A Little Happier: Notes for reassurance

by Derren Brown

Brilliant . . . crammed with wisdom and insight.' Stephen Fry on HappyIn A Little Happier Derren Brown draws out the essential discoveries from his international bestseller Happy to help you lead your happiest life.Life is hard, messy and complex. But if we can learn to separate what we can control - our thoughts and actions - from all else beyond our control, we can find a surer footing with which to greet the world and experience our own concept of happiness.- None of this is real when each of us tells stories about our lives in too tidy narratives that are seldom true and rarely helpful.- We should be wary of goal setting: long-term goals fixate us on a future that may not happen and we may not wish for when we get there.- Our partner isn't right for us because no-one is. None of us is born for someone else. But perhaps those areas of frequent conflict are useful indicators of where we might ourselves be insufferable.A Little Happier's 17 inspiring and reassuring lessons will help you define and find your own happiness. Its lessons challenge us to think differently about the meaning of happiness and how we can over overcome anxiety in a difficult world.***** 'A no nonsense guide to seeing and appreciating the world we live in.'***** 'A brilliant, insightful and clear book. A beautiful accompaniment to Happy.'***** 'This book will have a big impact on people who suffer with anxiety and depression. A must read.'

Genres: Philosophy, Nonfiction, Self Help, Personal Development, Audiobook, Psychology, Mental Health

123 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 15, 2020

About the author

Derren Brown is an English mentalist, illusionist, and author. He has produced several shows the stage and television and is the winner of two Laurence Olivier Awards for Best Entertainment. He has also written books for magicians as well as the general public.

Reviews

[Ryan Beacham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolute gem of a book ! I would highly recommend this to anyone. In a condensed version of “happy”, Derren explores the philosophical belief of Stoicism and how it can lead to a more fulfilling, meaningful and despite not aiming for it, happier life. This book is filled with powerful quotes, moving anecdotes and poetic wording and can easily be read in a day. Having said that though, this book is best enjoyed when it is savoured and not rushed.

“Alan Watts (who brought many eastern ideas to the west) made the point that when we listen to music or read a book, we don’t just skip to the end, where it all comes together. But in life, we fixate on endings. Perhaps, instead life is more like a piece of music, and we are supposed to be dancing”

[Beatrice Updegraff · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have absolutely zero idea how this got on my kindle as I didn't buy it. Admittedly I started reading it when I was drunk on the tube but seriously it's the biggest load of rubbish I've ever read. Derren Brown comes across completely self satisfied, unrelatable and pretentious. Worst thing I've had the misfortune to read in a while. It's short, at least.

[Bron · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read most of the author's much longer book, Happy, I just balked at the chapter on death. This very short book feels like revision notes for the longer one, which could make it very useful if you find stoicism a helpful philosophy but need to remind yourself when you're feeling low or scared.
On the other hand, if you haven't read the longer book, this is still a handy summary of the stoic principles. Derren Brown believes that the goal oriented drive to success that imbued the modern world is the biggest cause of our unhappiness because it means we inevitably see ourselves as failures. It inspires the urge to fix things that are really beyond our control. This book shows you how to take a step back and find a more realistic viewpoint. It's not a difficult read, in fact, if you think Buddhist philosophy could be helpful if only you could get to grips with all the odd terms used, try this book instead because stoicism is firmly grounded in western rationalist thinking.

[Anton]

This book is essentially a summary or strongly abridged version of Happy: Why more or less everything is absolutely fine. I wrongly assumed it expands on it but it does not.

I would recommend spending time with the long-form version instead to appreciate Derren's arguments

[Natasha · Rating 5 out of 5]

My fave guy. Thanks for getting me through. Only man that isn’t trash. Can’t wait to see you IRL. I will cry xxx

[Eric Kalnins · Rating 4 out of 5]

A short reprise of Brown's brilliant previous book Happy. Read through in one day but no doubt will be revisited numerous times.

