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Crazy Happy: Nine Surprising Ways to Live the Truly Beautiful Life
Is it crazy to want a happy life? The host of Jesus Is Real Radio and Hillsong Channel’s Real with Daniel Fusco unlocks the happiness we long for in the most famous teachings of Jesus and the apostle Paul.
“Don’t just skim through this book quickly. Savor it and discuss it with a friend. Your personal happiness is at stake.”—Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, from the foreword
Dissatisfied with your life? Yeah, most of us have been there. There’s no shame in wanting to be happy, but real satisfaction often eludes us. At best, what fleeting happiness we find tends to dribble away in never-ending debts, stressful deadlines, and mindless scrolling. At worst, it’s chased away by anxiety, depression, or fallout from our selfishness.
Here’s the whether we hunt for happiness in parties, bars, the workplace hustle, or even in church pews, we’ll wind up shortchanged. Why? Because we don’t see our lives as beautiful.
But God wants something better for you—happiness so real this world might think it’s too good to be true.
In Crazy Happy, Daniel Fusco unpacks fresh connections in two of the Bible’s most familiar passages—secrets of happiness that can really, truly, honest-to-goodness change things. If you stick around for the ride, you’ll find the kind of God-given beauty that can change your life for good—even in our sometimes-crazy world.
“Don’t just skim through this book quickly. Savor it and discuss it with a friend. Your personal happiness is at stake.”—Rick Warren, author of The Purpose Driven Life, from the foreword
Dissatisfied with your life? Yeah, most of us have been there. There’s no shame in wanting to be happy, but real satisfaction often eludes us. At best, what fleeting happiness we find tends to dribble away in never-ending debts, stressful deadlines, and mindless scrolling. At worst, it’s chased away by anxiety, depression, or fallout from our selfishness.
Here’s the whether we hunt for happiness in parties, bars, the workplace hustle, or even in church pews, we’ll wind up shortchanged. Why? Because we don’t see our lives as beautiful.
But God wants something better for you—happiness so real this world might think it’s too good to be true.
In Crazy Happy, Daniel Fusco unpacks fresh connections in two of the Bible’s most familiar passages—secrets of happiness that can really, truly, honest-to-goodness change things. If you stick around for the ride, you’ll find the kind of God-given beauty that can change your life for good—even in our sometimes-crazy world.
224 pages, Paperback
First published February 16, 2021
22 people are currently reading
77 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
February 14, 2021
Pastor Daniel is my Pastor at Crossroads Community Church but this has in no way affected my review on this book.
Let me start off by saying this was such a wonderful read. It is filled with wisdom along with comedy. I love hearing Pastor Daniel's stories relating to the Beattitudes and the fruit of the spirit. His insight is powerful and thought provoking.
Because I have met his family at church I have gotten to see first hand the fruit he is producing. His family; Lynn, Obadiah, Marinotha, and cute little Annabelle are exactly as he describes them in this book. Lynn is such a wonderfully kind woman who has given me encouragement abd let me vent. Marinotha is a quiet, respectful, and kind young woman. Obadiah volunteers with the special needs kids (including my two boys with autism) and is so wonderful connecting with the children he works with. My boys absolutely adore him. And little Annabelle is a fiesty replica of her Dad! When my boys misbehave in the volunteer room she puts her little hands on her hips and gives them "the look" 😂. They are a wonderful family. My point is they are real! And in this book Pastor Daniel is speaking from his true God loving heart!
Before we started a series he did on the Beattitudes and the Fruit of the Spirit both my friend and I noticed he was kind of in a funk. When he came back from vacation he seemed completely rejuvenated. Now I know why! He had been studying the Beattitudes and the Fruit of the Spirit!
His insight on living a "Crazy Happy Life" by living and breathing the Beattitudes and the Fruit of the Spirit is absolutely phenomenal. You will certainly be blessed by reading this book. It will make you want to live "Crazy Happy"!
