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How to Be Happy: Not a Self-Help Book. Seriously.
Central Avenue Publishing is proud to publish another book by the widely acclaimed poet Iain S. Thomas. As many have noted on various social media platforms, there have been some issues that have led to the delayed release of this book. For this, we apologise and hopefully the content of the book will clarify the circumstances surrounding this delay. We feel we should also point out that this is not technically a self-help book, but it does contain some poignant prose, poetry and stories which may or may not lead you to happiness.
Mostly, it is the rather unfortunate chronicle of a man's attempt to write the book he’s promised his publisher, no matter the cost to his sanity.
Mostly, it is the rather unfortunate chronicle of a man's attempt to write the book he’s promised his publisher, no matter the cost to his sanity.
196 pages, Paperback
First published July 26, 2015
105 people are currently reading
2235 people want to read
About the author
Iain S. Thomas
21 books1,446 followers"Iain S. Thomas is the #1 bestselling author of I Wrote This For You and Intentional Dissonance. He wrote his first book, Ignite, at the age of 23 for the Markham clothing store. It won the Grand Prix at the First Paper House Art Of Design Awards and the only craft prize awarded that year, in the design category, at the national design/advertising awards (The Loeries).
As a creative director, he’s a champion for innovative design and communication for his clients which have included Nike, Levi’s, Johnny Walker, The Design Indaba, MTN, apple and many more, from Los Angeles, to Amsterdam, to Johannesburg, to Cape Town. His work has spanned everything from monuments to biodegradable posters.
In 2009, for his work as the author of the art/photography project “I Wrote This For You”, he was voted one of the top 5 finalists in the world in the “Best Blogger To Follow” category on mashable.com under his online pseudonym, pleasefindthis.
The project, which has proven incredibly popular across the world and gone on to become a best selling book, has also afforded him numerous exciting opportunities, including an invitation to dinner with the US Ambassador to South Africa, Donald Gipps as a consultant on digital development within South Africa, and a speaking spot at TEDx Johannesburg.
Through the project, he was also able to have skateboards delivered to The Uganda Skateboard Union on behalf of Stacy Peralta, director of Dogtown And Z-Boys and Riding Giants and he’s previously acted as a creative consultant to Brian Wayne Transeau or “BT” (whose previous collaborators include Peter Gabriel, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and David Bowie, amongst others) on his last album, If The Stars Are Eternal, So Are You And I.
His work has won numerous local and international awards and can be found in Communication Arts, Design Indaba Magazine, Ad Vantage Magazine, bestadsontv.com, Contagious Magazine, Archive, The University of Pretoria’s Permanent Design Collection, X-ings: Shaping Culture Through Design Exhibition, The United Nations Gallery of Sustainable Communication, TEDx, Heso Magazine (Japan) and http://www.inpursuitofelegance.com
Iain’s work focuses on non-traditional media in all its forms. He has never once really and truly enjoyed a long walk on a beach." - source
As a creative director, he’s a champion for innovative design and communication for his clients which have included Nike, Levi’s, Johnny Walker, The Design Indaba, MTN, apple and many more, from Los Angeles, to Amsterdam, to Johannesburg, to Cape Town. His work has spanned everything from monuments to biodegradable posters.
In 2009, for his work as the author of the art/photography project “I Wrote This For You”, he was voted one of the top 5 finalists in the world in the “Best Blogger To Follow” category on mashable.com under his online pseudonym, pleasefindthis.
The project, which has proven incredibly popular across the world and gone on to become a best selling book, has also afforded him numerous exciting opportunities, including an invitation to dinner with the US Ambassador to South Africa, Donald Gipps as a consultant on digital development within South Africa, and a speaking spot at TEDx Johannesburg.
Through the project, he was also able to have skateboards delivered to The Uganda Skateboard Union on behalf of Stacy Peralta, director of Dogtown And Z-Boys and Riding Giants and he’s previously acted as a creative consultant to Brian Wayne Transeau or “BT” (whose previous collaborators include Peter Gabriel, Britney Spears, Justin Timberlake and David Bowie, amongst others) on his last album, If The Stars Are Eternal, So Are You And I.