21.10

[Andrea · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Happy but all killer no filler. A good reminder of the key points and 100% more readable and accessible than Marcus Aurelius.

[Peťula z Instablogu ✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kniha O kousek šťastnější je knihou, která je plná poznámek a myšlenek autora, který nám za pomocí nich dává jakýsi návod na to, jak být v životě šťastnější. Své myšlenky opírá nejen o starý filosofický směr stoicismus, jehož představiteli byli například Epiktétos či Marcus Aurelius, ale také o své vlastní životní zkušenosti, poznatky a výsledky svého pozorování společnosti.

Cílem knihy je zejména nás naučit se na svět a štěstí dívat jinýma očima, jak zvládat úzkostné situace, jak uvažovat o chování jiných lidí, ale i tom tom svém a jak najít klid v duši. Přestože se jedná o hodně útlou knihu (dalo by se říci sešítek), tak má v sobě velké poselství. Každý člověk si z přečtení této knihy odnese něco jiného, což je naprosto v pořádku. Každý člověk má totiž jiné potřeby, jiná trápení a také se dívá na spoustu věcí jinak. Důležité je se hlavně nad myšlenkami, které nám jsou zde nabídnuty, zamyslet a možná se je pokusit i aplikovat do svého života (pokud cítíme, že je to opravdu potřeba).

První polovina knihy mě moc nebavila a nemohla jsem se vůbec začíst. Druhá polovina knihy se mi už líbila daleko více. Autor zde často odkazoval na již zmíněné představitele stoicismu, ale i na jiné osobnosti nebo autory. Snaží se jejich učení/výroky rozvést, a v některých případech i popřít. Aplikuje je také na současný svět a současné problémy lidí. Popisuje tu ale také své vlastní zkušenosti a situace, které se mu staly. Musím říct, že jsem se ve spoustu situacích, které jsou v knize popisovány, našla a některé myšlenky mi zůstaly v hlavě. Knihu bych určitě doporučila komukoliv, kdo tento druh literatury vyhledává, ale také tomu, kdo cítí, že ji potřebuje.

[Jo Berry ☀️ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having recently finished Derren Brown’s book ‘Happy’, I thought I’d read this condensed version of his book to see how it compared and to see if this shorter edition would be easier to recommend to others. My conclusion is, you should take the time and read the original.

This book is ok, but I think it was put out for Christmas as a potential stocking filler rather than being a needed, ‘cut down to the bone’ edition, for those short on time and attention. I’d have been pleased enough to get it as a present, but it misses out so many of the examples and background information which served to back up and reinforce what Brown was saying in ‘Happy’. It was the history, stories and anecdotes in the main book which drew me in, so it loses its heart if you take most of that out.

Extra note: I listened to this as an audiobook read by Derren Brown himself, and he narrates his books really well. Very easy to listen to, he comes across as a nice person with a passion for his work and a lovely sense of humour.

[Jessica Power · Rating 2 out of 5]

Derren Brown is very intelligent, but sadly too intelligent for me as I had to concentrate really hard to make sense of what he was saying. I read a lot of self help so the topics discussed are ones I’m familiar with, but the writing style was unnecessarily complicated for me. Had to force myself to finish.

[Laura Martínez · Rating 1 out of 5]

Depressing. "Everything and everyone you love will die". Jeez, that's some heavy stuff.

[Eivind Lindbråten · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good but brief summary of happiness research and stoicism.

[Lee Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Happiness is perhaps the most elusive aspect of the human condition, although it masquerades as entirely straightforward."

"We mistake the horizon we see for the parameters of the world."

"The point is to learn a new robustness: whatever happens to us need not affect our core unless we choose to let it. Viktor Frankl, an Austrian psychiatrist who wrote an extraordinary memoir of his time in the concentration camps, found this to be the thought that allowed him to survive. His words from hell: ‘Everything can be taken from a man but one thing: the last of the human freedoms–to choose one’s attitude in any given set of circumstances, to choose one’s way.’"