Let me start off by saying this was such a wonderful read. It is filled with wisdom along with comedy. I love hearing Pastor Daniel's stories relating to the Beattitudes and the fruit of the spirit. His insight is powerful and thought provoking.
Because I have met his family at church I have gotten to see first hand the fruit he is producing. His family; Lynn, Obadiah, Marinotha, and cute little Annabelle are exactly as he describes them in this book. Lynn is such a wonderfully kind woman who has given me encouragement abd let me vent. Marinotha is a quiet, respectful, and kind young woman. Obadiah volunteers with the special needs kids (including my two boys with autism) and is so wonderful connecting with the children he works with. My boys absolutely adore him. And little Annabelle is a fiesty replica of her Dad! When my boys misbehave in the volunteer room she puts her little hands on her hips and gives them "the look" 😂. They are a wonderful family. My point is they are real! And in this book Pastor Daniel is speaking from his true God loving heart!
Before we started a series he did on the Beattitudes and the Fruit of the Spirit both my friend and I noticed he was kind of in a funk. When he came back from vacation he seemed completely rejuvenated. Now I know why! He had been studying the Beattitudes and the Fruit of the Spirit!
His insight on living a "Crazy Happy Life" by living and breathing the Beattitudes and the Fruit of the Spirit is absolutely phenomenal. You will certainly be blessed by reading this book. It will make you want to live "Crazy Happy"!
January 26, 2021
Christians should be the happiest people on the planet!
If we aren't, then we haven't fully understood the wondrous grace and adoring love of our God quite yet. This book helps with that!
Crazy Happy is a conversational, easy read that delves deeper into God's word to remind us of the beauty of our Savior—the hope that He gives, and the fruit that walking with Him can bear in our lives. Have you ever thought about how the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount relate to the fruit of the Spirit? It might surprise you. Give this a read and find yourself looking forward to what God has in store, despite the crazy times we live in.
—Lisa Rae Morris, author of Time Tree Chronicles trilogy
and Wifeology: A Field Guide to the Wife In Her Natural Habitat
If we aren't, then we haven't fully understood the wondrous grace and adoring love of our God quite yet. This book helps with that!
Crazy Happy is a conversational, easy read that delves deeper into God's word to remind us of the beauty of our Savior—the hope that He gives, and the fruit that walking with Him can bear in our lives. Have you ever thought about how the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount relate to the fruit of the Spirit? It might surprise you. Give this a read and find yourself looking forward to what God has in store, despite the crazy times we live in.
—Lisa Rae Morris, author of Time Tree Chronicles trilogy
and Wifeology: A Field Guide to the Wife In Her Natural Habitat
August 10, 2021
The author takes you through the Beatitudes, all while coming across as fresh, young, relatable, and very conversational. I felt like the narrator/author was actually talking to me and not "reading" a book, per se. I would highly recommend this to new adults, though.
*PDF is attached to audio book, featuring study questions for each chapter
*PDF is attached to audio book, featuring study questions for each chapter
December 21, 2023
Very Happy*
Really amazing book on happiness
An excellent Christian book.
The author was very candid about his life and it was really interesting.
I can't say I love the book title, but besides that, it was a great read.
Check it out!
4.4/5
Really amazing book on happiness
An excellent Christian book.
The author was very candid about his life and it was really interesting.
I can't say I love the book title, but besides that, it was a great read.
Check it out!
4.4/5
January 20, 2021
Outstanding read! This book spoke to my heart in so many ways. As a Christian, I appreciate Pastor Daniels, street level approach. Meeting people right where they are and loving them. He has taken Biblical foundations and put them in Crazy Happy, so we can learn to apply them to our lives. I am excited to read more books by Pastor Daniel.
August 26, 2020
Author Daniel Fusco is a nondenominational megachurch pastor, and, as one might expect, Crazy Happy: Nine Surprising Ways to Live the Truly Beautiful Life espouses the viewpoint that only a relationship with Jesus (based on literal, traditional interpretations of the Bible) can bring about true happiness.