His work has won numerous local and international awards and can be found in Communication Arts, Design Indaba Magazine, Ad Vantage Magazine, bestadsontv.com, Contagious Magazine, Archive, The University of Pretoria’s Permanent Design Collection, X-ings: Shaping Culture Through Design Exhibition, The United Nations Gallery of Sustainable Communication, TEDx, Heso Magazine (Japan) and http://www.inpursuitofelegance.com
Iain’s work focuses on non-traditional media in all its forms. He has never once really and truly enjoyed a long walk on a beach." - source
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 66 reviews
August 15, 2016
I'm confused but it's the kind of confusion I can find a home in. It's the kind that doesn't have any negative connotations to it.
It's the kind that kept me reading and feeling thankful that I did.
It's the kind that kept me reading and feeling thankful that I did.
August 26, 2015
This really isn't a self help book. I read it... wasn't sure i got it... so immediately read it again. I am currently of the belief that this is a "fictional reality" story in which, the author live narrates his real life emotions against a mixed background of reality and fiction. The author creates a context in which we are able to view his actual tweets and blog posts, to which context gives new understanding to the work that you may have previously seen or could find. It's a pretty smart and daring way to write, breaking the 3rd wall.
The book is basically the attempts of the author to write a self help book while seemingly falling apart. Ironically a great use of irony AND dramatic irony. This book allows us to go behind the curtain and see a world that is both real and fictional... in mixed measures. What is true and what is false is hard to say for sure... but what is brilliant is everything.
Especially the story about the insane museum curator.
The book is basically the attempts of the author to write a self help book while seemingly falling apart. Ironically a great use of irony AND dramatic irony. This book allows us to go behind the curtain and see a world that is both real and fictional... in mixed measures. What is true and what is false is hard to say for sure... but what is brilliant is everything.
Especially the story about the insane museum curator.
August 11, 2016
0 stars. This books gets 0. I loved his other books but this is just a load of rubbish! Literally! Nonsense e-mails between him and his publisher, tweets, doodles, and ramblings! Pure, depressing, rubbish ramblings! What a waste of my time and money.
October 16, 2015
My heart broke every time I read a passage about his father. Ugh. Feelings.
December 27, 2018
2.5
"There is no pressure to become who 'you' are at a specific point in your life, you are who 'you' are, you do not become 'you' one day in the future, you are always you, with everything you do."
I really enjoy Iain S. Thomas' work. I really do. I read I WROTE THIS FOR YOU a couple of months ago and really enjoyed it, and I read 300 THINGS I HOPE a couple of months ago and it is one of my favorite books that I read this year. But this book? It was a complete mess. I have no clue where he was trying to go with this book, and after thinking about it I don't think he knew either. Anyways, I found this book to be really boring and too random. For a book to be too random for me is a big thing too, because I love nonsensical and random books, but this was just not good. I do think that I will continue to pick up Thomas' work as it comes out, though. I just happened to not enjoy this book as much as I have enjoyed his other works.
MORE QUOTES
"Because all stories, at least most of them, have a happy ending. But we need to be happy, now, before we end."
"'Moon, tell Amanda I saw you and remind her that when she sees you, she must remember that our eyes saw the same light, (no matter how far apart we are, the light, is, the, same)."
"Every time I fix a scratch on my car, I find another one and I like to think you'd say 'Well that's life isn't it, might as well be happy'"
"Hopelessness is learned. What I mean is we are taught to be cynical by millions of little failures, desperate and otherwise. You have to unlearn it all somehow. Otherwise, you are just what you're left with."
"Maybe one day you'll write the most moving thing ever written, and if anyone ever read it they'd cry if they ever found it amongst the one thousand thousand, thousand, thousand other things that have been written like bills and tax returns. But write beautiful things, anyway. Because even if the only person you impress at the end is you it will be worth it."
"There is no pressure to become who 'you' are at a specific point in your life, you are who 'you' are, you do not become 'you' one day in the future, you are always you, with everything you do."
I really enjoy Iain S. Thomas' work. I really do. I read I WROTE THIS FOR YOU a couple of months ago and really enjoyed it, and I read 300 THINGS I HOPE a couple of months ago and it is one of my favorite books that I read this year. But this book? It was a complete mess. I have no clue where he was trying to go with this book, and after thinking about it I don't think he knew either. Anyways, I found this book to be really boring and too random. For a book to be too random for me is a big thing too, because I love nonsensical and random books, but this was just not good. I do think that I will continue to pick up Thomas' work as it comes out, though. I just happened to not enjoy this book as much as I have enjoyed his other works.
