What do you think?
Rate this book
Joy.ology: The Chemistry of Happiness
We wake up every morning hoping to be happy and, by conventional wisdom, we should be! If we work hard, we will be more successful, and if we are more successful, we will be happy. If we can just find that great job, get that next promotion, or lose those five pounds, happiness will follow. But happiness is far more than a positive feeling that comes and goes. Neuroscience has now proven that keeping happy is a skill you can develop! In JOY.OLOGY, Professor Turker Bas delves into this, revealing fascinating new insights into the science of happiness and taking us on a groundbreaking tour of the mind and the four chemicals that drive the way we feel. JOY.OLOGY presents an unprecedented view of the intersection of neurology, psychology, and contemplative practice, and is filled with practical tools and skills that you can use every day to tap into the unused potential of your brain and rewire it for greater happiness. Each chapter will help you understand the role of one the "happy chemicals" in your brain—serotonin, dopamine, oxytocin, and endorphin—focusing on exactly what that chemical is and how it can boost your happiness. Read this practical, easy-to-understand, and often entertaining book, and you’ll know exactly how to trigger your happy chemicals, nourish your mind, balance your brain, and help others do the same.
214 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 5, 2017
9 people are currently reading
43 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
December 22, 2017
Wow what a book!
The modern world says happiness is a myth, then I ask the modern world to read this book by Professor Turker Bas.
I quote a line from the book
Unhappiness is not a destiny, we can change it as opposed to popular belief.
Dr. Bas has shown that happiness is attainable just by a few simple steps. And these steps involve making a few life style and reactionary changes and they cost no money but give life long happiness.
I have rarely come across a book which can give a simple formula to attain happiness and Dr. Turker Bas' book Joy.ology does this. Every sentence in his book is backed by examples, evidence, and medical research. Being a doctor myself, I do know that everything that Dr. Bas has written in this book is so true and has been so forgotten by me, living this fast life.
The book, though based on scientific principles and research on brain, is actually written in a simple and easy to understand style. The words were read, understood and easily absorbed.
While reading the book, I was in total awe of Dr. Bas' talent in taking an emotion like happiness and making it easily attainable for all. His hard work and intelligence are well evident in the entire book.
There is a saying that suffering is optional, and this book proves that in a simple but scientific manner without being preachy. In this book, the author has shown the deep relationship between brain, hormones, and happiness. Just modulating and triggering the right hormones with the right actions can lead to life long happiness. This book gives us the pathway: knowledge leads to understanding leads to change which ultimately leads to happiness.
For me, Dr. Bas through his words has reinforced a basic fact that it is not the incidents in life, but our reactions to it which can lead to happiness or sadness.
I end the review with a quote from the book on habits
"Habits: instead of trying to quit the old undesirable ones; exchange them for newer healthier habits"
Depression has become a major issue of modern life. And a book like this, written in a simple easy language, would help more people avoid medication and therapy. I think this book is definitely a bonus to humanity and mankind. A must read for all.
The modern world says happiness is a myth, then I ask the modern world to read this book by Professor Turker Bas.
I quote a line from the book
Unhappiness is not a destiny, we can change it as opposed to popular belief.
Dr. Bas has shown that happiness is attainable just by a few simple steps. And these steps involve making a few life style and reactionary changes and they cost no money but give life long happiness.
I have rarely come across a book which can give a simple formula to attain happiness and Dr. Turker Bas' book Joy.ology does this. Every sentence in his book is backed by examples, evidence, and medical research. Being a doctor myself, I do know that everything that Dr. Bas has written in this book is so true and has been so forgotten by me, living this fast life.
The book, though based on scientific principles and research on brain, is actually written in a simple and easy to understand style. The words were read, understood and easily absorbed.
While reading the book, I was in total awe of Dr. Bas' talent in taking an emotion like happiness and making it easily attainable for all. His hard work and intelligence are well evident in the entire book.
There is a saying that suffering is optional, and this book proves that in a simple but scientific manner without being preachy. In this book, the author has shown the deep relationship between brain, hormones, and happiness. Just modulating and triggering the right hormones with the right actions can lead to life long happiness. This book gives us the pathway: knowledge leads to understanding leads to change which ultimately leads to happiness.
For me, Dr. Bas through his words has reinforced a basic fact that it is not the incidents in life, but our reactions to it which can lead to happiness or sadness.
I end the review with a quote from the book on habits
"Habits: instead of trying to quit the old undesirable ones; exchange them for newer healthier habits"
Depression has become a major issue of modern life. And a book like this, written in a simple easy language, would help more people avoid medication and therapy. I think this book is definitely a bonus to humanity and mankind. A must read for all.
January 4, 2018
A great resource for anyone who wants to understand why they feel the way they do. This book is a guide, from a biochemical perspective, as to what triggers emotion and long-lasting moods. Understand your present state of mind, and perhaps try to avoid the negativeness that brings you to unhappy places.
January 4, 2018
Joy.ology by Turker Bas, PhD, pleasantly surprised me. With these kinds of books, I usually expect either some dull account heavily decorated with barely-decipherable scientific jargon or a self-help book which is more fluff than anything else. However, Bas has managed to achieve a balance between a scientific basis for an argument and conversational anecdotes o support and illustrate said basis. More importantly, the topic is one in which everyone can find some benefit, from civil servants and fast food workers to CEOs and the rest of the 1%.
