How to Be Happy All the Time

Book Description

A collection of previously unreleased writings by the famed 20th century spiritual master. This collection gives the reader everything they need to know to lead a happier more fulfilling life.

Customer Reviews:

From an avid Paramahansa reader, this book is just okay.......2007-07-13

I've read I believe all of Paramahansa's books. Of all of them, this one feels, in a word, "edited". It feels to me like a lot of the passages come more from the mind rather than from the heart. I think a lot of the words came from people other than Paramahansa. There is still a lot of wisdom in the book and a lot of words that touch the heart that seem to come directly from Paramahansa. But of all the Paramahansa books out there I would recommned this one the least.

They even use less preferred spelling of his name Paramhansa rather than Paramahansa.

If you really want to get fired up for God read Paramahansa's "Man's Eternal Quest"..especially the second half of book.

Finding Happiness in all the Right Places.......2007-03-10

How often have we heard that the quest for happiness is somehow selfish, hedonistic and unworthy? It seems bizarre that most therapists have seen countless people who have felt guilt because they wanted to be happy.

Yet the human drive to be happy is a fundamental need that was recognized by the Ancient Greeks, Taoists in China and Hindus in India, as well as contemporary "Positive" psychologists. It is sad to learn that according to a recent Gallup poll, only a minority of Americans describe themselves as "very happy." It's easy to say, "Well what should we expect? Just watch the news." But that misses the point: most of us have never been taught how to unlock the secrets of happiness, joy and inner peace. Secrets that can help sustain us in the face of adversity.

Yogananda's Autobiography of a Yogi has remained a firm favorite since my teens, and many of his other books and lectures have been inspirational. What is always so different about his work is that he clearly writes and speaks from personal experience, unlike so many who only recite what they have heard or read. I did not know just how much material remained unpublished.

This short but meaty book consists of material that has apparently never been released before. As with his other books, his approach is powerful, but his style could best be described as rather playful. In just 143 pages, excluding the index and other resources, Yogananda explains virtually everything that you need to know to lead a happier and more fulfilling life.

He covers a number of important topics including:
1. Looking for happiness in the wrong place
2. Happiness is a choice
3. Avoiding the happiness
4. Learn to behave
5. Simplicity is the key
6. Sharing your happiness with others
7. True success and prosperity
8. Inner freedom and joy
9. Finding God is the greatest happiness

This is one of those books that you could read in a couple of hours. But its fruits could stay with you for a lifetime. It gives you not just ideas, but practical skills, and there will likely be single passages on which you will want to meditate before moving on to anything else. It is a book that for many people can be life-changing.

Highly recommended.

Richard G. Petty, MD, author of Healing, Meaning and Purpose: The Magical Power of the Emerging Laws of Life

A delightful and thoughtful masterpiece.......2006-11-18

The author of AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YOGI brings out pearls of wisdom on how to be happy in this small but priceless book. Most of the sayings here are not found in his other works. The advise given here is so simple yet so difficult to follow for ordinary mortals like us.

However, if one is able to follow the advise here, his/her life would be filled with so much bliss. The language used in this book is also easy to digest and understand and the reader would feel a sense of friendship and closeness with the author just by reading and applying the words of wisdom in every day living.

In conclusion, I would strongly recommend this book to everyone, especially those who are suffering from depression. The reader would be uplifted by the words being written here. A very engaging and powerful book.

This is a 'desert island' book.......2006-11-11

"If you were stranded on a desert island and could have only one book, what would it be?" Well, actually, I'd ask for five - but this would be one of them. This is the best 'how to' book I've ever read. Yogananda's perspective on the human condition will turn your own perspective inside-out (or outside-in). His approach is deceptively simple, but you'll find yourself saying, "Ahhhh, that's why I have that problem." More importantly, he gives simple ways to get out of our ruts, moods, and personal quagmires. I know his hints work, because I've tried them.