MORE QUOTES
"Because all stories, at least most of them, have a happy ending. But we need to be happy, now, before we end."
"'Moon, tell Amanda I saw you and remind her that when she sees you, she must remember that our eyes saw the same light, (no matter how far apart we are, the light, is, the, same)."
"Every time I fix a scratch on my car, I find another one and I like to think you'd say 'Well that's life isn't it, might as well be happy'"
"Hopelessness is learned. What I mean is we are taught to be cynical by millions of little failures, desperate and otherwise. You have to unlearn it all somehow. Otherwise, you are just what you're left with."
"Maybe one day you'll write the most moving thing ever written, and if anyone ever read it they'd cry if they ever found it amongst the one thousand thousand, thousand, thousand other things that have been written like bills and tax returns. But write beautiful things, anyway. Because even if the only person you impress at the end is you it will be worth it."
May 24, 2016
"There is no pressure to become who "you" are at a specific point in your life, you are who "you" are, you do not become "you" one day in the future, you are always you, with everything you do."
I loved this book. Then again, I love all of the work I've read by Iain S. Thomas up to this point. He has such a way with words and it really causes you to stop and think when you're reading his work. I have the utmost respect for anyone that can write about personal experiences and things that are harder to talk about. It's what I struggle with constantly and it's refreshing to know that sometimes even the people I admire feel the way I do. That not everything comes easy to someone who is successful. It makes my goals and dreams feel achievable when I'm feeling like it's too difficult at the moment. That being said, this book was very interesting. It is comprised of short stories, poems, drawings, self-reflection and emails going back and forth from someone named Sandra who used to represent him and clearly has some of her own problems to work out. Sandra seems to be the epitome of someone who thinks "money does buy you happiness, which we all know isn't actually the case. Money only makes life easier. Happiness comes from you and how you choose to spend your energy in your life. It comes from the people you surround yourself with and the way you choose to let things affect you. I cried a quite a few times when reading some of Thomas's poems in this book and I found myself doing my own self-reflecting. This book feels scattered and a bit like a rant at times, but I loved that. It felt so real. I felt like I was shadowing him while he sat at his computer and wrote. Being a songwriter, I felt like I connected a bit more than someone else would, but I still feel like anyone can relate to this story. It's the ultimate thing people chase. Happiness. How does one become happy? This book gives you tips but ultimately, it's up to you. Thomas does a fantastic job at making you see that. It's easy to forget your self worth at times and I feel like this book forces you to pause for a moment and think about your actions and the people you're around and do you spend too much time sighing? It was a very interesting read and again, beautifully written (as is all of his work). There were certain things I didn't quite agree with, but that's the beauty of it. Each person has to find their own thing that makes them happy and this book is a great way to help you start to find yours if you haven't yet. I love the way this book explained the cover and the ideas throughout the emails with him and Sandra. I just thought it was done very creatively. I'm beyond happy Thomas stuck with gut decision and didn't allow someone to make him be someone he's not for the sake of making money. That happens so much when you're in any type of creative field and the fact that he didn't budge makes me like him so much more than I already do. I still need to read a few more of his written works and then I'll be eagerly anticipating his future releases. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Iain S. Thomas (pleasefindthis) or to anyone who needs a bit of guidance when it comes to finding your happiness. I think it's so important to embrace your sadness and anger but not to dwell there which I find myself doing from time to time. This book is reminder to not allow yourself to get stuck there. I truly believe the key to happiness is love. Doing what you love, being with who you love and loving yourself will help you get there faster and this book touches on those things very nicely. No one has the exact answers for how to be happy, it's something you have to figure out how to do on your own. We spend too much time caught up in other people's lives and comparing theirs to ours when we should just be enjoying life. I think this book will open your eyes to some things you might not have noticed otherwise. I would also recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of poetry and maybe to someone who is interested in human personalities and psychology. I think there's something in here for everyone. I was a bit down when I read this book and even though he addresses the reader many times in this book about problems you'll likely have, it's not aggressive, it's just interesting. I actually found myself feeling lighter and caring less about the stuff that was bringing me down after reading this book. I also sent my cousin a screenshot of his poem, Love, Audi. It's a very thought provoking piece that might sway you to pick up the book if you're on the fence for some reason. I also highly recommend picking up Iain S. Thomas's other books. They are all beautiful.
