Short Cuts to Happiness: Life-Changing Lessons from My Barber - Hardcover

by Tal Ben-Shahar (Author)

Sometimes even a New York Times-bestselling happiness expert could use some advice . . .

In his trailblazing Harvard courses, his internationally bestselling books, as well as his lectures and videos, positive psychologist Tal Ben-Shahar has shared his wisdom on finding fulfillment with people around the world. But even a happiness expert needs a sympathetic ear now and then. Tal found his--not in a fellow psychologist or guru, but in his longtime Israeli neighborhood barber, Avi, who (along with cutting hair) dispenses wisdom beyond his years:

Moving fast is important, but so is knowing when to wait.
The more you provide for your children, the less they gain for themselves.
If only people brought the same levels of commitment to their relationships as they do to their work.
The best way to gain trust is to give trust.

Short Cuts to Happiness distills two years of Tal and Avi's revelatory barbershop talk into forty brief chapters to dip in and out of, or to enjoy straight through. Each one reminds us how easy it is to find common ground on the things that matter most--and how good it is to talk with a tried-and-true friend.

Author Biography

Tal Ben-Shahar, PhD, taught the historically largest course at Harvard, "Positive Psychology," and the third largest, "The Psychology of Leadership," attracting 1,400 students per semester--approximately 20 percent of all Harvard graduates. Ben-Shahar obtained his BA and PhD from Harvard, and for the last fifteen years has been teaching leadership, happiness, and mindfulness to audiences all over the world. He is the author of five previous books, including international bestsellers Happier and Being Happy, which have been translated into more than twenty-five languages.