If Reading Makes You Happy…

…then reading about happiness should be even better, right? So maybe take a look at Happiness on the Blue Dot by Lisa Marranzino. When the author first contacted me, I was afraid that it might be one of those psycho babble, feel good books about the search for, the quest to find, happiness. But she takes an interesting approach by getting out of her comfort zone, traveling the world, enjoying local cultures, and visiting with people of all backgrounds, ethnicities, and occupations, and asking them what makes them happy. The book is a lighthearted combination of travel, cuisine, local cocktails, and “feel good.”

And speaking of “happy,” how about reading The Happiest Man in the World by Doctor James Jackson, founder of Project CURE? In the mid 1980’s, Jim began a mission to provide medical supplies to any place in the world, to medical providers, hospitals, clinics, that didn’t have the necessities to help their population. You’ll learn a lot about a wonderful organization, a wonderful man, and how one man, and his organization, can really make a difference.

Two books that are true stories really captivated me. The first, Hunting El Chapo, is the story of the hunt for, and eventual apprehension of, Joaquin Guzman, the most widely known drug dealer in the world. Written by the Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) agent who tracked, for years, and finally captured El Chapo, a true story that reads like a thriller.

The second, Empty Mansions, is the story of William A. Clark, a self made man who became, reputedly, the richest man in America in the 18th century. Bigger than Rockefeller, Carnegie. And it is the story of his youngest daughter, Huguette, who acquired tremendous wealth with the death of her parents, and retained huge mansions in different parts of the country, all while choosing to live, and eventually dying, in a single hospital room in downtown New York.

If you have never read Joel Rosenberg, it might be time to start. Drawing on current events, his latest, Persian Gamble, takes us into the Middle East, an area of seemingly constant conflict, and an area where the world’s super powers often seem to clash. Joel has been a master, since his first book, Last Days, of turning out thrillers that always seem to be more fact than fiction.

Finally, somewhat reluctantly, on the recommendation of a listener, I read Enemies Foreign and Domestic, the first of a trilogy by Matthew Bracken. It was fabulous. A fictional portrayal, but very plausible, of what COULD happen if a nefarious element within the government attempts to pit both sides of the national gun ownership debate against each other.

I could review more, but this is a good place for you to start. And besides, I have to get back to my reading. It helps me learn, and makes me happy.