Love, Audi
I have trouble saying my own name and yet no trouble saying yours.
I would call things and people by different names, we all would, if we
could.
We all do when we're inside ourselves.
I never really learnt how to say it and
whenever I give my name to the pizza place there's always a question
mark at the end of it.
I am expecting them to say, "What?"
But I still brush my teeth every morning because I want to be a better person.
(We all measure happiness in displacement, by what gaps the things
that leave us, leave.)
(Try to try more times than you fail.)
There's so many stupid conferences you can go to
to learn how to sell stupid things to stupid people.
Everyone's profile picture is just them with a shit-eating-grin.
I don't know what else it should be.
Maybe a picture of themselves with the thing that hurt them.
So often the thing that hurts you is the thing that makes you human.
As you get older you miss people you didn't think you would.
That one popular kid from high school has had a child
(we were all kids once)
and you think, "Good for him."
The guy who made my iPhone probably killed himself;
I wonder if his ghost listens to my calls.
If he sends Morse code messages over
the static on the line
if the call drops
he probably just doesn't like what I'm saying.
None of us are so brave any more.
Not because misery loves company
but because misery is comfortable.
They're building cars that drive themselves;
one day a car will shoot itself in the bonnet;
it'll send a text to your smartwatch that says
"I'm so sorry, goodbye.
Love, Audi."
I loved this book. Then again, I love all of the work I've read by Iain S. Thomas up to this point. He has such a way with words and it really causes you to stop and think when you're reading his work. I have the utmost respect for anyone that can write about personal experiences and things that are harder to talk about. It's what I struggle with constantly and it's refreshing to know that sometimes even the people I admire feel the way I do. That not everything comes easy to someone who is successful. It makes my goals and dreams feel achievable when I'm feeling like it's too difficult at the moment. That being said, this book was very interesting. It is comprised of short stories, poems, drawings, self-reflection and emails going back and forth from someone named Sandra who used to represent him and clearly has some of her own problems to work out. Sandra seems to be the epitome of someone who thinks "money does buy you happiness, which we all know isn't actually the case. Money only makes life easier. Happiness comes from you and how you choose to spend your energy in your life. It comes from the people you surround yourself with and the way you choose to let things affect you. I cried a quite a few times when reading some of Thomas's poems in this book and I found myself doing my own self-reflecting. This book feels scattered and a bit like a rant at times, but I loved that. It felt so real. I felt like I was shadowing him while he sat at his computer and wrote. Being a songwriter, I felt like I connected a bit more than someone else would, but I still feel like anyone can relate to this story. It's the ultimate thing people chase. Happiness. How does one become happy? This book gives you tips but ultimately, it's up to you. Thomas does a fantastic job at making you see that. It's easy to forget your self worth at times and I feel like this book forces you to pause for a moment and think about your actions and the people you're around and do you spend too much time sighing? It was a very interesting read and again, beautifully written (as is all of his work). There were certain things I didn't quite agree with, but that's the beauty of it. Each person has to find their own thing that makes them happy and this book is a great way to help you start to find yours if you haven't yet. I love the way this book explained the cover and the ideas throughout the emails with him and Sandra. I just thought it was done very creatively. I'm beyond happy Thomas stuck with gut decision and didn't allow someone to make him be someone he's not for the sake of making money. That happens so much when you're in any type of creative field and the fact that he didn't budge makes me like him so much more than I already do. I still need to read a few more of his written works and then I'll be eagerly anticipating his future releases. I highly recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of Iain S. Thomas (pleasefindthis) or to anyone who needs a bit of guidance when it comes to finding your happiness. I think it's so important to embrace your sadness and anger but not to dwell there which I find myself doing from time to time. This book is reminder to not allow yourself to get stuck there. I truly believe the key to happiness is love. Doing what you love, being with who you love and loving yourself will help you get there faster and this book touches on those things very nicely. No one has the exact answers for how to be happy, it's something you have to figure out how to do on your own. We spend too much time caught up in other people's lives and comparing theirs to ours when we should just be enjoying life. I think this book will open your eyes to some things you might not have noticed otherwise. I would also recommend this book to anyone who is a fan of poetry and maybe to someone who is interested in human personalities and psychology. I think there's something in here for everyone. I was a bit down when I read this book and even though he addresses the reader many times in this book about problems you'll likely have, it's not aggressive, it's just interesting. I actually found myself feeling lighter and caring less about the stuff that was bringing me down after reading this book. I also sent my cousin a screenshot of his poem, Love, Audi. It's a very thought provoking piece that might sway you to pick up the book if you're on the fence for some reason. I also highly recommend picking up Iain S. Thomas's other books. They are all beautiful.