"To desire fame, for example, is to locate the source of our happiness in the thoughts of other people (namely, what they think of us). Self-indulgence is to attach it to what happens to us. Sanity, finally, is to securely fasten our well-being to our own actions."

"Emotions we put out into the world can emanate from a nucleus of strength or weakness. Love, born from brokenness, can grow to be as destructive as hate; kindness can be generous or manipulative."

"Perhaps our greatest failing, the Stoics tell us, is that we keep our accounts badly: we value highly what we have ourselves paid out, but undervalue what has been paid to us."

"Our opinions are usually borrowed, formed from inadequate information, dispensed to make us seem virtuous. Our tastes are disappointingly generic, our jokes often miss the mark. People talk about us behind our back in the same way we talk about others: our patterns are predictable and prone to parody. Our very sense of self–which we imagine is most deeply our own–is disarmingly malleable and susceptible to the behaviour of those around us. We are, after all, human."

"We do not see the same labour, failure and self-doubt that have plagued the luminaries to whom we compare ourselves so damagingly. But when we are allowed a glimpse of their suffering, through their self-effacing remarks and emotional honesty, we feel connection and validation. Hence it is vulnerability that creates bonds, and rarely our attempts to be impressive or funny."

"Let’s be sceptical of the cry to value ourselves more, for fear we build a toughened case around such a rare jewel. Instead, let it be enough to gather ourselves afresh as often as we can, to take stock of ourselves, in order to greet the world with kindness and a sense of inner unity."

"Ethan Hawke’s character Jesse, in Richard Linklater’s 1995 film Before Sunrise, offers the following words on this theme: It’s just, usually, it’s myself that I wish I could get away from. Seriously, think about this. I have never been anywhere that I haven’t been. I’ve never had a kiss when I wasn’t one of the kissers. You know, I’ve never gone to the movies, when I wasn’t there in the audience. I’ve never been out bowling, if I wasn’t there, making some stupid joke. That’s why so many people hate themselves. Seriously. It’s just they are sick to death of being around themselves."

"When it is a better quality of dialogue with ourselves that we truly need, relocation will not change our nature or alleviate our heartache."

"Consider it, think it through, find the best response now, as you are unlikely to discover it in the heat of the moment. What would be generous, balanced, unassuming, dignified–in short, us at our best?"

"It might, though, start with just a thirty-second reminder to be the best person we can be, to not attach our emotional well-being to things outside of us, to watch out for known trouble spots, to see tonight if there’s anything we should change tomorrow."

"We remember that the Epicureans, whose ideas chimed in several ways with the Stoics’, told us: learn to desire what you already have, and you will have all you need. How might we desire what we have already? We can do that by loosening our grip on ownership. We can remind ourselves that this thing, this person, is not ours, and certainly not ours for ever."

"Would you continue to surprise each other with breakfast on any of eternity’s mornings you chose, knowing that the rapture of such activity would be quickly lost in the tiniest flickering instant of infinity’s interminable drudge?"

"Embrace the possibility of loss, and allow it to imbue value into what you already have."

"The ancient encouragement to practise loss works because we love what we have but we desire what we don’t."

"Or if you prefer Kafka: ‘The meaning of life is that it ends.’ Bittersweet transience lends context and value. It is intoxicating in the first six months of love to pledge ourselves for the rest of our lives. It is also brave and deeply caring to accept, at least quietly to oneself, that this may prove untenable, or that a lifespan may not turn out to be the generous stretch of time we imagined. ‘Transience value,’ wrote Freud, ‘is scarcity value in time.’"

"Limitation in the possibility of an enjoyment raises the value of the enjoyment … A flower that blossoms only for a single night does not seem to us on that account less lovely."

"In matters of the heart, valuing ‘scarcity in time’ might encourage the more steadfast kind of love, which esteems the present rather than venerates an uncertain future, and, unlike the inflamed delirium that flickers and wanes, grows only brighter with bounded time."