The chapter titles will give you a good idea of the type of helpful how-to hints in this book:
1. Looking for Happiness in the Wrong Place
2. Happiness is a Choice
3. Avoiding the Happiness Thieves
4. Learn to Behave
5. Simplicity is the Key
6. Sharing Your Happiness With Others
7. True Success and Prosperity
8. Inner Freedom and Joy
9. Finding God is the Greatest Happiness

Here is an excerpt:

"Happiness consists in making the mightiest efforts to reduce your desires and needs, and in cultivating the ability to meet those needs at will, always trying to smile, both outwardly and inwardly, in spite of every predicament.

"Be silent and calm every night for at least ten minutes (longer if possible) before you retire, and again in the morning before rising. This will produce an undaunted, unbreakable inner habit of happiness that will make you able to meet all the trying situations of the everyday battle of life. With that unchangeable happiness within, go about seeking to fulfill the demands of your day.

"Seek happiness more in your mind and less in the acquisition of things. Be so happy in your mind that nothing that comes can possibly make you unhappy. Then, you can get along without things you have been accustomed to. Be happy knowing you have acquired the power not to be negative. Know, too, that you will never again become so materially minded that you forget your inner happiness, even if you become a millionaire."

A fine starting point.......2006-09-24

The most important condition for happiness is even-mindedness, and here the author of AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF A YOGI brings some of this sense to a treatise on how to be happy under virtually any condition. From identifying habits, thoughts, and practices which steal from happiness to understanding simplicity is the key and sharing happiness with others, HOW TO BE HAPPY ALL THE TIME: THE WISDOM OF YOGANANDA, V. 1 is a fine starting point for reaching contentment.

Diane C. Donovan
California Bookwatch

Spanish All Talk Basic Language Course (4 Hour/4 Cds): Learn to Understand and Speak Spanish with Linguaphone Language Programs (All Talk) (All Talk)

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Spanish All Talk Basic Language Course (4 Hour/4 Cds): Learn to Understand and Speak Spanish with Linguaphone Language Programs (All Talk) (All Talk)
Linguaphone
Manufacturer: Linguaphone
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Binding: Audio CD

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On-the-go Instrction Because your time is valuable... All Audio All on the go! Beginning level instruction is presented in an all-audio format on 4 digitally-recorded CDs. You have the opportunity to learn on the go, taking advantage of time normally wasted. Study in your car, while exercising, doing yard work anywhere you can safely listen to a CD player. No accompanying books are needed to help you complete the lesson activities. Why can t learning be fun? It can! Linguaphone has chosen to present the allTalk series in an entertaining, soap-opera format. No dry old teacher with a monotone voice putting you to sleep, you follow the adventures of a visitor to a Spanish-speaking country as she interacts with individuals in a variety of interesting situations, learning the language and beginning to understand the culture. Actually learn the language Tired of spending money on language courses that don t work? Did you ever think the problem could be with the course and not you? With Linguaphone s unique learning sequence: Listen, Understand, Speak, you will find yourself actually using the language in no time at all! You are presented with a unit of the language, it is then broken down and explained to you, then you put it back together with greater understanding than just repeating what you may not have understood in the first place. . . . and learn it well! The all Talk methodology not only teaches well, but will have you speaking and understanding basic spoken Spanish in no time at all. Other popular all-audio courses require four times the cds, four times the money and four times the time to do what Linguaphone s allTalk Basic does with 4-one hour CDs.

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former hater of fiction
vapid and inane
A Comedy of Mannerisms
Ho-Hum
You'll be happy all the time you're reading this book

Happy All the Time
Laurie Colwin
Manufacturer: Harper Perennial
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0060955325
Release Date: 2000-05-16

Book Description

This delightful comedy of manners and morals is about romantic friendship, romantic marriage, and romantic love--about four people who are good-hearted and sane, lucky and gifted, and who find one another. Knowing that happiness is an art form that requires energy, discipline, and talent, Guido, Holly, Vincnt, and Misty deal with jealousy, estrangement, and other perils involved in the search for love.

