Hoist on My Own Petard: Or: How Writing 10% Happier Threw My Own Advice Right Back in My Face

by Dan Harris

#1 New York Times Bestseller

Winner of the 2014 Living Now Book Award for Inspirational Memoir

"An enormously smart, clear-eyed, brave-hearted, and quite personal look at the benefits of meditation."

—Elizabeth Gilbert

Nightline  anchor Dan Harrisembarks on an unexpected, hilarious, and deeply skeptical odyssey through the strange worlds of spirituality and self-help, and discovers a way to get happier that is truly achievable.

After having a nationally televised panic attack, Dan Harris knew he had to make some changes. A lifelong nonbeliever, he found himself on a bizarre adventure involving a disgraced pastor, a mysterious self-help guru, and a gaggle of brain scientists. Eventually, Harris realized that the source of his problems was the very thing he always thought was his greatest the incessant, insatiable voice in his head, which had propelled him through the ranks of a hypercompetitive business, but had also led him to make the profoundly stupid decisions that provoked his on-air freak-out.

Finally, Harris stumbled upon an effective way to rein in that voice, something he always assumed to be either impossible or meditation, a tool that research suggests can do everything from lower your blood pressure to essentially rewire your brain. 10% Happier takes readers on a ride from the outer reaches of neuroscience to the inner sanctum of network news to the bizarre fringes of America’s spiritual scene, and leaves them with a takeaway that could actually change their lives.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Meditation, Psychology, Biography, Buddhism, Reference

Kindle Edition

First published January 6, 2015

About the author

Dan Harris is the coanchor of Nightline and the weekend editions of Good Morning America. He regularly reports for 20/20, World News with Diane Sawyer, and the weekday editions of Good Morning America. Before joining ABC News fourteen years ago, he worked for local news outlets in Boston and Maine. He lives with his wife, Bianca, in New York City. 10% Happier is his first book.

Reviews

[Oliver · Rating 4 out of 5]

Something of a free teaser for people on the fence about reading '10% Happier'. Still a very good read though. If you're wondering if '10% Happier' is for you, go ahead and read this - it's a free Kindle download. It's a great preview of the full book (which is excellent by the way).

On the other hand, you could also just watch the talk he gave at Google. It's available on YouTube here. It covers much of the same ground, and is actually a great primer for his book.

[bfilbeck · Rating 1 out of 5]

This is an 8 page "book" followed by a chapter from his previous book--basically a pathetic attempt to get you to buy the other book. It fails miserably. The book is free and is still overpriced.

Dan Harris' life story portrays a narcissistic man who got lots of breaks in life based on the prominence of his parents, failed to capitalize on any of them, and apparently still does not recognize this yet.

Don't waste your time with this one.

[Melanie THEE Reader · Rating 5 out of 5]

"According to the Nielsen ratings data, 5.019 million people saw me lose my mind."



Having already read ‘10% Percent Happier,’ I didn’t necessarily need to read this teaser, but I’m glad I did. 10% Percent Happier is the reason I started meditating again. So read the teaser, then read Dan Harris’s full-length book about his meditation journey. You won’t regret it.

[Neka · Rating 3 out of 5]

This isn't really a book but a prologue and self-promotion of the "10% happier" book with two free chapters of said book to get you hooked. But it did get me hooked. Dan' story (so far) is interesting and seems honest to the point where I bought his book not because I wanted to know how to get 10% happier (I don't really care, I'm weird like that) but because I want to know more about his journey.

[Pierre Jacomet · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great re-take on the same topic. As I commented on my review, Dan does not suggest that his advice or book is the be-all and end-all to all your problems. Some folks say they do not review because this book is too short (8 pages), others say that Dan is a spoiled brat, others that it is a marketing pamphlet for 10% happier.

To me, so what if it is a pamphlet? A mighty good one it is then and it does not matter if it is 8 pages, rather, I love that it is brief. The only purpose of this book is that Dan is sincere in saying that he does not follow his own advice about what he preaches. Yes, we're all humans by the way.

