Rating: 
Summary: Nothing but cliches
Review: This book has nothing new or original to say. It is simply a collection of cliches and another proof that low quality writing can still come from recognized authors. It may only be 50 pages long. But, the whole book can really be summed up with "once in a while, stop and smell the roses". So, just save your dollar.
Rating:
Summary: Pure drivel.
Review: This is not a book, it's a pompous, overpriced greeting card -- without any of the charm, cleverness, or tact of a good card. Appallingly presumptuous.
Rating: 
Summary: Good but not enough
Review: The book was good, but not enough. The last page Quindlen quotes the wisdom from a homeless man, "And I asked him why, Why didn't he go to one of the shelters? Why didn't he check himself into the hospital for detox?" And he stared out at the ocean and said, "Look at the view, young lady, Look at the view." Quindlen says, "when I do what he said, I am never disappointed". I disagree with that premise that happiness can be achieved through the worship of nature. Our hearts must turn to Christ for happiness. Happiness comes by worshipping the true and living God, Jesus Christ. So, her innocent philosophy is a subtle form of idol worship. Quindlens own struggle for spiritual understanding began with the death of her mother, to Ovarian cancer. Quindlen says, "Gods greatest gift to man is his own understanding of mortality". Ok, we are mortal: we live and we eventually die. Quindlen challenges the reader to "get a real life", to live a "life of the heart", a life other than a career, off beat from the rat race, "I show up, I listen, I try to laugh", enjoy precious moments - like a child picking up a cheerio, "learn to be human", "exhaust the moment", "life is good", and "no man has said at his death bed, I wish I had spent more time at the office."
Rating: 
Summary: A beautiful book!
Review: This book is only 50 pages long. It is not meant to be read like a story. It is an inspirational book where the author reflects on what it takes to "get a life". There are no chapters here, just one woman's thoughts and a bit of advice, which she gives based on experiences that she has had throughout her lifetime. The rambling pages of reflection are interspersed with pictures of people and nature. Anna believes to "get a life", we must live deeply everyday. We should live from ourselves, and not just live to get through the day. "Knowledge of our own mortality is the greatest gift God ever gives us", she writes, "because unless you know the clock is ticking, it is so easy to waste our days, our lives".
Anna's mother died when she was 19 and she writes, "It was the dividing line between seeing the world in black and white, and in Technicolor. The lights came on for the darkest possible reason....I learned something enduring, in a very short period of time about life. And that was that it was glorious, and that you have no business taking it for granted". Anna guides the reader to appreciate life through knowledge and understanding that she has accumulated through her own life, and her own tragedies. I purchased this book through Amazon.com right after another great purchase, THE LOSERS' CLUB by Richard Perez, about an unlucky writer addicted to the personals. Both are unusual, recommended books. Enjoy!
Rating: 
Summary: A moving life lesson
Review: "A Short Guide to a Happy Life," by Anna Quindlen, is as short as the title promises: of 50 pages, 30 are photos and only 19 are text. I was motivated to read the book after first reading Al Franken's hilarious parody of the genre, "Oh, The Things I Know!"; I would recommend it as a companion text.Quindlen offers some advice pertaining to the title topic. Along the way she quotes Yogi Berra, John Lennon, and Gwendolyn Brooks, and cites the New Testament. I felt the strongest part of the book was her very personal account about how experiencing the death of a family member impacted her. Yes, some of Quindlen's phrases strike me as a bit too self-consciously cute, and the concluding anecdote may be too sentimental. But the part of the book I found most effective is Quindlen's metaphor of having a personal reawakening or rebirth; this section is powerful and well written. Quindlen's "Guide" may not be the final word on the meaning of life, but it's a worthwhile read.
Rating:
Summary: It's the content, not the number of words that matter.
Review: Her book strike at the core of what defines happiness, so don't focus on the number of words, focus on the content. Anna Quindlen chronicles a moving, personal journey that leads to self-discovery. For me, she says it all. Also recommended, "I Wish I Never Told My Father I Didn't Like Cheesecake." Another personal tale that's deeply moving and enlightening.
Rating: 
Summary: What was she thinking?
Review: Anna Quindlen offers us hints that the painful events in her life have provided her with some valuable wisdom, but she doesn't seem to want to share it with us. Quindlen is a good writer, with good ideas. So I'm puzzled as to why this little book was published. It's short, about the length of a short essay or long newspaper column. It may have been originally written, as another reveiwer has noted, as a set of notes for a graduation speech, which would explain the length. But the lack of substance is hard to explain from a Pulitzer Prize winner like Quindlen. The advice isn't bad in itself, but it doesn't lead anywhere. With the addition of the black and white stock photos, reading the book felt a bit like browsing in a greeting card store. The reader moves from one platitude to another with only a tasteful black and white photo of two girls on a beach to mark the transition to the next idea. It's particularly frustrating, because I would imagine that anyone with Quindlen's experiences and skill with words could have reached a little deeper and given us something unique. I want to hear more about the homeless people she interviewed, for instance, or how she felt to be living in a suburban developing house and delivering morphine to her dying mother at 19. Yes, it's true that you can get a glimpse of this through some of the characters in her semi-autobiographical novels, but it sure would be nice to hear Quindlen speak from the first person about some of these issues. If this is all Quindlen is willing to share with us, we might have been better off with just a collection of her columns. The content would be more interesting, and we wouldn't be left with that unsatisfied feeling of knowing that there might (or might not!) be more to be said.
Rating:
Summary: Short yet profound
Review: "OK, now it's been said, and noone ever needs to say anything more." That was my first thought after finishing this remarkable book. Ms. Quindlen helps us to learn the easy way - reading a short, warm, and very inspiring book - what she learned the hard way - by losing a loved parent: being present in every present moment. I have heard and read this advice many times, but never so clearly, concisely, and convincingly. Read this book! Jan Hunt, author of The Natural Child: Parenting from the Heart
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Little Book
Review: I read this short book over and over again to remind myself of what life is really all about. Yes, we've heard some of these points before, but it helps to have a concise book of very important things to remember.
Rating:
Summary: Wonderful Book!
Review: This book, as all Anna Quindlen's books are, is wonderfully written. There are so many self help books out there, but this one gives the greatest message of all. You read this in one sitting and when you are finished you have a refreshed view on life. You finish the book and want to go out and do good. I highly recommend this book.
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