Customer Reviews:

former hater of fiction.......2006-08-18

up until now i never read fiction. i received this as a gift from my best friend and i have to say that she really came through. this is an excellent read...not fluffy, sappy or overly romantic. the characters are, in my opnion, not "cardboard cutouts" as another reviewer described. they are realistic and believable. no where within the story did i feel sidetracked or lost...very well written and doesnt leave the reader feeling heavy or weighed down with emotion. very light and easy. i have the author's cookbooks and i find that her comfortable charm that was abound in those are also present in her fictional writing. i also recieved "goodbye without leaving" and i am looking forward to starting that as well.

vapid and inane.......2003-06-23

I probably should have put this book down when I was halfway through it and I realized it was about the tiny problems of several self-engrossed upper class New Yorkers. I found the plot to be lacking in any sort of stimulating element; the book basically boiled down to two people finding their perfect mates. Furthermore, the characters seemed somewhat flat, since everyone is describable in a couple words, and the dialogue strained for snappy wit, but instead came off as silly to me. My problem with this book wasn't that it was light and happy, it was that the book didn't even do a great job portraying light and happy.

A Comedy of Mannerisms.......2003-03-22

Laurie Colwin's _Happy All the Time_ is less a comedy of manners than a comedy of the mannerisms, quirks, and idiosyncracies of four very unique friends and lovers.

Guido and Vincent (rather WASP-y, the Italian nomenclature comes from a couple of generations back) are cousins and fellow graduate students when the novel opens, perfectly situated for finding their lifemates. When Guido sees Holly in an art gallery he narrates his observations about her to Vincent. "Notice how the nose tilts," he says, and later, "Notice the arc of the arm."

"Notice the feeblemindedness that passes for wit among aging graduate students," she replies, thus setting into motion a story full of wonderful zingy dialogue as pessimists pair up with optimists and love ensues.

Published originally in 1978, _Happy All the Time_ paints both of the primary women in bold colors. Misty is a linguist, frighteningly intelligent, and determined not to let Vincent's optimism capsize her ship. Holly is self-contained and self-determined, making her own decisions without consultation with Guido, whose great passion for her leaves him in a perpetual state of befuddlement. The book is indicative of the era it's placed in, as women behave in ways which have not been modelled for them, and the men adjust their expectations accordingly. From a feminist point of view, that makes this book an interesting read.

From an escapist's point of view, this book is highly entertaining, light but not too fluffy, and thoroughly enjoyable. I highly recommend it for anyone who enjoys Nora Ephron movies, Bridget Jones-type books, and satisfying endings.

Ho-Hum.......2002-05-30

While I normally prefer a book with more depth and edge to it, I nonetheless also enjoy a feel-good, happy-ending story now and again too! Fair to say that the reviewers' adjectives on the back flap of Happy All The Time -- 'fun', 'clean', 'healthy', and 'delightful' -- should hardly have led me to expect anything more than a squeaky-clean romp of a weekend read. Unfortunately, the only thing this book left me feeling was why I bothered to read it to the end. This insipid book neither captivates nor is it particularly well written. The four main characters are like cardboard cutouts and for 214 unremarkable pages, we are led to nothing more than a ho-hum, isn't-life-grand-as-long-as-you-can-afford-champagne ending. Please! Whether your literary interests tend toward the light or dark side, there is much better out there than this for the taking!

You'll be happy all the time you're reading this book.......2001-10-11

Laurie Colwin was one of my favorite writers of the 1980's (my tastes seem to change as the decades do). I read (and proudly own) all her novels and short story collections, and her two books of essays on cooking. "Happy all the Time" happens to have been my introduction to Ms. Colwin's work, and it spurred me to read all her books. ("Happy" turned out to be my absolute favorite, though a couple of others were close seconds.)

Read this book. Read her other books. And join me in feeling very sad that this wondrous writer, whose humanity shines through in all of her work, left us all too soon.