Readers who are comfortable with these parameters will find the book an entertaining and provocative read. Fusco structures Crazy Happy by connecting each of the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount with the Fruits of the Spirit from Paul’s letter to the Galatians. For instance, chapter 2 relates Matthew 5:3 (Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven) to Galatians 5:22 (The fruit of the Spirit is love). Fusco’s prose is engaging, informal and liberally sprinkled with personal anecdotes as well as wide ranging footnotes that reference everyone from New Testament writers to David Bowie.
While promoting a fairly rigid, traditional brand of Christianity, Fusco chooses to focus on Jesus’s more accessible qualities, such as love, strength, and faithfulness, and how those qualities can be applied to our everyday lives.
Fusco’s enthusiasm for his topic is on full display in Crazy Happy and will certainly charm like believers.
Readers who are comfortable with these parameters will find the book an entertaining and provocative read. Fusco structures Crazy Happy by connecting each of the Beatitudes from the Sermon on the Mount with the Fruits of the Spirit from Paul’s letter to the Galatians. For instance, chapter 2 relates Matthew 5:3 (Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven) to Galatians 5:22 (The fruit of the Spirit is love). Fusco’s prose is engaging, informal and liberally sprinkled with personal anecdotes as well as wide ranging footnotes that reference everyone from New Testament writers to David Bowie.
While promoting a fairly rigid, traditional brand of Christianity, Fusco chooses to focus on Jesus’s more accessible qualities, such as love, strength, and faithfulness, and how those qualities can be applied to our everyday lives.
Fusco’s enthusiasm for his topic is on full display in Crazy Happy and will certainly charm like believers.
February 16, 2021
Why be ‘regular’ happy when you can be Crazy Happy?
Daniel Fusco takes two very familiar passages of the Bible, The Beatitudes and the Fruits of the Spirit, and brings them down to ‘street level’ in a combination that most of us have never considered before. Being a Christ follower for over 40 years, I have never considered the relationship between the nine beatitudes and the nine fruits of the spirit, nor had I ever heard a pastor link them together, until Daniel Fusco.
In chapter One he introduces them and says, “Both the Beatitudes and the fruit of the Spirit tell us similar things. Both are not explanations of what we do but of who we are. Both explain the unique qualities of what it means to be given the gift of life in Jesus.”
Throughout the next nine chapters he aligns a Beatitude with a fruit and serves it up with a unique perspective. In similar fashion to “Upward, Inward, Outward” and “Honestly,” he weaves personal stories with biblical truth to bring the reader to the realization of practical application.
He doesn’t just tell you what he believes about the correlation between the Beatitude and the fruit, but he sells you on why you should believe it too. At the end of each chapter you are left wondering why you have never heard it explained quite like this before.
Fusco uses a lot of humor and everyday life situations to drive home the points, and yet he explains the truths of scripture so eloquently. If you have ever heard him preach, either live or via podcast, you can certainly ‘hear’ his voice jump off the pages of this book. Throughout the book you can visualize yourself having a conversation with him in a café, over a cup of coffee and a Twinkie. And the footnotes are hilarious, generally adding levity and insight, similar to how a ‘color commentator’ works alongside a play-by-play broadcaster during a sporting event.
The Crazy Happy life isn’t about changing ourselves into becoming someone or something we aren’t. And he’s not suggesting we rebrand ourselves as a ‘new or improved’ version of us, after following a prescribed set of rules. I won’t spoil the ending, but he is suggesting that if we love Jesus and choose to follow Him, we all have it within ourselves to truly live…the Crazy Happy life.
(I was provided an advance copy of the book in return for an honest review)
Daniel Fusco takes two very familiar passages of the Bible, The Beatitudes and the Fruits of the Spirit, and brings them down to ‘street level’ in a combination that most of us have never considered before. Being a Christ follower for over 40 years, I have never considered the relationship between the nine beatitudes and the nine fruits of the spirit, nor had I ever heard a pastor link them together, until Daniel Fusco.
