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How to be Sad
- The Key to a Happier Life
- Narrated by: Helen Russell
- Length: 10 hrs and 28 mins
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How to be Sad
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Summary
‘In any human life there are going to be periods of unhappiness. Learning how to be sad is a natural first step in how to be happier’ Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute
Helen Russell is an expert on the pursuit of happiness. In How to Be Sad she combines her powerful personal story with surprising research and warm advice to reveal the secret of finding joy: allowing sadness to enrich your life and relationships.
Timely and essential, this book is about how we can better look after ourselves and each other, simply by getting smarter about sadness.
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Critic reviews
'So brilliantly researched and written with great energy. And boy, did it make me think – I must have turned down 50 pages to come back to later!' Pandora Sykes
‘This is such an important subject and we would all be better off if we absorbed Helen’s robust research and kind advice and allowed ourselves to be sad’ Cathy Rentzenbrink
'So brilliant, so heart warming, so extraordinary, so vulnerable and uplifting… wonderful. Should be compulsory reading for everyone' Helen Thorn
'Helen Russell is back with another cracker of a book exploring how our relationship with sadness affects our happiness' Psychologies
‘In any human life there are going to be periods of unhappiness. That is part of the human experience. Learning how to be sad – is a natural first step in how to be happier’ Meik Wiking, CEO, The Happiness Research Institute
‘I didn't think I wanted to read this book until I read it. Then I couldn't stop. An absolutely gorgeous and insightful and intelligent and necessary book’ Hollie McNish
‘A very persuasive account of how accepting sadness as a key part of our human experience can lead to more fulfilment and ultimately more happiness. Full of moving personal insight and brilliant research. This book reframes feeling sad’ Anna Jones
‘Helen brings an entirely unique combination of research, interviews, transparency, and story-telling to every book she writes. Thank you, from all of us’ Joshua Becker, founder of Becoming Minimalist
What listeners say about How to be Sad
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- NickiMags
- 05-11-21
One of my Favourite Audiobooks this Year!
This was such a good book and so helpful, and so very personal. I'd been feeling sad for years and didn't really know why, until I was diagnosed with mild depression a few months before Covid happened.
This book is part memoir, part self-help and it worked so well for me, I love Helen Russell’s style of writing anyway and I loved her narration too, it made the book even better that she was reading it, as it made her life experiences all the more poignant.
I learnt so much about sadness and emotions from this book, particularly how society has suppressed emotions for a long time, particularly sadness and it’s not doing us any good. Along with the author’s personal story, there’s lots of very interesting and helpful facts and resources about sadness, depression, and mental health in general. It really is a cornucopia of a book and one I highly recommend and will be returning to regularly.
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2 people found this helpful
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- Ian C. Layzell
- 12-03-22
Brilliantly written.
It is amusing, interesting, educational and with a great ending. It is really well worth reading.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 21-03-21
Highly recommended
Honest, heartfelt, helpful and brilliantly witty. Would highly recommend to anyone wanting to understand how to deal with life’s emotional challenges and stare sadness in the eye without fear.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Anonymous User
- 19-11-22
One of my favourite audiobooks!
I listen to a lot of audiobooks and this one was a joy despite the subject matter. It made me laugh too, a lot. The author herself, Helen Russel, narrates the book exceptionally well, and as it’s her book, she knows how to deliver the text (and some of it is comedy gold. I often laughed out loud).
One ungenerous reviewer of this book gave it 3 stars and said “there is nothing new” in it. This is not true. There is a lot of new research and ideas and interesting twists on some existing concepts.
I recommend this SO highly. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Sally
- 27-09-21
just brilliant!
more brilliant writing, fascinating concepts to learn about and everything in between! just fab, after having only just read twice through the other 2 (Danishly /Leap Year), pleased to say you'll enjoy this!! Helen also narrates very well!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Emily
- 31-08-21
Interesting and fascinatingly soothing!
I’ve really enjoyed it, learning a thing or two along the way as well as having a few chuckles and cries!
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Catty Binx
- 16-11-21
A brilliant listen.
Very true and honest accounts of the authors life. I could resonate a lot with it. It helped me realise that sadness is not something to be pushed away. Rather, sadness needs be felt to give us a deeper understanding of ourselves.
Highly recommend.
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- rebecca
- 04-06-21
Brilliant, as always
I cried quite a few times listening to this thought provoking and, at times, heartbreaking journey.
Helen has a brilliant way of making you feel like a friend, in all of her books - which I absolutely love and recommend to anyone who will listen - but this one really got me, I didn’t want it to end. I hope I can start to be better at being sad.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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- Brian
- 13-10-22
A useful guide to navigating life's downs.
I've read Helen Russell's other books on happiness but this is the first one I've listened to. I was hooked from the start.
I really liked the autobiographical detail throughout, where without revealing personal information about others she talks through her story and maps this to the work of academics and others working in the field of mental health. The combination works really well and gave the content a lot more authenticity than other books on the subject of depression and mental health.
The narration is first-class- highly engaging, personable and moving.
A recommended listen for anyone who has suffered from loss or a sense of self-worth and needs help navigating back to a healthier state of mind.
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1 person found this helpful
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- Darren Mansell
- 09-02-22
Not what you might expect -
Better by far than you could have imagined, I was really impressed with the writing style and content. Heartfelt in the best possible way.
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