Love, Audi
I have trouble saying my own name and yet no trouble saying yours.
I would call things and people by different names, we all would, if we
could.
We all do when we're inside ourselves.
I never really learnt how to say it and
whenever I give my name to the pizza place there's always a question
mark at the end of it.
I am expecting them to say, "What?"
But I still brush my teeth every morning because I want to be a better person.
(We all measure happiness in displacement, by what gaps the things
that leave us, leave.)
(Try to try more times than you fail.)
There's so many stupid conferences you can go to
to learn how to sell stupid things to stupid people.
Everyone's profile picture is just them with a shit-eating-grin.
I don't know what else it should be.
Maybe a picture of themselves with the thing that hurt them.
So often the thing that hurts you is the thing that makes you human.
As you get older you miss people you didn't think you would.
That one popular kid from high school has had a child
(we were all kids once)
and you think, "Good for him."
The guy who made my iPhone probably killed himself;
I wonder if his ghost listens to my calls.
If he sends Morse code messages over
the static on the line
if the call drops
he probably just doesn't like what I'm saying.
None of us are so brave any more.
Not because misery loves company
but because misery is comfortable.
They're building cars that drive themselves;
one day a car will shoot itself in the bonnet;
it'll send a text to your smartwatch that says
"I'm so sorry, goodbye.
Love, Audi."
December 12, 2017
Was going through a hard time, n this book doesn’t teach you how to be happy, but distracts you from the things that make you unhappy, loved it so much!
July 9, 2017
Can Iain do anything wrong?
The answer is no. Another book by him, and another fantastic journey to enjoy.
The answer is no. Another book by him, and another fantastic journey to enjoy.
January 2, 2018
While I love Iain’s other books this is absolute garbage. While I marked it as “read” I only made it through 1/2-3/4 of the way.. leafing through the remainder to try and find some nugget of wisdom that would allow me to at least give it 2 Stars. Unfortunately, none was to be found and if I could give it a zero, this is the first book I would assign it to. Very disappointed... a complete waste of money.
Read
June 25, 2016i re-read random pages several times and his words keep racing through my head, yet i'm not completely satisfied with this book, so i'll rate this one and talk more about it later.
November 26, 2018
I've never read anything by Iain S. Thomas. I'm not sure I'd ever heard of him, and I'm flummoxed as I can't even recall how I ended up borrowing this book via my library's Hoopla account. I read a lot of books on positive psychology, so I suppose I could have misunderstood the premise and put the book on my list without a recommendation when I came across it. Whatever the provenance, this is a book that found me at the right time.
For those who didn't read the subtitle, it's not a self-help book. Except it is. It helped me a great deal. The conceit of the book is that it's a series of emails sent back and forth between Iain (as narrator/protagonist) and his publisher, with attachments of the things he's written. Ostensibly, they should be parts of his book, which the publishing envisions as those bits of tripe and piffle sold as holiday gifts, but Iain is writing something deeper, more empathetic, but certainly lacking in form. Sometimes he randomly attaches science fiction short stories. There are also his tweets (which are, as far as I can tell, the author's actual tweets). There are poems, including one that made me cry, and a few I intend to copy out and send to friends. And all if it is perfect if you're in a lovely mood and recalling (or anticipating) the times when you will be bereft and heartbroken, and perfectly comforting (as much as a book can be) when one is actually bereft and heartbroken.
It seems half of the Goodreads reviewers don't like it at all; some are too dim to understand the free-form nature, and some are too pretentious to imagine that intelligent people can be moved by words that are not earth shattering. Others may just not like it (and I can respect that). But the right words at the right time, Iain. You got me.
I'd never have known, but I'd gladly have read the book for just the brief chapter (not a poem, really, but I'm not sure what you would call it) on resetting the human heart. And there are phrases and paragraphs peppered throughout the book that freeze me in place, just as this did:
"I'm petrified there's a kind of nostalgia that freezes you in pace and makes you (me) forget that you'll (I'll) miss this too one day.
