27 Sep The Young Manê¢__‘_Ê¢s Guide to Happiness
The Young Man’s Guide to Happiness
By BARBARA WEIL
Thursday, 27 September 2007
The Young Man’s Guide to Happiness. By: Tim Sole. Publisher: Reed. Price: $12.99.
THIS is an excellent guide, simply written and a pleasure to read.
However I have to take issue with the author over the title. The advice in The Young Man’s Guide to Happiness is equally applicable to young women who should read it if they can get over the name. It should be The Young Person’s Guide to Happiness.
Sure, I appreciate that Sole in his introduction asked three questions when he set out to write the book. Was the advice what he would want his son to follow when older? Was it written in a way that he and his friends would want to read it? And last, would it help them be happy?
Young women need this just as much. Sole says if the game of life had a set of rules, for a summary in one sentence he suggests: “Give kindness; take opportunities: respect yourself; enjoy.”
The author says one recipe for happiness that has stood the test of time comes from the Scottish writer Alexander Chalmers (1759-1834). He called them the three grand essentials for happiness. They are: something to do; someone to love; and something to hope for.
One thing Sole learned as a student worker was from his supervisor. It was: “If you give your work your full attention and do it with pride, then no matter how mundane or unimportant it may appear, the enjoyment will follow.”
Other advice in this gem of a book are: be persistent; presentation gets results; forgive sooner, forget later; remember people’s names; communicate; work effectively with others and ,best of all, if it is to be, it’s up to me.
There are dozens of self help books on the market, usually large and full of platitudes, written by people who call themselves “life coaches”.
This book is deceptively simple with usually one idea on each page. It is well worth the investment; it’s a bargain.