"The greatest demand we make of our partner is that they conform to these needs of which we ourselves are only dimly aware. Our unconscious demands are the devils in the darkness, banished from the clearing, expunged from the story we tell of ourselves. They are, by virtue of being unseen, precisely the types of forces that can come to own us. Which is why we can diminish their power only by bringing them into the light, by introducing them gently into the story, into consciousness. Until then, in its shadow form, our nascent fear of powerlessness obtrudes into the dynamics of our relationships with the very people we profess to love most."

"They call on us to repeat what we knew. Furthermore, when we are older, our first experiences of falling in love are likely to prove formative and embellish these idiosyncratic needs. For example, if our first love is unrequited, furtive and obsessive, we may well seek out the comfort of replication, and maintain a curious preference for the unattainable. The task we place upon our beloved, to be right for us, is for them to love us in the way we knew, or hurt us in the way we are used to and, above all, spare us the difficulty of growth."

"Even less helpfully, we now presume we are to marry someone for love (and a love that will burn for ever). This also turns out to be something we’ve got into our heads only over the last century or so. A million love songs still sell us their notion of overripe deification and do nothing to advise us where we most need help: namely, how we must navigate the stark domestic realities of a relationship in which, even in the best scenario, we must disappoint and wound each other against our backdrops of personal pain."

"As we project our version of the beloved across their features, we are, in a strange twist, only seeing aspects of ourselves in them. If this person is able to render us as a blank mould and project just as effectively in our direction, the feeling will be requited, and we might call it love. Both parties are engaged in an optical illusion that may change the course of their lives."

"Our partners aren’t right for us, because they are not for us, and they will only become truly beneficial by being released from the responsibility of providing what we want. Freed in this way from our demands, allowed to be more fully other, we may find we each have so much more to give."

"When all is said and done, will we have lived a life worth living? Will we have been present at its centre, or an observer at the periphery, someone along for the ride?"

"Bronnie Ware, an Australian nurse working in palliative care, recorded what she perceived to be ‘the top five regrets of the dying’, in her book of the same name. They were: I wish I’d had the courage to live a life true to myself, not the life others expected of me. I wish I hadn’t worked so hard. I wish I’d had the courage to express my feelings. I wish I had stayed in touch with my friends. I wish that I had let myself be happier."

"It makes no sense to live each day as if it were our last: the needs of a present that has a future are different from one that does not."

"Death rarely rounds off a life with the satisfying ending of a novel or a film. It does not ‘complete’; it curtails. It may be no more than an absurd stoppage. If we have the opportunity, it is up to us to bring the story to a close by recognising it as such."

"If you are facing your own death, and have the clarity of mind and opportunity to make choices, then realise that for you to own your death, to author it and to shape it, is tremendously important. You are the protagonist and the author. If you do not insist on this central role, you may find yourself reduced to a mere cameo. Others, stronger in body and in number, may take the leading role if you do not. Your death does not belong to your family, or your doctors. They will have their important parts to play, but it is, I think, of ultimate importance that you insist, firmly and sensitively, and through discussion with everyone else, that your choices must steer the process."

"The Stoics tell us to ‘remove disturbances’, but for some this might come to mean merely ‘hiding away safely’ where nothing can harm them. This is a meagre substitute for flourishing. Our recommended aim then is maybe not so much to be happy, as to live fully and make sure we are moving forward."

"To live without anxiety is to live without growth. We shouldn’t try to control what we cannot, and we must take responsibility for our feelings. But the reason for this is to walk out into the world with strength, not to hide from every danger."

"Settle securely into the truth that you do not need to mend what is outside of your control, and you will lessen its potency. When it persists, you do not need to fix that too: the compulsion to rectify, to control, is what fuels the anxiety in the first place. Anxiety, claustrophobia, panic: these are feelings that you have; they are therefore not you. Ultimately, they will pass, and prove amenable to a change in mood or circumstances, because life is largely a succession of short-lived affairs, one matter after another, each giving way to the next. Rather than seeing anxiety as the enemy to be feared, you might even welcome it as a guest."