Isn't that the truth? You can't miss something until it's taken away? How do you ever know what'll go next and isn't it unfair that you can't hold everything to your chest all at once?"
Other things I loved, and while I might sound like the author (or the narrator) noting that I'm sorry if you don't find it as meaningful as I do:
"Risk doing things that'll make you happy."
"Didn't make it to the shops on time, so I gave pieces of myself away as gifts. Still trying to rebuild. Using a jar of marmalade as a heart."
The Story of An Insane Museum Curator and His Polar Bear made me laugh out loud and wonder if the author was hiding in my closet.
The bit that starts, "Don't seek out things that yu hate an dadopt them like children, devoting your life to hating something" points the finger at what I hate most. The people who are pretentiously dyspeptic on purpose. But Thomas writes the way I do (which is probably why I like him, and why others may not), following immediately with humor, "...Unless it's cancer or racism or sexism or rape or North Korea's complete and utter brutalisation of its own people. It's OK to hate those things. In fact, you should hate those thinogs. Pur the hate down on those things from the highest rooftop. But don't find an actor you don't like or a restaurant or person and then spend all your time complaining..."
I never use bookmarks or highlights (especially in the Hoopla) app because I find it annoying. (I tend to use tape flags in tangible books until I can copy out all that I like.) But this book, I bookmarked with the clunky app so that I could remember each odd turn of phrase. I don't usually like poetry. I don't usually like weirdly formatting books. I don't usually like things like this, even though there's nothing quite like this.
But I really liked this.
For those who didn't read the subtitle, it's not a self-help book. Except it is. It helped me a great deal. The conceit of the book is that it's a series of emails sent back and forth between Iain (as narrator/protagonist) and his publisher, with attachments of the things he's written. Ostensibly, they should be parts of his book, which the publishing envisions as those bits of tripe and piffle sold as holiday gifts, but Iain is writing something deeper, more empathetic, but certainly lacking in form. Sometimes he randomly attaches science fiction short stories. There are also his tweets (which are, as far as I can tell, the author's actual tweets). There are poems, including one that made me cry, and a few I intend to copy out and send to friends. And all if it is perfect if you're in a lovely mood and recalling (or anticipating) the times when you will be bereft and heartbroken, and perfectly comforting (as much as a book can be) when one is actually bereft and heartbroken.
It seems half of the Goodreads reviewers don't like it at all; some are too dim to understand the free-form nature, and some are too pretentious to imagine that intelligent people can be moved by words that are not earth shattering. Others may just not like it (and I can respect that). But the right words at the right time, Iain. You got me.
I'd never have known, but I'd gladly have read the book for just the brief chapter (not a poem, really, but I'm not sure what you would call it) on resetting the human heart. And there are phrases and paragraphs peppered throughout the book that freeze me in place, just as this did:
"I'm petrified there's a kind of nostalgia that freezes you in pace and makes you (me) forget that you'll (I'll) miss this too one day.
Isn't that the truth? You can't miss something until it's taken away? How do you ever know what'll go next and isn't it unfair that you can't hold everything to your chest all at once?"
Other things I loved, and while I might sound like the author (or the narrator) noting that I'm sorry if you don't find it as meaningful as I do:
"Risk doing things that'll make you happy."
"Didn't make it to the shops on time, so I gave pieces of myself away as gifts. Still trying to rebuild. Using a jar of marmalade as a heart."
The Story of An Insane Museum Curator and His Polar Bear made me laugh out loud and wonder if the author was hiding in my closet.
The bit that starts, "Don't seek out things that yu hate an dadopt them like children, devoting your life to hating something" points the finger at what I hate most. The people who are pretentiously dyspeptic on purpose. But Thomas writes the way I do (which is probably why I like him, and why others may not), following immediately with humor, "...Unless it's cancer or racism or sexism or rape or North Korea's complete and utter brutalisation of its own people. It's OK to hate those things. In fact, you should hate those thinogs. Pur the hate down on those things from the highest rooftop. But don't find an actor you don't like or a restaurant or person and then spend all your time complaining..."
