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14,000 Things to Be Happy About: The Happy Book

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Flannel sheets. Strawberry ice cream. Making faces at monkeys in the zoo. Dog dishes that say "Good Dog." Carolers singing around a Norwegian spruce. Sun burning off the morning fog. Cabanas. It's the little things that make life worth living, and they can be found by the dozens in this obsessive, quirky, and utterly captivating compendium with over 950,000 copies in print. A pure, unadulterated listing, it offers not a single explanation, aside, or footnote, but reading it is as irresistible as eating popcorn. Randomly selected and catalogued over the course of twenty years-and illustrated with joyous and jewel-like precision by the gifted artist Pierre Le-Tan-14,000 THINGS is Barbara Ann Kipfer's perfect antidote to the all-too-frequently-mentioned things we should be unhappy about.

It's a celebration of almost everything that's ever made us smile. And that itself is reason number 14,001.

610 pages, Paperback

First published January 4, 1990

About the author

Barbara Ann Kipfer

119 books242 followers
Dr. Barbara Ann Kipfer (born in 1954) is a lexicographer,as well as an archaeologist. She has written more than 60 books, including 14,000 Things to be Happy About (Workman), which has more than a million copies in print and has given rise to many Page-a-Day calendars. The 25th anniversary edition of the book was published in October 2014. She is the editor of Roget's International Thesaurus.

Kipfer is Chief Lexicographer of the company Temnos. She has worked for such companies as Google, Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com, Answers.com, Ask Jeeves, Bellcore/Telcordia, Federated Media Publishing, General Electric Research, IBM Research, idealab, Knowledge Adventure, Textdigger, The Chicago Tribune, and WolframAlpha. Barbara holds a PhD and MPhil in Linguistics (University of Exeter), a PhD in Archaeology (Greenwich University), an MA and a PhD in Buddhist Studies (Akamai University), and a BS in Physical Education (Valparaiso University).

(from Wikipedia)

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5 stars
1,515 (44%)
4 stars
899 (26%)
3 stars
619 (18%)
2 stars
226 (6%)
1 star
155 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 30 of 273 reviews
6 reviews24 followers
October 5, 2010
My best friend at the time and I went into a book store and bought this book. We read it together every time we hung out. And whenever I was feeling down he'd send me a text of something I should be happy about. This book has helped me with so much. Just flipping threw it puts a smile on my face. One day I decided I should get a copy, and so I did. Best ten bucks I've ever spent. I keep it in my purse at all times. This is a must have book for everyone in my opinion.
Profile Image for Chezzie.
119 reviews25 followers
May 6, 2011
This book makes me happy.

I don't think of every item on this book's list as a personal happy thing for me, but no one is going to. Not everyone has the same experiences. So I think it's silly to judge this book on the fact that you can't relate to every single thing listed. I still open this book and skim down the pages and find things that cheer me up plenty. There are scribbles and highlighting in my copy from where I've marked the things I really relate to.

Furthermore, this book has inspired me to start my own list of happy. Which I would suggest doing to everyone.

It's a book worth owning, to sit around in an easily accessible location in your house.
Profile Image for Sara Dahaabović.
271 reviews95 followers
December 22, 2017
UGHHH
I wanted to buy this for so long and when I finally found it in the bookshop was super disappointed, it's just a list of totally random things :S some things are even weird and I don't know why they were there.
Profile Image for Antonia.
296 reviews276 followers
December 12, 2012
A book that must exist in every bookshelf of every library of every person in the world. It's a book that helps us become more and more optimistic, and open to ourselves and to others. It makes us think about life, love, friendship, who we are, who we used to be, and how we will be able to achieve even our greatest dreams by finding happiness in daily routine, in everyday life.
5 out of 5 stars, because it really is a "Bible" for my gray days. I liked how many references are about foods and sweets. A good meal makes the stomach happy and the heart. :-) So, yes, I'd recommend it to everyone, even if you don't read it at once, you should at least keep it on your shelves, so you can turn to it in days when things seem to get really black. I promise you that it will light up your mood. To a great extent.
Profile Image for l u d ✨.
49 reviews22 followers
May 24, 2021
I loooove the idea of this book! This is a book that should exist in every single bookshelf of every library of every person in the world!!

After some months of starting the book, I've realized that you can't read it from page 1 to the end like a normal one ('cause this is not a "normal" book). This book is basically a list of happy thoughts and, although not everybody is going to agree to every single thing listed, it brings happiness whenever is opened.

What I like to do while I read it is to mark with a highlighter those things I relate to. Now it became a funny thing to do so whenever I'm feeling blue I grab the book, start reading and mark it with a pink highlighter and, most of the times, it makes me feel a lot better. It became a really entertaining thing to do!