"Of what does this disturbing feeling remind us from our past? What fear lies half hidden behind this dread? What part of myself am I closing off? Why is this obviously important?"

"Very few people find the right partner without the pain of breaking up with a previous one. We don’t change our career for the better without first letting our current job get us down. Few of us start anything new without the pain of ending the old or the frustration of enduring it. Disturbance can be a signal that we are moving in the right direction: namely, out of our comfort zone. To remain tranquil and comfortable would deny us our growth. To remain happy would stop us flourishing."

"We do not need to fear the world, or treat it with suspicion. Any monsters that dwell there are our own."

[yo JP · Rating 5 out of 5]

Svého času jsme s mojí ex (112 567, zavolej mi do klubu!) na Derrenovi těžce ujížděli, sledovali jsme všechny jeho experimenty, shows, krátké série, mám takový dojem, že to souviselo i s tím, že byl Brit a tehdy jsme sledovali a měli určité zaujetí pro věci z UK (Skins, How Not To Live Your Life, Misfits, i moje nejdražší věci jako Black Books & Red Dwarf). Bylo to v době, kdy byl okolo Derrena celkově skutečný BANG a musím uznat, že jeho metody měli hodně do sebe, i k zamyšlení, nad tím, jak pracuje náš mozek, nad denní interakcí a vlivem, pod jakým operujeme. Náš společný fetiš vyústil až v dárek v podobě jeho knihy "Magie a manipulace mysli", který jsem jí dal, myslím že na vánoce (ajajaj, ano, ano). Nicméně, tím chci jen říct, že Derren pro mě není žádná neznámá, ale v určitém bodě, možná to bylo jen ze strany vyplítvání všeho, co vyprodukoval, v tom čase, ale, jakoby se po něm slehla zem, alespoň tak mi to připadalo. (...) A není to tak dlouho zpátky, co jsem na něj opět narazil... dělal rozhovor ohledně knihy. Vyšla i u nás, po jeho dekádu trvající absenci... a zdánlivě dost jiná cesta, na první pohled, motivační kniha, chtěl jsem si ji nejdřív koupit, ale pak jsem dal na dojem, jaký to ve mě vyvolávalo, i když jsem věřil, že to bude zajímavé čtení - teď už vím, že si ji stejně pořídím a jen jsem se bránil čemusi prvotnímu. Je to spíše takový přátelský rozhovor u kávy, co si někdy brzy musím dát znovu. Stoicismus. Pozitivní ve výsledku, ale ne v křečovitém stylu. Načteno autorem. Obdobně mě nadchl naposledy Seneca (ten to ale nenačetl), když jsem si během úklidu pouštěl jeho spis 'O krátkosti života'. Derren je sečtělý. A tohle nečekaný gem. Dokonce byl citován i Kafka "Smysl života spočívá v tom, že jednou končí."

Zápisky; volný a spontánní překlad, namíchaný s vlastními myšlenkami, takže všem, kdo budou mít připomínky a protesty dlužím čelo; ale to taky patří k procesu, udělat ze sebe veřejně idiota (a zase Kafka):

"Buďte skeptičtí vůči vlastním cílům. (...) Žijeme životy našich rodičů. S poškozeným pohledem.(...) Pocit zranění jako echo z dětství. (...) Uklouznutí není selhání.(...) "Nikdo není na této planetě, aby učinil náš život jednodušší." (...)

Vlastně jde o takový převrácený motivační pamflet, který tak nějak upřímně říká, jak se věci mají a jak k nim přistupovat na lidské úrovni. Je zvláštní, okolo kolika věcí vlastně lidi krouží, myslejíc si, že jsou v pořádku, správně, jen protože dávají smysl jejich poškozenému vnitřnímu narativu, kterým se v cyklech poškozují jen a oni sami. Nebo primální potřebě nevyčnívat z davu a napodobovat ostatní.

