifting post-pandemic primer on why happiness matters and how to avoid what may impede its attainment. The author begins by reminding us that according to the American view on happiness – we are all of us entitled to its pursuit – it’s guaranteed in the Declaration of Independence after all. He next defines key factors in achieving happiness – absorption in an activity for its own sake – being careful to distinguish between what he terms achievements from accomplishments. Achievement here is defined as completing tasks imposed by outside forces. Accomplishment is endorsed as the preferred route to happiness – here is it defined as the experience of pleasure generated by participating in an activity that allows us to connect to something outside of ourselves, regardless of our level of attainment – i.e. ‘achievement’. The important difference is that enjoying the process is key. If a task is performed simply for a desired result, the achievement may be there – but not the magic of what the author defines as accomplishment. The author offers as an example his own absorption when younger in learning to play the guitar, through simple chord charts that allowed him to experience for himself the powerful emotional beauty offered by performing music – in his case, much loved Beatles songs. The magic of his absorption was that it did not rely on a certain level of achievement – the magic was in the joy of the creation of sound. One of the most poignant points the author makes in this concise little book is the importance not only to individual happiness of finding joy in creating – but of the value of happiness to societies at large. He makes a moving and vital case for the tolerance of varied pursuits that may create happiness, encouraging their celebration. His persuasive argument is that the mention of happiness holds a prominent place in the American Declaration of Independence for no small reason – it is in fact vital to the maintenance of democratic societies. He offers a few fine examples, my favorite being – “You could predict which developing countries would tolerate democracy by how well they danced.” (page 48). Not only a perfect little gift to inspire others – but also a small talisman to tuck away when we may need a reminder of – all that happiness is – especially how it serves the greater good. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on May 4, 2024 by Cheryl G. Cheryl G.
    • All That Accomplishment Is: A Rambling Essay
Review Image by Prime Mom Prime Mom
Review Image by Prime Mom Prime Mom
In my opinion, happiness can be many things and experienced in many ways. But, while the title of this book is "All That Happiness Is," it is mainly about the pursuit of happiness through self-chosen and self-directed accomplishments. I agree that can be a great source of joy, but I don't agree with all the author's thoughts on the topic and found his writing very esoteric. At any rate, this is a pretty narrow thesis for a book. This essay about accomplishment vs. achievement becomes very repetitive and rambling over 51 pages of text. He even manages to turn it into a political blame game, before saying he doesn't want to go down that path. It's really something that might have been better shortened for a magazine piece. I didn't find this an enjoyable read at all. The cover is cute, but unfortunately the text isn't. It tries too hard to be profound yet misses the mark. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on June 10, 2024 by Prime Mom Prime Mom
    • He makes some good points but also seems to be missing out on some things
The author is a long-time writer for The New Yorker and obviously lives in Manhattan, he talks about frequently riding his bike around the perimeter of Central Park and I cannot imagine anybody saying that who does not live in Manhattan. He talks a lot about learning how to play the guitar and makes observations about music, like chord progressions, that went straight over any head. I really know nothing about music besides enjoying listening to it. So while those ideas will resonate with some readers they did not with me. Hard to care about stuff I cannot understand. I think I understand happiness, though. I have always been fairly happy. The main reasons I ever feel unhappy are often related to being around unhappy people, I just don't like being around them. They bring me down. The author makes a good point about trying to find jobs that are fulfilling, that bring satisfaction. I completely agree. I have had jobs I hated and I left them right away. I have worked jobs for years that I love. I worked at a job I loved for ten years with no pay whatsoever because I adored it so much. It is important and fulfilling. I still do that job and now they even pay me. Not much, but I am ecstatic to be doing this thing that I do. I am very good at my job and that is because I love what I do. It makes me very happy! And I often hear from people who appreciate this very public job that I do. If I had been writing for The New Yorker for 27 years, like the author has, I would probably be a very happy guy, too. Great job. Everybody wants that one. I kept waiting for the author to mention animal companions. Perhaps he doesn't know any since he lives in the big city, probably in an apartment? But then I would guess he either doesn't have any connections with animals or that he doesn't care about them at all. If he did, he would surely indicate this fact. He never mentions a dog or a cat or any other animals. He mentions he has children. OK, a lot of people do, and that's fine. I don't have human children. But I have seven cats and they are my furry kids. They bring me constant joy and true happiness. They are always happy to see me, too. Adam Gopnik is missing out in my view if he doesn't have any animal friends or never has. But then this book is only 62 pages long so perhaps he just didn't have room to mention them if they do exist. If I wrote a book about happiness it would include my animal pals and the humans not so much. That is just me. I live in the country far from the concrete canyons of Manhattan and my current best friend is a rooster. He makes me very happy. Scorn me all you want but I'm sure there are other people like me who find great happiness engaging with their animal friends. We can trust them. They give us so much. In that regard the author is truly missing out. Or, at least, he missed including that fact in this book. I think there are some valuable insights here but frankly the author seems a bit wrapped up in his own intellect. It that makes him happy, good for him! By the way, this book is really a quick read. It took less than an hour. I enjoyed the book but I have my quibbles with it too, as I have stated. Of course it will probably be a best-seller. ... show more
Reviewed in the United States on April 27, 2024 by Honesty Blaze

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