50 Ways to Yay!: Transformative Tools for a Whole Lot of Happy

Alexi Panos shares with readers what she has learned from studying the paths to a happy life. There are, as promised in the title, fifty sections, each with a brief essay about the topic and a short journaling exercise. There is space provided to fill in your responses, but not much of it, so readers may want to keep a notebook handy.

Despite the fun, peppy title, upbeat tone, and helpful exercises, there are many other books available that would provide the same benefits with a more interesting read. I was frustrated by the lack of organization from point to point, and the essays were so carefully non-specific that they did very little to inspire me. The handful of real-world examples were refreshing but sparse.

Panos often speaks about how much happier she is now following her true path, but never states what that path is. Perhaps she assumes that readers are already familiar with her story. I was not, and I still am not. All this said, it’s a pretty standard sort of self-help book that would be as effective as any other, so if the celebrity connection means anything to you, by all means give it a try.