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Winning Thinking: How To Be Happy Almost All Of The Time
Michael Cortson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0976734613

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Confessions of a Happily Organized Family: Hundreds of Practical, No-Nag Ways to Have a Neat House, Happy Kids, and Calm Parents-All at the Same Time
Deniece Schofield
Manufacturer: Writers Digest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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Burst of Song (All Kinds of Good Things for Happy Groups to Sing)

Manufacturer: Theodore Presser Co.
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000WU6XC2

Product Description

64 pages of early 20th Century musical scores & lyrics.

Confessions of a Happily Organized Family: Hundreds of Practical, No-Nag Ways to Have a Neat House, Happy Kids, and Calm Parents-All at the Same Time

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Confessions of a Happily Organized Family: Hundreds of Practical, No-Nag Ways to Have a Neat House, Happy Kids, and Calm Parents-All at the Same Time
Deniece Schofield
Manufacturer: Writers Digest Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
ASIN: B000NXXXZS

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HAPPY ALL THE TIME
COLWIN LAURIE
Manufacturer: LEISURE CIRCLE
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000SBV6C2

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HAPPY ALL THE TIME

Manufacturer: Alfred A. Knopf
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
ASIN: B000IIUKVS

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Happy All the Time
Laurie Colwin
Manufacturer: Pocket Books
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Mass Market Paperback
ASIN: B000K01DH4

Customer Reviews:

Great read........2007-08-23

This is a great book if anyone wants to get the first Story of Ra's al Ghul. A batman Must read.

Add to your collection.......2006-07-06

I'm working my way through what IGN calls the Top 25 Batman Graphic Novels, and they had this listed as #19. Batman was a very different character when these issues were originally written. Corny dialogue and very flippant in an action-movie sort of way. The shadows are a little less dark for this Batman.

Get this to complete your collection, but you may not find yourself re-reading it.

The Beginning Of The Modern Era Batman .......2005-11-30

While most of the material was originally published during the early 1970s, none of it appears outdated or lacklustre; a testimony to Dennis O'Neil & Neal Adams' vision of comic book storytelling. This trade paperback edition also includes stories that first appeared in 1978, 1979 & 1980. These later tales lack the intensity and drama of Al Ghul's earlier appearances but they still overpower the nonsensical sagas of Bruce Wayne: Murderer & Batman: War Games.

There is no doubt that The Joker is the most recognizable nemesis of Batman's rogue gallery. Alongside The Penguin, Two-Face, The Riddler and the original, criminal version of Catwoman, these characters have helped define as well as elevate The Caped Crusader's popularity in all mediums whether it be comic books, animation or film. However, what separates Ra's Al Ghul from the other villains is that he is not grotesque in appearance nor is he prolifically insane. Contrary to Batman's high profiled enemies, this character is treacherously intelligent, logical and relies on order instead of chaos to further advance his plans. Another distinctive trait is that by harnessing the earth's magnetic currents and the properties of certain chemicals, he has invented a method to revive his body when death approaches'. The aptly named `Lazarus Pit' has allowed Ra's Al Ghul several lifetimes in which he created a network whose goal is to cleanse the earth of a parasite that is destroying the planet. That is, the over abundance of human population that is making the air non-breathable, the water undrinkable and rapidly depleting our planet's life giving resources. Al Ghul has no desire to completely wipe out the human race but rather to downsize it at a level that the earth can sustain and of course, would usher this new age as its master. He views himself as a visionary that will save mankind and the environment but Batman regards him as nothing more than a dangerous madman who must be stopped at all costs. Obviously, Ra's Al Ghul's goal is not to commit crimes in an attempt to best Batman in a match of wits or brawn. This is beneath him. In fact, he regards Batman as his most fitting successor and husband to his beautiful daughter, Talia.