In chapter One he introduces them and says, “Both the Beatitudes and the fruit of the Spirit tell us similar things. Both are not explanations of what we do but of who we are. Both explain the unique qualities of what it means to be given the gift of life in Jesus.”
Throughout the next nine chapters he aligns a Beatitude with a fruit and serves it up with a unique perspective. In similar fashion to “Upward, Inward, Outward” and “Honestly,” he weaves personal stories with biblical truth to bring the reader to the realization of practical application.
He doesn’t just tell you what he believes about the correlation between the Beatitude and the fruit, but he sells you on why you should believe it too. At the end of each chapter you are left wondering why you have never heard it explained quite like this before.
Fusco uses a lot of humor and everyday life situations to drive home the points, and yet he explains the truths of scripture so eloquently. If you have ever heard him preach, either live or via podcast, you can certainly ‘hear’ his voice jump off the pages of this book. Throughout the book you can visualize yourself having a conversation with him in a café, over a cup of coffee and a Twinkie. And the footnotes are hilarious, generally adding levity and insight, similar to how a ‘color commentator’ works alongside a play-by-play broadcaster during a sporting event.
The Crazy Happy life isn’t about changing ourselves into becoming someone or something we aren’t. And he’s not suggesting we rebrand ourselves as a ‘new or improved’ version of us, after following a prescribed set of rules. I won’t spoil the ending, but he is suggesting that if we love Jesus and choose to follow Him, we all have it within ourselves to truly live…the Crazy Happy life.
(I was provided an advance copy of the book in return for an honest review)
February 19, 2021
Daniel Fusco's new book Crazy Happy is GREAT! I really enjoyed reading it. Daniel Fusco's knowledge of the bible is quite extensive not too mention he is very relatable and humble. In his book Crazy Happy he tells real life stories that are personable and current to the way we live our lives today. In addition Fusco is an amazing Biblical teacher. In this book, Fusco, takes the word of God and applies it to our everyday lives in a way ANYONE can understand (which is great for me). As a follower of Jesus, I believe that Daniel Fusco truly loves our Lord and he is doing his best to get the Word of God out so we all have the opportunity to be Crazy Happy!
June 18, 2021
An insightful and approachable discussion of the Beatitudes and Fruits of the Spirit. Pastor Fusco brings his energy and playfulness to his writing without watering down the truths he's explaining. This would be a great introduction to Christianity for those wondering what it's all about and an even better refresher course for those of us who forget that there are experiences and attitudes that come along with the Christian life. Although the tone is light-hearted, the material is serious, yet the overall theme is that life is beautiful and truly "crazy happy."
February 16, 2021
This book is awesome! I want everyone to be Crazy Happy so I hope you read it. The author speaks in a "real" voice easy to understand and using personal stories that you can apply to your own life. I learned insights in being happy that I hadn't thought of before. I know you will find some here too. I recommend getting a paperback so you can refer to it often as you need and please read the footnotes! They are so fun.
January 25, 2021
This is a very interesting perspective on how to attain happiness, which is why the title is so fitting. I believe an open minded person will find the spiritual revelations in this book profound. It is a book that serves as a light in the midst of dark and difficult times for the world. I recommend it.
February 5, 2021
Crazy, why because it doesn’t sound normal, realistic, or possible. Daniel explains in this book where the truth, Gods truth, is found in what our belief should be of what happiness is. Not by our standards but by a God who is all, and has created all. It will capture you.
April 18, 2021
This book was an amazing way to get to know the beautiful way of life, and it was a great way to discover who I really am in Christ. I really liked the explanations in each chapter of how the Beattitudes relate to the Fruits Of The Spirit.
January 1, 2022
It's so hard to die to self from day to day. Stuck at the airport? Flat tire? Running late? Peaceful sacrifice equals faithfulness even when we don't get our own way. Keep showing up with a humble heart. We may try and fail many times, it's not about perfection.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews