Listen to the audio book
This is a brilliant book by a writer who also happens to have an exceptional wit. For those few negative reviews (and for everyone else) I strongly recommend the unabridged audio book. Listening to Professor Gilbert read his own work is a "happy" experience. It's the best college lecture you'll ever hear.

Enjoyable read
This is a great fun book, and a thorough study on human behavior. Among many of the wonderful discoveries of the author regarding how we experience happiness, I was particularly taken by his remarks on emotional experiences (feelings) based on present information and emotional experiences originated in memory (pre-feelings) and how the mind without awareness is able to mix them up and is not able to differentiate them and bring them to the present. What an eye-opener, and that is only 1 example, the book is filled with great insights.

The moments of awareness I had while reading his book reminded me of two of my favorite authors Ariel and Shya Kane whose books on living in the present Working on Yourself Doesn't Work: A Book About Instantaneous Transformation Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment are excellent guides to experience well-being now regardless of the past and therefore transform an ordinary life into a full vibrant life with awareness. They masterfully support people into staying with what is moment to moment, which in turn eliminates stress and opens a universe of possibilities.

I highly recommend both Gilbert and the Kanes!

Appreciate the effort, but nothing new here
Reading this book was like listening in on a rhetorical conversation that started with 'Isn't it weird how we always think....blah'
I decided that this book has the knowledge equivalent of a conversation you would have with good friends over a bottle of wine, except you have to read this one.
Sorry, but I found myself wanting to hurry through this book looking for some gripping anecdotes or new insights. I think this book marks the official end of the whole 'Tipping Point', 'Blink' and 'Freakonomics' movement. It's all been done to death and now this book is giving the academic treatment to things that we all realize ourselves, but still do.
I appreciate the author's effort but I was underwhelmed.

Not What I Was Expecting
The book wasn't exactly what I thought it would be like but I still enjoyed it. There were a lot of examples of human behavior studies which I found very interesting . . . but I am not sure exactly how it all applied to happiness.

Our lack of power to predict emotions
Ever said to yourself that if something happened you'd be devastated? Whether its you or a loved one getting cancer, or becoming paralyzed or going bankrupt or anything else that you think would strip you of your happiness you might want to think again.

Gilbert, a Harvard professor, examines how unable we are to predict our emotions, and presents a book that will surely help you control your happiness levels and maybe even have a better outlook on life, even when the bad happens.