Instant Karma: 8,879 Ways to Give Yourself and Others Good Fortune Right Now

by Barbara Ann Kipfer

Help others. Help yourself. Be a better person, and make the world a better place. Using the wisdom of the East to instruct and inspire, Instant Karma is a universe of things a reader can do, right now, to accumulate good karma. And, like pennies going into a piggy bank, each is a seemingly little thing-but feed the bank day after day and feel it grow richer and happier.

Created by Barbara Ann Kipfer, the author whose books-including 14,000 Things to Be Happy About , 8,789 Words of Wisdom , and The Wish List -have 1.2 million copies in print, Instant Karma is a compulsive, densely packed, chunky little book of 10,000 or so suggestions, wishes, thoughts, and the occasional heartening quotation.

Line after line, page after page, mesmerizing to read and filled with inspiration, it is the best kind of call to action-good for you and good for others.

Genres: Nonfiction, Spirituality, Self Help, Inspirational

432 pages, Paperback

First published March 31, 2003

About the author

Dr. Barbara Ann Kipfer (born in 1954) is a lexicographer,as well as an archaeologist. She has written more than 60 books, including 14,000 Things to be Happy About (Workman), which has more than a million copies in print and has given rise to many Page-a-Day calendars. The 25th anniversary edition of the book was published in October 2014. She is the editor of Roget's International Thesaurus.

Kipfer is Chief Lexicographer of the company Temnos. She has worked for such companies as Google, Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com, Answers.com, Ask Jeeves, Bellcore/Telcordia, Federated Media Publishing, General Electric Research, IBM Research, idealab, Knowledge Adventure, Textdigger, The Chicago Tribune, and WolframAlpha. Barbara holds a PhD and MPhil in Linguistics (University of Exeter), a PhD in Archaeology (Greenwich University), an MA and a PhD in Buddhist Studies (Akamai University), and a BS in Physical Education (Valparaiso University).

(from Wikipedia)

Reviews

[Ryn · Rating 4 out of 5]

I believe that Barbara Ann Kipfer and I could be good friends. She writes the most positive books! (See my reviews on '14,000 Things to Be Happy About' and 'The Wish List').

This tiny little book is a great 'pick me up'... literally. You can pick it up and get ideas about how to treat other people with kindness, and how to be kind to yourself. How can you go wrong with that? You don't need a lot of time to read something like this - just a line or a wee page here and there, and wa-la... you're a better person. Think of it as a vitamin for soul health! The world could use more people that generate kindness instead of violence. I think they should hand this little book out to war-torn countries... it may generate more peace!

[Yoshi Gillette · Rating 3 out of 5]

Cute little book. I like flipping to random pages. Probably won’t read it cover to cover

[Sandy Wood · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an extremely long read for a 'List' book. Great suggestions, but also repetitive. Should have been a more condensed book. No need to repeat the same suggestions time and again. I realize many people use this book as a reference, but reading a book from beginning to end is the only way that I read, and I do not appreciate or have time for redundancy. Nevertheless, a good read.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

I bought this because my friend Kelly used it in yoga class!

[Chayne · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an awesome coffee table book or just one to have in general. I'm always constantly referring to it for new insights and words of wisdom. As small a book as it is, it'd take a lifetime to fully comprehend and apply each and every saying into your own daily life. I usually just like to allow my intuition to open it up to a random page, and whichever one my eyes fall on, is what is meant for me to read.

[Megan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I tried, I really did. But a couple hundred pages in, I just gave up. They kept giving the same advice using different words. How many different ways can you say "Eat in moderation" and "do something nice for a friend?" Still, it was a cute concept overall, something that would make a nice decorative coffee table book.

[Pamela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I re-read this book in its entirety following our recent move almost a year ago . . . Two or three pages at a time, each day. A list of thousands of daily "instructions," it offers insight into my psychic needs when I discover which statements resonate most. A nice daily companion--I'll cycle through again this year. >^..^<

[Camille · Rating 5 out of 5]

I picked this book up at the age of 11 or 12 and periodically flipped through it for years. I've finished it at leave 3 or 4 times in my life. Often I've flipped to a certain page when in need of instant wisdom that is relevant to something in my life at the current moment, and there it is ... waiting.

[Gigi Amundoson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I keep this book with me everywhere I go. It's small enough to take with you throughout the day. I love how simple and helpful this book is! Every page gives you something to think about. I believe anyone could get something out of picking up this book!

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

This books is basically just a list, so anyone who treats it as something to read through is just setting themselves up to hate it. I keep it handy and like to flip through from time to time. Helps me reflect on the good and think of other ways I can do better.

[Anissa Rajala · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting little book. It was easy to filter through and gave you things to think about. A lot of things to quote to other people. However, a lot of it was repeat. But, cute, good read overall.

[Tamara Gantt · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a feel-good book. I love it. It's just a list of small ways to create good karma for yourself and others.