Book Summary and Reviews of 10% Happier by Dan Harris

Book Summary

In celebration of its 10th anniversary, a revised and updated edition of the award-winning #1 New York Times bestseller that changed the way we look at meditation and mindfulness, expanded with new material by Dan Harris.

After having a nationally televised panic attack on Good Morning America, Dan Harris knew he had to make some changes for his anxiety. A lifelong nonbeliever, he found himself on a bizarre adventure involving a disgraced pastor, a mysterious self-help guru, and a gaggle of brain scientists. Eventually, Harris realized that the source of his problems was the very thing he always thought was his greatest asset: the incessant, insatiable voice in his head.

We all have an inner narrator. It's what has us losing our temper unnecessarily, checking our email compulsively, eating when we're not hungry, and fixating on the past and the future at the expense of the present. Most of us assume we're stuck with this voice―that there's nothing we can do to rein it in―but Harris stumbled upon an effective, science-backed way to do just that.

10% Happier 10th Anniversary is now considered a classic text on the power of meditation, a practical introduction to the practice that can convert even the most hardened skeptic. With over a million copies sold, this popular personal growth memoir is the go-to guide, and with meditation now a widely accepted and encouraged practice, Dan Harris is a pivotal and approachable figure in the field who has built a thriving platform based on the ideas he first presented in this book.

In this 10th Anniversary Edition, Harris offers a new preface reflecting on how much has changed―for him and for the public perceptions of meditation, plus a revised and expanded appendix, filled with guided meditations and practical advice for anyone looking for stress management tools and how to boot up a habit.

In this no-nonsense guide to taming the inner critic, you'll discover:

A Skeptic's Guide to Meditation: Follow a cynical news anchor on his bizarre and hilarious journey as he discovers a practical, science-backed way to manage the voice in his head.
Evidence-Based Anxiety Relief: Learn how to reduce stress without losing your edge, based on insights from brain scientists and Harris's own reluctant experimentation after a televised panic attack.
Taming Your Inner Critic: Understand the source of the incessant inner narrator that fuels bad habits and learn a simple, effective exercise to rein it in.
New 10th Anniversary Edition: Explore an all-new preface on the evolution of meditation and an expanded appendix of guided practices to help you start―and stick with―the habit.