How to Do Everything and Be Happy: A Straight-Talking Guide to Creating Happiness in Your Life

Jones was living the life he thought he was supposed to live—married to the girl of his dreams, working a steady job and getting paid decent money to do it, and so on. But when his wife dies suddenly of a brain hemorrhage—just a little over two years after their wedding—he realizes he hasn’t been taking full advantage of his life, and resolves to change things the only way he knows how: “by making plans, and lists, and taking control of my own destiny.” What he found during his ensuing soul search is that most people’s lives are unbalanced—there’s just “work and ‘everything else.’ ” In order to shake things up—and help readers revivify their lives—Jones outlines a number of practical suggestions, from how to effectively use a planner to drafting a “ ‘Live Life Now’ List” (as opposed to a bucket list) and learning how to distinguish reasonable from far-fetched goals. His chatty, informal approach won’t appeal to every reader—especially those looking for something more grounded in secondary sources—but his advice on self-discovery and time management is truly valuable. Illus. Agent: Becky Bagnell, the Lindsay Literary Agency (U.K.). (June)