"Každý den nějakým způsobem zraňujeme ostatní." (...) Dnes potkám lidi, kteří mě zklamou. Ale já taky někoho zklamu. Ale když tohle přijmu, budu lepším pro Svět. (...) Jsme stvořeními ztráty. Traumata, víra, že je to vše naše vina, že jsme zatracení a osamělí, přichází snadno. To pak reflektujeme a přenášíme do vztahů. (...) Umíme milovat jen způsobem, který známe. (...) Žít plně a jít kupředu je důležitější, než být šťastný. (...) Zodpovědnost za pocity a za to, jak se rozhodnu, ne za věci okolo nás, které jsou mimo moji kontrolu."

Spousta malých dílků puzzle, co zapadají.

"I v nejlepším případě zraňujeme, nakládáme naše fantazie na ramena ostatních, bez vysvětlení toho, co skutečně chceme. Tohle nemá nic společného s tímhle člověkem, ale stejně to na něj reflektujeme. (...) Co jsou opakující se vzorce mých vztahů? (...) Musíme růst spolu. Pokud se oprostíme od svých požadavků, můžeme nabídnout mnohem více. (...) Málokdo najde správného partnera, bez toho, aby si prošel bolestí ztráty prvního. (...) Být šťastný by nás zastavilo v rozkvětu."

Hořkosladké, ale tak sebeidentifikující a dávající smysl.

Pokoj mysli.

"Nemusíme se bát Světa nebo z něj cítit nejistotu. Jediní démoni jsou uvnitř nás." (...) "Hledejte nepohodlí růstu před kalcinujícími efekty bezpečí."

(a nebo se přidejte k sektě Jareda Leta na ostrově v Chorvatsku, je to jen vaše volba)

[T. Laane · Rating 4 out of 5]

A neat little book on the stoicism principles. Nothing new, yet all the thoughts are a good reminder.
You can champion your cause, but you shouldn’t commit to a specific outcome because the outcome is beyond your control. You can freely point out other people’s ignorance, but if they choose to remain ignorant, it’s their decision, and you must accept their preference.
Remember that your goal is only to try - success is a bonus if it happens. Don’t wait for things to unfold exactly as you want them to; instead, learn to want things to happen as they naturally do.
You are like a dog tied to a cart that is heading in a certain direction. You cannot choose where the cart goes, but you can decide how you experience the journey. You can fight against it and suffer, or you can happily trot along with the cart, enjoying the ride wherever it takes you. Avoid unnecessary pain and embrace the journey.
No one was put on this Earth to make our lives easier. Our accusations against others are often just stories we tell ourselves - one-sided narratives based on our perspective and assumptions about their behavior.
We cause pain to others every day, even more so when we’re sleep-deprived or hungry, yet we often think we are more innocent compared to others. Out of comfort and familiarity, people tend to choose relationships with those who hurt them in ways they already know because it feels familiar.
Our partners are not right for us because they are not for us at all. They are for themselve, not for us.

[Rachele Deans · Rating 3 out of 5]

Having read "Happy", this was always going to be, as Derren describes, a little reminder of the previous book. It was short and sweet but did re-iterate a lot of what was in the previous book. The Stoic idea of how to be happy is so fascinating and in the world today it's a brilliant ideology to try and adopt.

One section particularly resonated in terms of people being generally negative in terms of "failure". I'm very much guilty of giving myself a goal and the second I waiver or don't hit every target I will give in or feel overly despondent.

"The same thought will help the person giving up smoking: you might berate yourself for a guilty cigarette following three months of abstinence, and treat it as a failure, when it is in fact a resounding success. Fifteen a day to one in three months... Seeing a slip as failure commonly makes us throw in the towel, when the key thing is to dismiss it with good humour, congratulate ourselves for what we have achieved, and keep going with the project."

If you've read Happy, it's a great way to remember the lessons Derren previously taught. If you haven't, this will be a great insight and probably lead you to read it.