This book makes me appreciate the little things in life. I like this book so much that now I want to create my own happy-thoughts list! ♡
Profile Image for Savannah.
44 reviews38 followers
February 22, 2022
I am NOT finishing this. LOL. I know it’s silly because the title is literally 14,000 things to be happy about but I guess I just expected the book to have more depth. It’s a literal list. Definitely wouldn’t tell someone to not read it because I’m sure it could be enjoyable to some however it’s not my type of book and I just can’t force myself to get through it.
Profile Image for Marcella.
1,163 reviews78 followers
May 4, 2016
Honestly speaking, I didn't read every single page of this book. And I don't think this is a book where you can read it from page 1 to the end, or a book that you'll ever be completely finished with. Hence I'm not adding an 'Date I finished this book'.

I got this book for christmas and since then I've made it a habit to picking up this book at a moment during the day, usually right before I go to bed and flip through a couple of pages and read a few of these 'things to be happy about'. And it really does bring a smile to my face.

I did have a little complaint at first; that I wished these things were more "organized" into categories, for example 'animals', 'food', etc. But after having flipped through these pages for a few days I realized that I actually enjoy the randomness of all the things. I smile at things that I wouldn't expect and that's what makes this book so much fun.

I really like this book, it really makes me appreciate all these little things around me a little bit more. :)
Profile Image for Dina.
1,324 reviews1,319 followers
March 23, 2010
So, I haven't read the whole book and the "date I finished this book" I entered in the GR database is as random as it can be. I've kept it on my nightstand for almost 20 years now and pick it up whenever I feel a little blue. Sometimes it works - that is, it puts a smile on my face - and sometimes it doesn't.
Profile Image for Huma Rashid.
871 reviews156 followers
October 21, 2015
I don't understand why this was published widely, as opposed to, like, self-published and sold on a very small scale for the intended audience, which seems to be the author's family.
Profile Image for Jennifer.
950 reviews122 followers
April 29, 2024
I love lists. I love books with lists. I love this book of lists.

While there is some repetition (how could you not when making a list of 14,000 things?), this was such a delightful book to pick up and read a few pages here and there. Hence why I’ve been reading it for years. I look forward to randomly pulling it off the shelf and looking through it when I need reminders of things in this life to be happy about.
Profile Image for PeaceOfGod.
870 reviews321 followers
July 20, 2022
To name a few...........

old-fashioned summers
lining closet shelves with scented paper
bread and butter with pots of jam and honey
reserving your own quiet corner
dried vegetables, hung upside down in bunches
challenging yourself with a jigsaw puzzle or electronic game
bingo games
Speedy Gonzalez
Bliss, New York
crabmeat with sherried cheese sauce
sweet smells that change with passing hours
knit shirts
“Woodstock,” the bird in Peanuts
payday
baskets of croissants, brioches, and seed-capped rolls
jewelry design
French blue
going barefoot in grass cropped close as fine baby’s hair
a standing clipboard
local bon vivants
Brie en brioche
rent-a-wreck, hire-a-heap, or lease-a-lemon to view the foliage or drive to a
football game
tomato chutney
split swinging doors
tall people
the exhilaration of pure winter air
old-fashioned lemon pie
winter bringing long, silent nights to dream on
sleepthings
frost before November 23 auguring bad weather
birds
July: National Ice Cream Month...........


My thoughts- Obviously I didn't finish this book. But this book is hilarious you know. It has all the things that you could possibly think about . And NEVER think about. Although , the observation of author is good. REALLY good.

NOTE- ✅THIS IS A FREE STYLE BOOK.
✅THERE ARE NO CHAPTERS.
✅NO SECTENCES.
✅NO CONVERSATIONS.
✅NO SCENES.
✅NO CHARACTERS.
✅ITS JUST A BOOK WITH A LOOOOOOOOONG LIST OF THINGS THAT YOU NEED TO FEEL ARE A BLESSING IN YOUR LIFE.
Profile Image for Ryn.
47 reviews20 followers
December 1, 2015
LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! It's just SUCH a cheery book!

My friend recently relayed to me a quote he wrote... "Some of the best books have the roughest covers". 14,000 Things is one such book. I own TWO copes and mine iare completely dog eared and delightful!

This IS my favorite book. Absolutely. You'd have to pick it up to really appreciate why... but it's a list (which I love) and it's happy thoughts (which, I also love). It's re-readable... you can just pick it up and read one line, two lines, a page or two... and set it down. There is not plot, no characters... only experiences and thoughts. I - LOVE - IT, Exclamation Mark!
Profile Image for B..
39 reviews4 followers
July 30, 2007
Someone recommended this book to me when I was having a hard time with some things. I started reading a couple pages a night and then writing 10 things that made me happy that day. It's really eye opening the spectrum of things that I put down ~ anything from what I had for dinner to seeing someone I hadn't seen in years. It's a really great gift for someone who likes to journal, is going through a difficult time or even for a youth director, minister, etc...
Profile Image for Siqahiqa.
518 reviews111 followers
July 4, 2017
Simple message from this book:

"enjoying the little things in life.”

