cover image No More Regrets!: 30 Ways to Greater Happiness and Meaning in Your Life

No More Regrets!: 30 Ways to Greater Happiness and Meaning in Your Life

Marc Muchnick, Berrett-Koehler, $14.95 trade paper (168p) ISBN 9781-60509-886-9

Muchnick (The Leadership Pill) leaves the workplace for the personal this time, providing a glimpse into the life of a confident, adventurous bliss-follower who completed his PhD research project in three months (instead of 12) and quit his job to move his family abroad. Muchnick divides his book into a number of short tales that invite readers to ponder a moral question. The author's story about his late grandmother, for instance, a call to make every day count, stands as a poignant if familiar reminder that life is short. In fact, the author's wisdom nuggets are often facile, but never fail to contain something essential. "Don't just dream it; do it" serves as the capstone to Muchnick's decision to leave his hectic life for a stint in Europe with his wife and new baby. Readers are also urged to "make every day count," "get out of your comfort zone," and "stop doing what isn't working." The book's primary flaw may be that Muchnick, by leaning so heavily on his own experiences, has set himself up as the poster child for a happy, fulfilled man. Some readers might have found greater inspiration looking into someone else's life story. (Jan.)