[Phil Yanov · Rating 4 out of 5]

“A Little Happier" by Derren Brown is a gem of a book, offering a concentrated dose of wisdom without the weight of its larger sibling, "Happy." It's an espresso shot of philosophy, jolting you awake to new perspectives on well-being. Or perhaps reminding you of why you like his thinking or the larger work.

Brown condenses his key insights, making them easily digestible and deeply applicable. He challenges self-defeating narratives, urges acceptance of what we can't control, and gently redirects our focus to the present moment, where true happiness resides. This book isn't a crash course in instant bliss, but a thoughtful companion on the journey to a more contented you, including Stoicism without beating you over the head.

If you're hesitant to tackle "Happy," this book is the perfect appetizer. If you've already devoured the larger work, "A Little Happier" serves as a pocket-sized guide to keep close for those inevitable moments when life throws you a curveball.

[Elise · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been a fan of Derren Brown's TV shows for many years and couldn't resist when I saw he'd written this wonderful little book! In such few pages, he manages to introduce such profound ways of thinking about how we view the world around us, and how this impacts our lives. Guided by stoic principles, Derren explores our need to reframe our experiences and how to lead a more fulfilling life. It is split into succint, digestible chapters that will each leave you pondering the choices we make each day, often unknowingly and ending with advice on small changes that we can practice that will make a big difference. I definitely put this book down feeling more self-aware and ready to integrate some of it's messages into my life - I'll certainly be picking up the longer version 'Happy' when I can.

[R Neil McDowell · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am a long term fan of Derren and went I've been to see him live, but I was quite disappointed with this book. He writes good prose, but it just felt like poetic prose (if that isn't an oxymoron) wasn't really the best thing for a book attempting to illuminate, or maybe just saying inform is easier. I found myself finishing a paragraph which I had enjoyed reading, but I then needed to reread it to take in what was being put across.

There's also which is more from Jung and stuff about childhood being behind various things, but unlike stoic wisdom, which seems to go along with intuition and lived experience, it requires some data and argument before I'd accept it as true.

There's still good stuff here, but it's the stuff that's researched and not the author's ideas, perhaps I'm harsh with my one star, but I just felt there are probably much better books to impart this message.

[Michael · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very worthwhile read

I saw a few comments that I would be better off reading the longer Happy book. I picked this one because it was on offer! While it probably doesn't go into as much detail, I found it very digestible and a useful reminder.
He's not reinventing the wheel with any of this and much of this advice we already know but we are all so likely to temporarily forget it and fail to apply it to our lives.
His message is very much aligned with Alain de Botton's School of Life YouTude channel.
I genuinely think it would be virtually impossible for anyone to read, understand and apply this advice and not feel a little more fulfilled with life. What other reason would you need to spend your time reading this?

[Gordon · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great summary of the much longer "Happy". The earlier book was my introduction to Stoicism, and I'll be eternally greatful for it. I have read philosophy widely (but have yet a lot to learn), but as a "practical" philosophy Stoicism is hard to beat. Not that it's not without its problems, but still for what it gives its worth it.

The book then distills the practical advice that philosophy brings and it's central premise; the one thing you do have control over is how you react to any situation, a revelation to me at the time, and a tad embarrassing that it took me so long to get this central truth.

Still, shouldn't grumble, or should I say, grumble, own it, learn from it and get on.

Read this, then read Happy if you haven't already, either way highly recommend.

[Amanda · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this a few years after Happy. Between reads there came a pandemic. A pandemic has caused those invested in the hokey optismism as described in Barbara Ehrenreich's Smile or Die to either double down or desert.

If you are a stoic, which sensible Derren points out is a good way to live, your trajectory will not have been far altered. If you want to believe Covid doesn't exist, or place all your faith in turmeric, your trajectory will have done quite the loop de loop.

Brown quotes Ehrenreich because they are of the same ilk: thoughtful, intelligent people who are sensible stoics. sEnse underpins all his thinking, research bears it out. he's a helper, but the message won't be palatable to all.

