C's Reviews > Stumbling on Happiness

I really struggled to finish this book, despite the warm praise from Malcom Gladwell and Seth Godin and my interest in the subject. Make no mistake: Daniel Gilbert is an academic. Stumbling on Happiness reads like a rather dry lecture from a mildly-entertaining Harvard professor. Gilbert rattles off studies at a brisk pace, strong handling his thesis and leaving you nodding off before you know it. He expounds upon our inability to estimate how we'll feel once we get what we desire and the perils of our (limited) imagination.

Brilliant? Witty? Not in my opinion. Gilbert takes a fascinating subject and manages to suck all the air out around it. What this book needs is less "witty" attempts to connect and a better editor. A simple wrap up of the ideas presented at the end of each chapter and a good slashing of the extraneous could go a long way to making this a happier read.