Have you ever wondered what the secret to happiness is? After all, so few people seem to achieve it, even celebrities and the rich. Bas had the same sort of question in mind when he began his search for the truth behind happiness. Where did he find it? Not philosophy, religion, or psychology, but rather one of the places which we don't ordinarily consider with this topic: neurobiology. In his book, Joy.ology: The Chemistry of Happiness, Bas explores the chemicals release in our brains which contribute to happiness, how they came about, and how the original programming of our brains--which he dubs our "primitive brains"--fail to make us happy in modern times. To top it all off, Bas suggests ways in which we can truly be happy without relying on artificial triggering of chemicals like dopamine and serotonin.
I'll admit, there are some words and concepts which you must pay special attention to in this book, particularly the chemicals behind happiness and how they function. Overall, however, this book is pretty easy to follow and can even be enjoyable to read. Bas's informal approach to the subject combined with his conversational tone made Joy.ology more pleasant to read than most science books and his scientific approach to happiness lent much more credence to his thoughts than most self-help books.
I can definitely say that my anxiety and feelings of jealousy make more sense now that I've read Bas's work. I never considered the chemical aspect behind my struggles finding happiness, but I will take it into account and try and follow Bas's advice from this point on.
Of course, the book is not without its faults. Namely, I noticed a few proofreading errors which distracted me at times. Mind you, Bas does not writer in American English, but that fact did not cause those proofreading errors. Still, these errors did not detract from the general quality of the work.
Overall, Bas presents a persuasive argument which is also fun to read. I highly recommend it to those looking for a path to true happiness and those who just wish to figure out why humans act the way they do in in modern society.
Have you ever wondered what the secret to happiness is? After all, so few people seem to achieve it, even celebrities and the rich. Bas had the same sort of question in mind when he began his search for the truth behind happiness. Where did he find it? Not philosophy, religion, or psychology, but rather one of the places which we don't ordinarily consider with this topic: neurobiology. In his book, Joy.ology: The Chemistry of Happiness, Bas explores the chemicals release in our brains which contribute to happiness, how they came about, and how the original programming of our brains--which he dubs our "primitive brains"--fail to make us happy in modern times. To top it all off, Bas suggests ways in which we can truly be happy without relying on artificial triggering of chemicals like dopamine and serotonin.
I'll admit, there are some words and concepts which you must pay special attention to in this book, particularly the chemicals behind happiness and how they function. Overall, however, this book is pretty easy to follow and can even be enjoyable to read. Bas's informal approach to the subject combined with his conversational tone made Joy.ology more pleasant to read than most science books and his scientific approach to happiness lent much more credence to his thoughts than most self-help books.
I can definitely say that my anxiety and feelings of jealousy make more sense now that I've read Bas's work. I never considered the chemical aspect behind my struggles finding happiness, but I will take it into account and try and follow Bas's advice from this point on.
Of course, the book is not without its faults. Namely, I noticed a few proofreading errors which distracted me at times. Mind you, Bas does not writer in American English, but that fact did not cause those proofreading errors. Still, these errors did not detract from the general quality of the work.
Overall, Bas presents a persuasive argument which is also fun to read. I highly recommend it to those looking for a path to true happiness and those who just wish to figure out why humans act the way they do in in modern society.
December 19, 2017
I couldn't have been happier to have come across this book. The mere title of it already brought me happiness, and its contents do not disappoint at all. I've also been taking Psychology courses over the past few months and the first subjects usually tackled is how the chemicals in our brains work to produce "happiness." It was a very interesting topic for me and I really went deep into the subject and researched more about neuroscience and consciousness. Needless to say, this book is a fantastic addition to that and I thoroughly enjoyed it.
Happiness, to many, is such an elusive state. I've read many books trying to achieve what Dr. Turker Bas has successfully done. I believe this book has surpassed a lot of them. It's direct to the point, backed up with reference materials, profound personal accounts of real people and it comes with the author's amazing gift for writing. The quirky illustrations and the stories he used are all carefully crafted to make this one a specifically helpful gem.
Joy.ology is a study that should be part of every curriculum and every household should hear its name. I'm not just saying all of these to compliment the author and I rarely review with such passion, but the book in itself coming to my attention already brought me joy and I know it will for many people in years to come. I highly recommend this to people who enjoy Psychology, theories of Consciousness, and even depressed people with high anxiety levels. People who are stuck at any point in their life. What really got to me was when he started saying this book is not going to be about positive thinking. What a breathe of relief. I'm a pragmatic reader and it takes a long time for me to be convinced or be influenced by self-help books. From that page on, I knew I was going to love the book. And I did. Actually, right from the cover.
Happiness, to many, is such an elusive state. I've read many books trying to achieve what Dr. Turker Bas has successfully done. I believe this book has surpassed a lot of them. It's direct to the point, backed up with reference materials, profound personal accounts of real people and it comes with the author's amazing gift for writing. The quirky illustrations and the stories he used are all carefully crafted to make this one a specifically helpful gem.