[Matt Bryant · Rating 2 out of 5]

“A Little Happier” is a sequel to “Happy” whose title suggests a comparative that adds onto its predecessor. this book however functions more as a condensed summary of the main book, with an unexciting length of less than 100 pages.

as such, the work fails to add any substantial depth in consideration of the original. it instead merely cuts out the details of the first book that made it more engaging, almost creating a close minded tone on seemingly oversimplified views of its complex topics.

i can’t imagine that this book would be much of a pleasing read without the context of the main book. in that way, this work merely serves as a nice reminder of some of the core ideas of the original that would likely be more enjoyable if revisited a fair while after reading the first.

[Adam Chamberlain · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Happiness is perhaps the most elusive aspect of the human condition, although it masquerades as entirely straightforward. It seems as if it is something we should all have access to, and we are looked upon suspiciously if we don't possess it. Yet to chase happiness is a conspicuously self-defeating project. This book presents a model for happiness that dates back over two thousand years, yet is pertinently modern."

A conversationally profound read, as Derren Brown presents this compact volume calling upon Stoic, Jungian, and other ideas with his trademark insight, storytelling, and wit. A quick—and yet potentially life-changing—read.

[Nabilah Raof · Rating 4 out of 5]

Surprisingly good! I didn’t expect much when I first picked up this book, but wow am I amazed at how much my mentality changed after finishing it. As a psychology student, I am quite interested in Stoicism. I love how this book simply describe the important areas of Stoicism without going too deep into its ancient history. It just tells you what you need to know about Stoicism. I am impressed at how much this book can give me a feeling of tranquility and peace towards all my worries and problems that I’m facing at the moment. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who wants a quick and satisfying read on Stoicism!

[Snoakes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Derren Brown really does talk a lot of sense.

That's probably all that I need to write. This little book explains Derren's philosophy of life, which is heavily based in Stoicism. Rather than chase often unachievable goals and endless acquisitions, he argues that to live a happier life we need to realise that we cannot control the future. Instead we should accept that which we cannot control and try to manage our judgement of events rather than the events themselves.

If there's one thing we know about Derren Brown it's that he really understands what makes human beings tick. Full of wisdom and insight, I'd recommend this to everyone.

[Thomas Pickup · Rating 4 out of 5]

It is a fantastic taster of what Derren Brown’s book Happy can give. The main points are there but one of the most enjoyable bits about Happy was the detail that Derren went into and his excellent and interesting anecdotes, these are not present in this smaller and surmised version. Nonetheless, I still enjoyed it, even after just finishing Happy it was a nice round up of the lessons learnt.
Would recommend reading Happy first and then after a while reading this book as a refresher!

[Hela · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read Happy a few times and got the audio book as it helps to revisit once in a while when you find yourself slipping back to your old way of thinking.
This book, Happier, condenses the main points perfectly so it's great as a refresher. I'd recommend reading both books.
Happy helped me to change my outlook. I went from unhelpful, negative thoughts to being OK and at peace.
I'm grateful to Derren for this book as it genuinely made me feel much better and like myself more.

[Jon Jones · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book wasn't for me. I got this book when I paid to see Derren do a virtual zoom talk. I believe the book is a summary of his bigger book, happy. I think that book might be the one for me, I was interested in learning more about stoic principles as this book is really short I didn't really learn what I was hoping. I need up buying a different book 'a guide to the good life' which was great and say to read. I found the writing a bit obtuse which mean but I didn't really get the knowledge I was hoping to gain

[Ben Clark · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great little punchy and funny book by the living legend Derren Brown.

Encompassing philosophy and thought relevant to the elusive idea of happiness from the East and the West, the Stoics and the Epicureans, the Greeks and the Romans, and many great individual people from the history of Psychology and Philosophy such as Jung, Epictetus, Victor Frankl, and more recent ones like Johnathon Haidt and Michael Eysenck.