With such a complex and unique character, Dennis O'Neil chronicled some of the greatest Batman tales ever. He returned Batman to his roots as a creature of the night but does not shy away from showing a defeated Caped Crusader in combat situations against the likes of The Bronze Tiger or lagging behind an Olympic ski medalist. This important aspect allows the hero to be accessible to the audience. Bruce Wayne's tragedy is obviously still at the core of the character but O'Neil does not hammer down this point incessantly where we can no longer differentiate Batman from his cast of villains. O'Neil's Dark Knight Detective is an intense and determined crime fighter but can still interact with his entourage while prone to failure. In fact, this Batman is not above seeking help in order to bring down Ra's Al Ghul. Quite a contrast from the angst filled and anti-social persona that is presently found in the Batman titles and been overbearingly interpreted as such for the past fifteen years. These hack writers and short-sighted editors should go beyond Frank Miller's Dark Knight Returns to discover that the likes of Steve Englehart, Frank Robbins & Archie Goodwin wrote some Batman stories that are as valid as any other. It makes me wonder if they ever bothered to read the Bob Kane & Bill Finger material.

Neal Adams' contribution to the North American comic book industry is impossible to measure or quantify. His style has directly as well as indirectly influenced comic book artists for four decades. Adams' facet to perspective and anatomy brought a heightened realism to the character that led the way for future Batman artists such as Marshal Rogers and Alan Davis. While Tales Of The Demon does not feature the best of Don Newton's work, he certainly belongs as one of the top Batman pencillers who could bring out the moody and dark atmosphere of the Dark Knight's world. His four year run on Detective Comics and Batman is still sadly overlooked while unskilled, non-talented shmucks such as Michael Turner are revered as the greatest ever. Go figure. Irv Novick is another artist who never seems to get the proper recognition for his astounding body of work. His slick pencilling style puts him in the same league as Gil Kane, John Buscema and Ross Andru. Novick was an artist who could convey all the vibrant action and dynamic pacing of a story that made Batman come to life. This trade paperback also reprints the excellent Dennis O'Neil/Michael Golden collaboration from DC Special Series #15. His highly detailed work from the late 1970s and 1980s made him one of the most relevant artists in the comic book medium during those decades.

Tales Of The Demon is a worthy companion piece to other editions such as Batman: Black & White and Batman: Year Two. While Bob Kane and Bill Finger are the ones responsible for creating this wonderful character, it is Dennis O'Neil who brought back the approach that made him great during The Golden Age of comics. For over six decades, many writers and artists have left their stamp on the Batman legacy but most of them pale in comparison to the inspirational work of O'Neil & Adams.

Review by Brian Grindrod

Calling all Ras Al Ghul fans.......2005-08-03

"Tales of the Demon" highlights the issues of the comic in which the infamous villain, Ras Al Ghul, was introduced. Ras Al Ghul is one of the best Batman villains out there. He knows that Bruce Wayne is Batman, he is the leader of powerful assassin groups, and he can be revived from death or serious injury by using his "Lazarus Pit," implying that he may outlive Batman. However, Ras would actually like Batman to replace him and take his beautiful daughter Talia as his wife. So the relationship between the two is very complex.

Batman realizes that in terms of strategy, power, and longevity, Ras may be his greatest challenge. Threatening worldwide destruction, Ras is a villain whose scope of tyranny oustretches even the Joker's. Batman desperately seeks to bring Ras to justice. Not even his affection for Talia can deter him from this single goal.

The stories depict two men who conceive justice in extremely different ways. This book chronicles the personal war that wages on between two men who are strikingly similar and yet worlds apart. If you want to read the history of one of the greatest Batman villains, this is for you.

I would avoid the new edition.......2005-07-07

Oh man, this new printing of TOFD is really bad. DC put new coloring in this paperback and obscures alot of the the great artwork.
Since this book has Ra's al Ghul (who appears in the Batman Begins)As a tie-in to the movie DC decided to update the colors, using new advances in printing; then they could sell it to a new generation of comic book readers who might have seen the movie.
I would try to get the original edition with the colors untouched and avoid this new one at all costs.

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Batman: Tales of the Demon
DC Comics
Manufacturer: Grand Central Publishing
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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