I never use bookmarks or highlights (especially in the Hoopla) app because I find it annoying. (I tend to use tape flags in tangible books until I can copy out all that I like.) But this book, I bookmarked with the clunky app so that I could remember each odd turn of phrase. I don't usually like poetry. I don't usually like weirdly formatting books. I don't usually like things like this, even though there's nothing quite like this.
But I really liked this.
November 3, 2017
As the title suggests, this book is most definitely not a self-help book.
Yes, this book can be confusing; it is a collection of emails, Tweets, poetry, prose and short stories (some drawings, too). You would get an email, then three short stories about animals (they happened to be my favourite though). Despite how random this combination may seem, the author has a way with words in everything he has written, in which it compels you to continue reading; it's almost like I found home and comfort in what he has written. The entirety of the work, the emails and the Tweets mixed with the poetry and the prose and the short stories, was what made the book unique to the author; it shows that this is his work, and not anyone else's. This book is a brilliant mix of reality and fiction, and I had enjoyed it very much. I look forward to reading more work by Iain S. Thomas.
Yes, this book can be confusing; it is a collection of emails, Tweets, poetry, prose and short stories (some drawings, too). You would get an email, then three short stories about animals (they happened to be my favourite though). Despite how random this combination may seem, the author has a way with words in everything he has written, in which it compels you to continue reading; it's almost like I found home and comfort in what he has written. The entirety of the work, the emails and the Tweets mixed with the poetry and the prose and the short stories, was what made the book unique to the author; it shows that this is his work, and not anyone else's. This book is a brilliant mix of reality and fiction, and I had enjoyed it very much. I look forward to reading more work by Iain S. Thomas.
May 11, 2017
I finished reading this book and I have some mixed feelings about it.
The book contains poems, tweets, email exchange and even some drawings.
I liked a lot of the poems from the book, but the part that supposed to be about how to be happy, left me confused. Is this some kind of author's joke, or is it fiction mixed with reality to confuse the reader? There was a lot of apologies from author, even suggestions to stop reading the book, since it may make people sad, not happy.
This is not really a self help book, but it does incorporate some prose, or suggestions that may ( or may not) help to be happy.
I enjoyed reading this book, even though it left me some what perplexed. It is my third book by Iain S. Thomas that I read. But still his "300 things I hope" is my favorite.
The book contains poems, tweets, email exchange and even some drawings.
I liked a lot of the poems from the book, but the part that supposed to be about how to be happy, left me confused. Is this some kind of author's joke, or is it fiction mixed with reality to confuse the reader? There was a lot of apologies from author, even suggestions to stop reading the book, since it may make people sad, not happy.
This is not really a self help book, but it does incorporate some prose, or suggestions that may ( or may not) help to be happy.
I enjoyed reading this book, even though it left me some what perplexed. It is my third book by Iain S. Thomas that I read. But still his "300 things I hope" is my favorite.
December 29, 2023
i found How to Be Happy: Not a Self-Help Book. Seriously. by Iain Thomas to be a mixed bag. Parts of the book were boring and useless while other parts imparted a simple wisdom into how to be happy (even though Thomas, tongue in cheek, says it is not a self-help book.) The emails between him and his publisher should have been eliminated and the majority of the short stories were pointless to me. I did like the little snippets about life and found them useful and interesting and when he delves into his personal life, as when he talks about his father, his words are poignant and touching. While this book would not be of interest to some, others will find it well-worth the read. As I said, it was a mixed bag for me but I am not sorry that I read it.
December 30, 2017
The book was not what I was expecting, but it still ended with me loving it. It's slightly confusing at the start, but at the end that made me want to immediately reread it. This book was exactly what I needed and it left me feeling good after a bad day. And because of that I think it'll stick with me.
I understand that it's easy to look at this kind of writing and just see it as odd or too simple. But I think that's the beauty in it because that's so incredibly human. And as always, it made me cry.
I understand that it's easy to look at this kind of writing and just see it as odd or too simple. But I think that's the beauty in it because that's so incredibly human. And as always, it made me cry.
September 26, 2017
This was a surprising read. At first, the lack of structure annoyed me. But then it started to feel like I was sitting on the floor in front of some drawers -presumably Iain's- that contained poems on small sheets of paper, longer reflections, scribbles and doodles. And somehow, that made me very happy.
Thank you for the time travel moment, Iain. And for "Shoulder, Shoulder, Slow, Slow". It may be the most beautiful poem I've read in a long time.