Now, I want to create a list of my things that makes me happy too =)
Profile Image for J.
3,395 reviews24 followers
July 14, 2018
I am not done with this book but I have read enough to that this author is a contemptible person and as such I will judge her book this time on her person as well as on the book itself. And I hope that she chooses to read this review or at least the first two paragraphs while others who think I shouldn't judge based on the author will find out why.

Although I am writing this review before finishing the book I will finish the book still even though I am as mad as a wet setting hen. The piece that has me so agitated is the fact that one thing that makes her happy is she is the vexing person who likes to enter a store, grab something from the shelves and then randomly drops it off in a place where it doesn't belong. Thanks for the consideration to the employees of the store who will have to fix that problem and to other customers who may want that item but cannot find anymore on the shelf. Are you also the annoying person who will take cold and/or frozen items, change your mind and let them sit out in room temperature so they spoil instead of passing it to an employee who can put it back or in another cooler until it can be restocked in its rightful place? Did you know that even though grocery stores may throw out food for their own reasons like bad dates, spoilage, damaged, etc. you just ruined other good food that someone else may have been able to feed themselves and their families.

Now that I am done with the rant I will address the book itself. I was truly excited to have this book and thought that it would be fun to actually compare how many of the things that make her happy also makes me happy. It was way too much similarities so I chose to instead read the book while maybe using it as a bucketlist-inspiration type. There really isn't that much I can find in this book that would can be included on a bucketlist or at least for me.

The best reading style for this would be to read a page or two at a time then move onto another book. Repeat. Instead reading the book from cover-to-cover has proved to be impossibly dull and repetitive. Although Barbara does have a beautiful way of writing in some cases, most of it once you start reading the whole list format is basically a repeat of what she said previously but just written with different words. Stepping back and taking into consideration what type of book this would normally be in favor of the writing style as it shows that the author does have the same things that make her happy.

But when comparing this writing to others things that make her happy it feels like it is sarcastic. You can truly say you are happy when the dog barks but you are happy when he shuts up. You are happy also with the one cube left by the person too lazy to refill the ice tray.

All in all it is an awful book and one that I wish that I hadn't picked up. Fortunately for me it isn't one that I had spent any money on.
1 review1 follower
February 24, 2013
The whole book was based off of an opinion. I guess the way she wanted to organize it was by having everyone connect to it. Myself personally was expecting 14,000 reasons everyone would be able to be happy about. Now THAT would be a great book idea!
Profile Image for Eli.
30 reviews7 followers
June 1, 2021
I got this book for Christmas last year, and I've spent five months reading it and marking every single thing I liked. I guess I made my own little book of happy things that I can read when I don't feel happy.

Thank you, Dana, for the present :)
Profile Image for blue.
69 reviews
April 9, 2014
This is the kind of book that will make you happy just by flipping through the pages. It has a great point! When i first got it, i thought it was crap but now i cherish it.
17 reviews
June 29, 2014
Okay, I was looking for new books to read on saxo.dk (a danish website where you can buy books to a reasonable price), and I fell over this book - "14000 things to be happy about". This sounded like a cute book, you know the kind of book you read when it's raining outside with a nice cup of tea (okay guilty, I rarely do this, because I mean I did it once and got tea all over my book and when you are as clumsy as me, it just .. it doesn't quite work out as planned. This is just one of those many many perfect scenarios you see in movies and stuff). Anyhow, I have those moments in life when I just feel like everything and everyone is a bunch of idiots, and sometimes I just need something to remind me of all the little happy things in life. And so I bought it.

Right when I got it, I read about 3 pages and I was basically just like "AWH YES, this is the book man. This is the "pick me up from the dark times" book. After reading these 3 pages I stopped and closed the book, because why not read it on a day when I really have given up on humanity. This day was 5 minutes later. Yeah well, what can I say? Well, back to business - I Googled the book (because I am nosy as fuck, and I need to know what other people do to this happy little thing) and saw that some people highlighted the things they personally found happy and made them smile. So of course I started doing what everyone else did (I'm that person, going with the flow ya know). Anyhow, I found that there was a lot of things in this book, that made me smile/happy - even things I didn't know would make me smile/happy. Like "dishwasher", who the fuck would have known dishwashers make me happy? I didn't until I read it in this book and smiled a bit. It really is all about the little things in life, and God I know that is such a cliché, but as I always say "There is a reason why it is a god damn cliché". All those little things from food to (what everyone apparently think is more meaningful) love.

This is a little pocketbook, so it's really convenient to have in your bag or whatever to like just take up and read when you feel like it.

I am not quite done highlighting everything yet, but though I might aswell do a review, because this is not a story kinda book, I know what to expect so yeah, I just wrote the review now.
6 reviews1 follower
January 19, 2019
Title should’ve been “14000 things that make me happy”

This book was extremely hyped up, unfortunately.

It is indeed just a book with 14000 things that the AUTHOR (because I have no idea what 40% of the things written down are) experienced that made them happy.
Ive talked to everyone who I know that bought the book and the feeling is very mutual … it’s really weird.
If it kind of incorporated more of a “wreck this journal” kind of idea THEN I would say this book is fantastic. From 1 star to 5 in a second.
For instance - have little fill in the lists, or glue/draw a photo of the first thing that comes to your mind when you read/hear *insert word*.
And possibly smack middle of the book have about 20 extra pages (20 because the book is the size of my child like hands). Just plain empty pages no words explaining what they’re there for. So one can be encouraged to draw or start their own lists.
Literally ANYTHING to make me read more than the first 5 pages and then cause me to flip through like there’s a drawn scene that’s going to play out at the edge of the pages, just to find out that I spent money on a book that won’t even be fully cracked open.

I understand a lot of people enjoy it and it can help them see how the littlest things in life makes them happy.
But just like most things that go viral these days, it should not of.
This is not a book for readers, unfortunately. BUT since it’s little and in perfect condition - it makes for a fantastic book stopper. So A+ for that!
Profile Image for Michelle.
36 reviews
January 8, 2017
I didn't finish this book. It is essentially a list of things that make the author happy! At first I would smile at certain things but after a while it got a bit tedious. I also found the list to contain things that would obviously only appeal to the author as they were personal and also contained a lot of repetition, things were listed multiple times with slight differences!

I can see the appeal of this book but it just wasn't for me.
Profile Image for Bethany.
473 reviews8 followers
June 25, 2013
Obviously I haven't read the whole thing. But i bought it off amazon for a penny, and it just came in the mail today! I've skimmed through a few pages, but I am very excited to just set it on my shelf and have it ready for whenever I am in need of happy thoughts!
Profile Image for Luigi.
Author 2 books17 followers
January 25, 2015
Doesn't really deserve a star. It is what it says, a list of things to be happy about. I would recommend doing this, a gratitude book, don't buy someone elses. This is pushing to call it a book at all sorry.
Profile Image for Sabrina.
159 reviews17 followers
November 1, 2020
serendipity, gratefulness, caramel macchiato, autumn, plants on windowsills, reliability... [etc]
I'm in love with this!
Profile Image for Heather.
63 reviews15 followers
January 3, 2022
4 stars ⭐️

I really loved the idea of this book! I found a lot of things that were really cute, and I definitely find happiness in them! Other things that were listed felt random. Almost if the author needed items to fill in space. However, everyone finds happiness in different things. I made a list of both the cute ones and the weirder ones.

💕Cute ones💕
A wall of books
Stars Hollow, Connecticut, the setting of Gilmore Girls
Pink lemonade
Cowboy boots
Squirrels with the bushiest tails
Cats sitting in the sun or by heating vents
Fettuccine Alfredo
Brownies with no nuts
Hearing “your song”
A price sticker that peels off completely
Someone who says you’re beautiful
An “I miss you” note
Everything spelled correctly in the book you’re reading (YESSSSS)

🤨Weird ones🤨
Funny toes
Admitting you were wrong (I’m sorry, but this doesn’t make me too happy💀)
Worcestershire sauce
Golf clubs
Attic junk
Toe nail clippers
Graph paper
All-purpose flour
Bar napkins
Waiting rooms
Bozo the clown
Profile Image for Jane.
168 reviews16 followers
January 1, 2020
Such a delightful book. It's really lovely to just flip to any page and be reminded of all the good things in the world.
Profile Image for Shatha Al-Jamhoor.
39 reviews10 followers
June 7, 2015
After 5 months of starting this book, I've realized that this book is different from all other books that have a beginning & an ending ..

I would leave it beside my bed & sometimes in my hand bag to read on my morning ride ..

It's a book to grab when your bored, or when not up in the mood .. Open ANY random page and read just read ..!

The simplicity of things listed, the really tiny things that we may take for granted at times are truly what we should be happy about ..

It is a guide not a book .. A list of words put together to remind you of all the happy moments you have in way by the author has shared with us readers her moments to embrace our own happy moments and be happy about them..

Displaying 1 - 30 of 273 reviews

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