Analysis Of The Book What Happy People Know - 1621 Words

Everybody should be happy! But according to Dr. Dan Baker, happiness is a â€Å"relatively rare quality† (6). He further states that it is â€Å"even scarcer now than it was in earlier, less affluent times† (6). But why are so many people so unhappy? In his book titled â€Å"What Happy People Know†, Dr. Baker reveals what years of research and personal clinical findings has taught him about the lack of happiness in America. People are afraid of failing, not being enough, or not having enough which triggers the fight or flight response within them. As a result, countless look for ways to prevent these fears from becoming reality and in the process fall into what Dr. Baker calls the â€Å"Happiness Traps† (5). According to the book, there are five†¦show more content†¦Therefore, having a positive self-concept is very important to a life of happiness. Bonnie desperately needed a positive self-concept, or she would soon die. Her fear of not being enough had led her to feeling that she was too fat, and that she was â€Å"a crummy student and a loud mouth† (74). Because of her fear of being overweight, she had stopped eating meats, grains, vegetables, and finally drinking water. Now she was lying in a hospital bed due to severe hydration. She became greatly alarmed and horrified when her stomach was distended as her attendants pumped nutrients and fluids into her (74). Eventually, through the means of Bonnie’s dog, Dr. Baker was able to convince Bonnie that she should not starve herself just as she would not starve her dog. Through her love for her dog, Bonnie’s â€Å"love for herself began to grow, her fear subsided, and the language she used to describe her life began to change† (75). However, not everyone had suffered from a lack of self-love. Job had been an extremely successful engineer with a wonderful wife, son, and daughter. His engineering firm had consisted of 153 employees who were more like family than employees to him. His success had brought him a penthouse apartment in New York City, summer home in the Hamptons, classic automobiles, exotic vacations, and a luxurious, eagles-nest office space near the lofty top of the World Trade Center. (179) His wealth made him a confident man who was described asShow MoreRelatedAnalysis of a Walk to Remember1696 Words   |  7 PagesAnalysis of A Walk to Remember I. Author Introduction/ Writing Style: The author of A Walk to Remember is Nicholas Sparks. He was born on December 31,1965. According to Wikipedia he is an internationally best selling American author. He writes novels with themes that include Christianity, love, tragedy, and fate. He is currently the author of 12 published novels; including: Message in a Bottle, A Walk to Remember, and The Notebook. 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