Thank you for the time travel moment, Iain. And for "Shoulder, Shoulder, Slow, Slow". It may be the most beautiful poem I've read in a long time.
January 20, 2021
This book sucks and it sucks more than I do sucking. It’s the worst pretentious I’m-not-like-other-books fake deep for 10 year olds shit post Twitter screenshots and rambling about not smoking and exercising and drinking water and all that cringed shit it’s absolutely horrible. And telling people to just get out of bed and do cleaning and not be miserable about not being able to do work? That’s not how it works. Shit book.
August 23, 2022
I don’t get how a book can leave you like coffee, bitter but craving for more. What a wonderful poet this man is, I just can’t understand sometimes why the narrator felt as unprofessional as the other person. That left a bit of a sour taste in my tongue. Wonderfully crafted books with some missed threads. Wonderful read especially if you’re sad.
I just feel like I would appreciate it more if I was younger. It’s a good book to read through the week.
I just feel like I would appreciate it more if I was younger. It’s a good book to read through the week.
March 10, 2023
I am a fan of Thomas. I have read and own multiple of his books. This one fell a little flat for me. It was a unique format though, so I do admire his willingness to take risks and experiment. And there were several gems within the book that resonated with me. So overall I gave it 4 stars, even though it wasn’t my favorite. I think if this were a reader’s first exposure to Thomas, they might not dig further. So I encourage anyone who this applies to, to read further into his works.
January 4, 2018
I am Iain Thomas’s biggest fan and this was a great read. Some of the media, such as the email conversations between him and his editor, weren’t my favorite of his work but the other bits throughout were just as amazing as his other works. His brain is beautiful. Can’t wait to read what he puts out next!
November 18, 2018
I enjoyed this book because it gives the reader actual information on how to be happier, while he tells us these aren't rules for life, and he explains that he is person with a life and we are too. I also enjoy the way he explained everything, he talked like he knew everything about me and, and what I'm going through but in short, he talked to us like a human, not an average robotic author.
May 12, 2020
I really like his other books. The weird format - I'm not sure if this was "art" trying to say something through emails and tweets about his publisher pushing him to publish something, or meant to be taken exactly as is. Had some cool things in it (I still like his writing) but the majority is ...I don't want to call it nonsense, because I really do like this author. It's just not for me.
September 23, 2020
I already wrote a review but it vanished into thin air so hopefully now I can come up with an equal or better one. And if that doesn’t describe this book then I don’t know what will. This book has nothing and everything. It’s a cuddle and a handshake. Nothing profound but leaves you thinking in the way only profound things make you think. Expect nothing so that you might appreciate everything.
May 29, 2025
I’ve had a couple of Iain S. Thomas’s books on my list for years and just never got around to them. But he is exactly the kind of poet I love. This was the kind of book that makes me think and feel too hard about existing as a human. It was poignant and memorable to me and I’ll definitely be keeping it on my shelf.
February 23, 2018
This book was genuinely a fun read. I picked it up on a whim at Barnes and Noble because it was a good price and the title seemed interesting, and I blew through it in about a day! Such an interesting concept for a book, and I came out of it thinking of things I hadn't given much thought before.
December 11, 2019
I hate to be on the side of the psychotic publishing employee who lied to and harassed Iain S. Thomas, but this book is such a mess. Truly, it is not a self-help book. I don't think it knows what it is. It's poetry mixed with short stories, emails, tweets, and ramblings of a poet who seems like he's in the middle of a nervous breakdown. Parts of it work, particularly the sections where Thomas actually does try to nail down ways to be happy, but the rest is weird and fragmented at best. Definitely not recommended!
February 23, 2021
What just happened
Bad things happen, animals have feelings too. Speaking with touching instead of a voice sounds much more appealing. The author must have gone through a me tal breakdown the same time as I am, because I get it. Lol read the book it's art.
Bad things happen, animals have feelings too. Speaking with touching instead of a voice sounds much more appealing. The author must have gone through a me tal breakdown the same time as I am, because I get it. Lol read the book it's art.
August 17, 2018
A special place in any writer’s heart is reserved for this book. Carefully constructed honesty, arranged artfully. Well done.
September 7, 2018
For those who didn't like it: He did apologise.
Seems like Sandra could use this book
Seems like Sandra could use this book
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