10 Reasons to Read 10% Happier by Dan Harris

10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works by Dan Harris
Published by It Books on March 11, 2014
Genres/Lists: Memoir, Non-Fiction, Science/Technology/Psychology
Pages: 256
Read synopsis on Goodreads
Buy the book: Amazon/Audible (this post includes affiliate links)

I could probably write a pretty lengthy review about 10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works by Dan Harris, but at the end of the day it would be mostly babble. That’s because there are very straightforward reasons that anyone with a bit of anxiety in their lives should read it. I started out with a lot of the same preconceived notions about meditation and skepticism about authors like Eckhart Tolle, and I was glad to find someone who was in the same boat. So, I’m taking a page out of Leah at Books Speaks Volumes’ book and offering up 10 reasons to read 10% Happier:

The author is honest. He has no problem discussing his past drug use or the fact that he thinks organized religion is “bunk”.
It mentions 50 Cent, who reportedly meditates, which is good enough for me.
He’s not preachy. He openly discusses how he was not impressed with Eckhart Tolle or Deepak Chopra and thinks their ability to always be in the moment is a complete lie.
His knowledge about Buddhism prior to trying it out was limited to the stereotypes.
He’s the reporter from this video:

The book is funny and will actually make you laugh out loud.
He acknowledges that sometimes the only thing you can think about while meditating is that you look silly or have an itch in your ear and that’s okay.
He takes the time to debunk the myths surrounding meditation, including his own reluctance to tell people that he did it for a very long time.
He genuinely believes in the power of meditation, even though he doesn’t necessarily buy into the rest of Buddhism.
He turned out okay, so it’s kind of motivational.

10% Happier by @danbharris challenges your ideas about meditation (& mentions @50Cent). Click To Tweet