Joy.ology is a study that should be part of every curriculum and every household should hear its name. I'm not just saying all of these to compliment the author and I rarely review with such passion, but the book in itself coming to my attention already brought me joy and I know it will for many people in years to come. I highly recommend this to people who enjoy Psychology, theories of Consciousness, and even depressed people with high anxiety levels. People who are stuck at any point in their life. What really got to me was when he started saying this book is not going to be about positive thinking. What a breathe of relief. I'm a pragmatic reader and it takes a long time for me to be convinced or be influenced by self-help books. From that page on, I knew I was going to love the book. And I did. Actually, right from the cover.
December 23, 2017
Have you ever asked yourself if you’re happy? Truly happy? Happiness isn’t just a feeling; it’s a balance of chemicals in your brain. What happens to us doesn’t make us unhappy, it’s how we react to what happens to us, that affects our happiness. Turker Bas explains how we can alter our happiness by changing bad habits, and gaining a better understanding of how the chemicals in our brains work. There are examples of challenges we face from day to day, and examples of how to react to these challenges, to promote happiness or unhappiness. I’ve heard if dopamine and serotonin, but I didn’t know how much they effected the human brain until I read this book. Bas points out, the fact that certain activities can increase the flow of these brain chemicals, which leads to feelings of happiness. For example, doing something kind for someone. Bas provides ways to increase happiness through positive attitudes, activities and breaking bad habits. It was refreshing to read a book about happiness that didn’t bog me down with psychobabble, and actually offered real solutions. This would be a great book for anyone dealing with depression or anxiety.
December 13, 2017
Very informative and useful info
This book teaches about happiness, what actually makes you happy. There are 4 chemicals in your brain to thank for happiness: Dopamine, Serotonin, Endorphins, and Oxytocin. I agree with this book in money doesn’t make you happy.
I have seen this where I work. Bottom employees aren’t happy about their rate of pay. Mid managers are too tired from working the extra hours. My store manager is always tired from working all the extra hours and listening to employee and customer complaints all day.
Happiness and unhappiness are chemically created in your brain. The 4 chemicals help make you happy. How you negatively react to a situation, stress releases too much cortisol chemical in your brain and can cause unhappiness.
I agree with the information in this book. It is well written and easy to follow and understand. I highly recommend this book to everyone to help increase the amount of happiness in their own life.
This book teaches about happiness, what actually makes you happy. There are 4 chemicals in your brain to thank for happiness: Dopamine, Serotonin, Endorphins, and Oxytocin. I agree with this book in money doesn’t make you happy.
I have seen this where I work. Bottom employees aren’t happy about their rate of pay. Mid managers are too tired from working the extra hours. My store manager is always tired from working all the extra hours and listening to employee and customer complaints all day.
Happiness and unhappiness are chemically created in your brain. The 4 chemicals help make you happy. How you negatively react to a situation, stress releases too much cortisol chemical in your brain and can cause unhappiness.
I agree with the information in this book. It is well written and easy to follow and understand. I highly recommend this book to everyone to help increase the amount of happiness in their own life.
December 19, 2017
I have read plenty of books about happiness, many of them repeating the same techniques and information as before, only repackaged in a different way, so I had high hopes, that Joy.ology would be different and bring a unique approach to the subject matter.
And it's delivered in that aspect.
This book highlights a somewhat scientific approach to an emotional subject matter which I truly enjoyed.
In its uniqueness and focus on brain chemistry, it reminded me in a way of the Revolutionary approach that Mel Robbins brought to motivation, with her book The 5-Second-Rule, therefore debunking the stereotypical aspects of motivation and willpower.
Written in a conversational style, the Author also managed to create an incredibly informative book without making it the subject matter dry. Entertaining and flowing, it managed to make me overcome my usual bias of preferring clinical and fact-based self-help books.
And it's delivered in that aspect.
This book highlights a somewhat scientific approach to an emotional subject matter which I truly enjoyed.
In its uniqueness and focus on brain chemistry, it reminded me in a way of the Revolutionary approach that Mel Robbins brought to motivation, with her book The 5-Second-Rule, therefore debunking the stereotypical aspects of motivation and willpower.
Written in a conversational style, the Author also managed to create an incredibly informative book without making it the subject matter dry. Entertaining and flowing, it managed to make me overcome my usual bias of preferring clinical and fact-based self-help books.
August 5, 2018
Bob Marley's Don't worry be Happy had left a deep impression on me. How to stop worrying? Simple, Be Happy!
Well, to understand more fascinating new insights on the science of happiness I started reading this wonderful book Joy.ology: The Chemistry of Happiness by Professor Turker Bas. And believe me, I'm a lot happy now.
To Read more follow https://zenrants.wordpress.com/2018/0...
Well, to understand more fascinating new insights on the science of happiness I started reading this wonderful book Joy.ology: The Chemistry of Happiness by Professor Turker Bas. And believe me, I'm a lot happy now.
To Read more follow https://zenrants.wordpress.com/2018/0...
June 23, 2020
A very good book written by a Turkish Academician. Very easy to read, well structured with few typo errors.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews