Dan Harris (1) (1971–)

“I initially wanted to call this book The Voice in My Head Is an Asshole. However, that title was deemed inappropriate for a man whose day job requires him to abide by FCC decency standards.”

Dan Harris hooked me right from this first paragraph of this excellent book. As a journalist in TV news, Harris was no stranger to cutthroat competition. But he was also blessed or cursed with a neurotic inner voice, an internal critic that never let up. Harris figured it was a good thing to be show more hypervigilant; it kept him on his toes. But when it led to a panic attack on national television, a new approach was needed. Harris’s path then led to the religion beat, where he interviewed practitioners of a variety of faiths and eventually came to Buddhism and meditation. Much to his surprise, Harris found that meditation eventually clicked with him. His next challenge: to convince similarly skeptical others of the benefits of a practice that has been burdened with unfortunate cultural baggage (both the stereotypical hippie granola eaters and the McMindfulness corporate types).

I picked this up because someone I know mentioned they were using the app that sprang from this book, and they’ve been happy with it. I was really happy with this book. The first paragraph, as mentioned, hooked me right away, and I could strongly relate to Harris’s hypervigilance and not wanting to let up on worrying. He was also honest and vulnerable about his struggles to get into meditation, but most importantly willing to change his opinion about it when he could see how it worked.

I would recommend this if you’ve been interested in the idea of mindfulness or meditation but have a tendency to roll your eyes if it’s forced on you as part of a corporate wellness program. Harris does not attempt to oversell its benefits—that’s where the 10% happier comes from. If you can be even 10% happier than you were before, that’s a significant return on investment. I like this forthrightness and am encouraged to give meditation a try now. show less

Half memoir, half self-help guide into meditation, because this is just as much about Dan Harris' journey into meditation and mindfulness as it is about the practice itself...or maybe even more so. If you're a skeptic or looking into the phenomenon rather than specifically exploring it (ie, looking for the WHY more than the HOW), this book does a good job of telling the story of how a egotistical junkie (drugs & adrenaline) eventually finds some zen and how he wrestles with the whole notion show more when he does find it. Listening at 1.4x, it flows pretty quickly. But the narrative always moves forward, it doesn't rest in platitudes, and it's a bit interesting to read some behind the scenes journalism, too. (Harris spends the first 4 chapters at least just setting up his character and lifestyle as a lead into why and how he encountered meditation). Even if you're not looking to go zen, the book is rather interesting. show less

I enjoyed the book, and it delivered what I was looking for: A fairly skeptical initial view of meditation, etc. and how/why the author becomes a fan of it in the end.
I have to admit though that throughout the book the authors pessimism, and rush to judgement (like when he decided Chopra wasn't sincere or serene just because he was telling people to get his good side before a TV shoot) became a little annoying and distracting. This "fatal flaw" of the author just grated against me.
At least show more I did like that my internal dialogue while reading ("damn this guys cocky, arrogant, close-minded...etc.") was validated by the author himself towards the end as he either acknowledges that he was wrong about sooo many things due to his rush to judgement or pointed out how his wife reflected these traits back to him.
I suppose this is a review more of how the authors negative parts of his personality seep thru the page more than of the book itself, but that's my review. I'd recommend it. I'm interested enough to pursue the subject matters in the book. show less

Perhaps the most glowing testimonial I could give would be to acknowledge the following reality. After reading Harris’ engaging book, I’m actually considering meditation for the first time (the emphasis on “considering.”) “10% Happier” is a highly readable tome that skillfully blends self-help tips with Harris’ fascinating career (including a panic attack he suffered during a live network show as five million viewers watched). True, I might be especially enamored of this book show more given the fact that I’ve been a journalist for several decades. I can’t honestly say I would have enjoyed the tale nearly as much if Harris was an accountant or electrical engineer (nothing against accounting or electrical engineering, of course). But Harris effectively raises a number of thought-provoking points. Our "inner narrator" is all too often obsessed with the past and the future — even though "the now is all we have." When the author shared the realization that he had "been sleepwalking through much of his life, swept along by a tide of automatic, habitual behavior," it made me seriously evaluate my mindset. Here’s my take-away: If practicing meditation techniques can actually make someone more clear-headed, rooted in “the now” and 10% happier, it sounds like a solid bang-for-the-buck. show less