I like the final paragraph in the book which reads:

"Unlike what you hear from self-appointed celebrity swamis, there are no silver bullets. (The only people who have had all their problem solved through self-help [books] are the people who write those books"

[Stephen Story · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is basically a new forward to 10 percent happier. It's a nice little follow-up for anyone who has read the book. It's also a great reminder to keep going with a meditation practice or any other habit you are working on. Harris's signature humor and honesty are on display. Plus, it's a free download. I don't understand the negative reviews. Pick it up if you've read 10 percent happier.

[Bart Grover · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a prequel to Harris's other book "10% Happier". I recently saw Harris at a cybersecurity conference and he's very engaging, fully believes in the value of mindfulness and meditation. I enjoyed listening to his presentation and this book, while very short, gives you a bit of insight into how he ended up where he did.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

I did expect there to be a little more to it than this...just a handful of original pages and then it was the opening chapter of 10% Happier, which I’ve already read. But I like Dan Harris and I’m looking forward to reading his new book.

[CJR · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was thinking there would be more material here,
but it's mainly just the first chapter of his book.
A bit longer than the free sample, so worth reading
if you're on the fence about buying his book.

[Sgt Rick · Rating 1 out of 5]

I read 10% Happier a couple years ago. Liked it. I believed that I got some good advice. When I saw this book I mistakenly thought it was a sequel. Turns out it is either a "prequel" or a teaser. Either way … not what I expected. Glad it did not cost $. Booo

[Maxim Stockmann · Rating 3 out of 5]

Habe erst nach dem Lesen gecheckt, das es als Teaser für sein richtiges Buch zu verstehen ist. Hat mir definitiv Lust gemacht das eigentlich Buch zu lesen, wenn allerdings jetzt nicht allzu spannend und viel aussagend.

[Rob Clifton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Nice prelude to the book

If you are considering reading 10% Happier, this will serve as a short introduction and background from the author. You can tell from the beginning, he's brutally honest and humorous. The Preface and 1st Chapter are included as well.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is really the cliff notes for the book. I'm not sure why he wrote it, unless as a marketing tool for the book. I read this AFTER the book so for me it was irrelevant.

[Bartlett · Rating 1 out of 5]

Ripoff. This is literally just the first part of his first book.

literally!!!
I'm not impressed with this. At. All.
.
.
.
.

12 more words required. Post on Amazon for com.

[Mavourneen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not What I Expected

I enjoyed reading this excerpt, but had hoped to read more about 10% Happier. 4 stars for the funny yet serious tone of writing.

[Witchin TheWoods · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not a book, about an 8 page essay. A reminder we are constantly learning. Had worthwhile quotes in it. Short. Sweet. When you fall get back up.

[Marlene · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed reading the stories the author shared. Nothing was held back as Dan Harris told about his travels, adventures, and life struggles. This is a memoir that is not only fun to read, but ends with a lesson that everyone in life could use.

[Jessie · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an article, not a book. It's a nice article about what happens when an author is held accountable for his words and comes up a bit short.

E-Book Sellers! Quit selling things as books when they are short stories or articles.

[Rita Clendenning · Rating 5 out of 5]

A insightful look into Dan Harris live

This book gives us a look inside your insecurities. It also shows something we all have to to deal with that we will be found out that we are all afraid to fail.

[Jeff]

Not worth rating because it's basically a 10 page vehicle to promote the broader 10% Happier book (which is good!). Not worth reading even if you liked the book, though. Basically no meat to it.

[Jeannine · Rating 1 out of 5]

This should not have been a book... it's a few pages addendum to his earlier work "10% Happier) with a repeat chapter from that book. Basically all it says is despite what I learned from meditation I still failed occasionally... isn't that the essence of learning and growing?

[Teri Gillen · Rating 1 out of 5]

Yup. Just the start of 10% Happier.

Don't bother. Nothing new here. Spend your money on 10% Happier. I loved it and will probably reread it. Amen

[January · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting to see how Dan dealt with the publication of his book (which I just finished) but there wasn't any new insight here.

[Hhharvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

What comes next

Very easy read and interesting but is that it. What comes next. Such an abrupt ending without any warning. What is the rest of the story.

[Jen Morrison · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really great advice told in an entertaining way. For anyone looking to try meditation, this book is a good place to start.

[Dee Renee Chesnut · Rating 2 out of 5]

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