Sepuluh penyair yang kebetulan perempuan yang biasa menulis di jejaring sosial Facebook, Sabtu 20 Februari 2010 lalu meluncurkan buku antologi puisi mereka yang berjudul “Merah Yang Meremah” bertempat di Pusat Dokumentasi HB Jassin, TIM Jakarta.
JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com - Para sastrawan dari Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapura, dan Brunei Darussalam yang tergabung dalam Group Pembuatan Buku-buku untuk Kemanusiaan, berhasil menerbitkan enam buku untuk disumbangkan bagi kemanusian. Penerbitan buku-buku tersebut diilhami dari bencana alam gempa yang melanda Sumatera Barat, 30 September 2009.
You can change your personal capacity for happiness. Research psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky's pioneering concept of the 40% solution shows you how
Drawing on her own groundbreaking research with thousands of men and women, research psychologist and University of California professor of psychology Sonja Lyubomirsky has pioneered a detailed yet easy-to-follow plan to increase happiness in our day-to-day lives-in the short term and over the long term. The How of Happiness is a different kind of happiness book, one that offers a comprehensive guide to understanding what happiness is, and isn't, and what can be done to bring us all closer to the happy life we envision for ourselves. Using more than a dozen uniquely formulated happiness-increasing strategies, The How of Happiness offers a new and potentially life- changing way to understand our innate potential for joy and happiness as well as our ability to sustain it in our lives.
Beginning with a short diagnostic quiz that helps readers to first quantify and then to understand what she describes as their "happiness set point," Lyubomirsky reveals that this set point determines just 50 percent of happiness while a mere 10 percent can be attributed to differences in life circumstances or situations. This leaves a startling, and startlingly underdeveloped, 40 percent of our capacity for happiness within our power to change.
Lyubomirsky's "happiness strategies" introduce readers to the concept of intentional activities, mindful actions that they can use to achieve a happier life. These include exercises in practicing optimism when imagining the future, instruction in how best to savor life's pleasures in the here and now, and a thoroughgoing explanation of the importance of staying active to being happy. Helping readers find the right fit between the goals they set and the activities she suggests, Lyubomirsky also helps readers understand the many obstacles to happiness as well as how to harness individual strengths to overcome them. Always emphasizing how much of our happiness is within our control, Lyubomirsky addresses the "scientific how" of her happiness research, demystifying the many myths that unnecessarily complicate its pursuit. Unlike those of many self-help books, all her recommendations are supported by scientific research.
The How of Happiness is both a powerful contribution to the field of positive psychology and a gift to all those who have questioned their own well- being and sought to take their happiness into their own hands.
Happiness 101 Oleh: M. Oshaughnessey - 28 February 2010 I found this book an enjoyable, easy read. I first listened to it on CD at which point I decided to purchase the book for future reference. The author does an excellent job of outlining the 12 happiness activities with the supportive data. While it is not the most academic of text, it does not simply rely on conjecture. She supports her thesis. I would recommend this book to anyone looking for a simple but thoughtful explanation of how to be happy. Happiness just doesn't happen-like most things in life there is a formula that if you follow will make for a bit more success.
The How of Happiness Oleh: Eric Cooley - 06 February 2010 An excellent review of a variety of practical strategies to improve happiness and positive emotions. The crucial element that sets this work apart from many "how to" books is that it is all research based. The recommendations are backed up by empirical studies.
We all can learn to be Happy! Oleh: Nese ISIK - 03 February 2010 What an idea, happiness, a concept we think more or less as intangible and sometimes unachievable becomes a reality with this book.
Lyubomirsky outlines 12 Happiness Activities which all make sense: 1. Expressing Gratitude 2. Cultivating Optimism 3. Avoiding Overthinking & Social Comparison 4. Practicing Acts of Kindness 5. Nurturing Social Relationships 6. Developing Strategies for Coping 7. Learning to Forgive 8. Increasing Flow Experience 9. Savoring Life's Joys 10. Committing to Your Goals 11. Practicing Religion & Spirituality 12. Taking Care of Your Body
The Science of Happiness Oleh: Guido Struben - 17 January 2010 The best thing about this book is that it's scientifically based. It's written by one of the leading researchers in the science of happiness. It describes a variety of strategies for increasing happiness and provides guidance for selecting those that are likely to be the most effective for each individual.
Buy the Boook. Do the exercises. Get Happier! Oleh: Gordon Simmons - 15 December 2009 I loved this book. Dr. Sonja Lyubomirsky is called a pioneer in the area of Positive Psychology. She has authored a book and several papers on the subject, and is currently Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside. Everything in "The How of Happiness" is backed up by Lyubomirsky's research of thousands of subjects.
The main aspect of Lyubomirsky's book I liked the most was the fact that it can be treated like a manual. Maybe it's the shade tree mechanic in me, but when I want to learn how to do something, I want a short, easy way to get the information I want, like a motorbike repair manual. When I work on my motorcycle, I often have to consult my trusty manual to figure out exactly how to accomplish my task. I scan the table of contents, find the section I need-- for example, brakes-- and then go directly to that portion of the manual to learn what I need to know. I don't have to read the whole manual cover to cover. I just need the section on brakes.
I don't want to suggest that Lyubomirsky's book is as dry as a repair manual because it is not. It is filled with fascinating facts and information. But the comparison to a manual of sorts isn't too far off. The author instructs her readers at one point in the book to skip over the sections they don't need if they wish. How often have you come across an author who tells you NOT to read what doesn't apply to you?
Lyubomirsky can do that because the book is set up so that as you read, you can assess yourself and your own style. In fact, there is an actual diagnostic assessment you can take to help you understand what kinds of happiness-increasing activities are probably best suited to you. This assessment appears at the end of Part One so that you can go into Part Two knowing a lot more about what is likely to work for you.
This is really refreshing because so often in "self-improvement books" we are directed to do what has worked for someone else. While that's not always bad advice, Lyubomirsky's approach is scientific--no surprise there. This is critically important because it allows readers to explore themselves and to choose the activities that feel right for them, which, in turn, increases the likelihood that readers will continue to practice the activities.
Like Dr. Martin Seligman, Lyubomirsky explains that about 50% of your happiness level is determined by your happiness "set point." That set point is genetically determined, and is largely unchangeable. She also states that another 10% of happiness is based in circumstance. So, that leaves 40% of any one person's happiness up to what? Of course you know the answer to that: 40% of your happiness level is up to you to determine, and this book helps you understand exactly how to practice activities that support your maximum happiness.
In Chapter One, Lyubormirsky explains her view of happiness: ". . . Happiness isn't a knock of good fortune that we must await, like the end of rainy season. Neither is it something we must find, like a freeway or a lost wallet, if only we know the secret path and if only we could acquire the right job or the right boyfriend. Interestingly, the notion that happiness must be found is so pervasive that even the familiar phrase the pursuit of happiness (link to my article on HI on this subject) implies that happiness is an object that one has to chase or discover. I don't like that phrase. I prefer to think of the creation or construction of happiness, because research shows that it's in our power to fashion it for ourselves."
"The How of Happiness" gives readers a dozen strategies to use to become more aware, and to increase their overall happiness level. She calls the strategies "intentional activities." To become happier, you must first become more aware of yourself and how you behave. It isn't going to just happen because you read a book. You actually have to "practice" happiness. The How of Happiness gives you great strategies for doing just that.
I encourage you to buy the book, and to follow through with the strategies that you find match your style.
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