A book review

Awhile back I was contacted by Leslie Vernick's team about writing a review for her newest book, "Lord, I Just Want to be Happy." It wasn't anything significant that I was contacted, I just happen to be one of her active followers (i.e. a counselor on her mailing list), whom she refers to as an "influencer." She offered to give me a free copy of her book if I would in exchange agree to read the book and write an Amazon.com review of it within 30 days. I absolutely love books, and I am of one accord with L.M. Montgomery when she said, "I am simply a "book drunkard." Books have the same irresistible temptation for me that liquor has for its devotee. I cannot withstand them." In addition, I heard Leslie Vernick speak a year ago at a counseling conference and was very impressed with her. So, I quickly agreed to the offer of a free book in exchange for a written review. 


I fully expected it to be a good book that I could refer to other people. I was surprised to find that it was a good book for me. I enjoyed reading the book and was reminded of some important truths that I have let slip in my own life recently. I write in the review that it is simplistic and good for those unfamiliar with the ideas it presents. That is definitely true, and I was at times bored with the repetitiveness of the book, but it was also a good reminder that even those of us who might be familiar with most of the concepts can still learn from having them repeated and reiterated. Following is the short review/summation I wrote for Amazon.com. It was totally worth having another book on my bookshelf - or rather, in the top of my closet, since I have run out of bookshelf space.


Lord, I Just Want to be Happy

Leslie Vernick’s “Lord, I Just Want to be Happy,” is a well written and easy to understand book that provides a foundational understanding of unhappiness and practical steps to achieving real happiness. Vernick approaches this subject with the assumption that, “God surely calls us to be holy but he also made us to be happy. Holiness and happiness are not opposites but part of the whole. Holiness leads to wholeness and wholeness leads to happiness (p. 15).”

The book is divided into three parts: 1.) Understanding Our Unhappiness, 2.) Moving Beyond our Unhappiness, and 3.) Practicing Happiness

In Part 1, Vernick explains the root causes of unhappiness to the reader. The first part of the book provides a great foundational understanding of how unmet expectations, personal scripts, the way one responds, and toxic and negative emotions all work together to create feelings of unhappiness. Many of these concepts will be familiar to readers well versed in counseling methods, but it is a great resource for those who are not or who are blind to how their own choices are contributing to their feelings of dissatisfaction and unhappiness in their lives.

In Part 2, Vernick details practical steps that should be taken to move away from unhappiness. It is Vernick’s assertion that we are not powerless to change our own lives and with a biblically based understanding of the roots of true happiness and unhappiness we can begin to see our own contributions to our unhappiness and take responsibility for those contributions. Paired with this is learning how to change elements in our own lives that lead to unhappiness through personal discipline and training with the result of greater happiness through honesty in relationship with God.  As she writes, “Happiness is finding God, and in finding God, you find yourself (p. 169).”

In Part 3, Vernick teaches the reader how to be intentional in one’s pursuit of happiness with practical application through living purposefully. She writes, “Living a life on purpose starts by being aware that you have choices every day and that those choices have consequences and those consequences affect many things including your happiness levels (p. 185).” She is not dismissive of unique and difficult life situations, but teaches the reader how to attain true happiness through hardship and learning to cultivate a life of gratitude rather than a life of grumbling and bitterness.

Throughout the book, Vernick accompanies her teaching and assertions with real-life situations from her own counseling clients. In addition, she uses scripture and psychological research and studies to reinforce the elements of this book.  It is a well thought out discourse on being happy that is both biblically sound and psychologically informed, and she does a superb job of showing how those two elements are complimentary in the process of teaching people how to achieve true happiness.

In addition, each chapter has study questions at the end that can be used for personal reflection or as a guide for group discussion. Although both are useful, it is the feeling of this writer that the subject matter of this book can best be grasped through group discussion and this book is an excellent choice for a bible study or reading circle for those who desire to grow in relationship through accountability and transparency with one another.

This is a great book for those who are completely unfamiliar with these concepts, as well as a great reminder and/or refresher for those of us to whom they are not wholly unfamiliar but are easily pushed aside because of the busyness of daily life. In all, this book will be beneficial to all who read it.