10% Happier: How I Tamed the Voice in My Head, Reduced Stress Without Losing My Edge, and Found Self-Help That Actually Works

Dan Harris’s 10% Happier became an unexpected sensation; when the book came out, he feared it would harm his career, as it contained embarrassing personal stories. However, Harris's frustration with trying to find a way to balance his busy, ambitious life without resorting to harmful coping mechanisms like drugs resonated with readers who were also searching for ways to be happier without sacrificing their families, careers, and lifestyle. One of the reasons the book became successful is that many Americans have become dissatisfied with organized religion but would like, as Harris did, to have principles that guide them through emotional trials or physical hardships. This need was heightened by the worldwide COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, in which people were further isolated and anxiety increased. Harris describes how meditation, especially loving-kindness meditation, helped him feel less alone and less powerless, and this was eye-opening to many people who considered meditation esoteric or culturally incompatible with their lifestyle. Kirkus characterized the book as "[f]riendly, practical advocacy for the power of mindfulness and enlightenment" (“10% Happier.” Kirkus Reviews, 2014). The descriptions "friendly" and "practical" emphasize that the book is approachable for the average reader who is not an expert on meditation. Harris positions himself as a student rather than a teacher, and his humorous accounts of his successes and failures encourage readers to try meditation for themselves without fear of failure.

Another convincing factor was that, as the scientific research Harris cites shows, meditation helps ease the production of stress hormones that increase heart disease (99) and other physical ailments. At the same time, it helps develop the centers for empathy in our brains and shrink areas associated with stress (169). Harris points out that meditation requires no expensive equipment; it is a cost-effective self-help tool that travels with you. Given the inundation of products and services marketed toward wellness, which often come with a steep price tag, meditation is straightforward. It has the practical benefit of being easy to learn, as Harris proves by detailing his process in a three-point list (100). Finally, Harris doesn’t promise perfect happiness after you meditate. His honest approach that it’s remains a continual process of beginning again that may or may not make one slightly happier allows any transformation made an achievement. A beginning meditator might be intimidated by expectations of a 100% change in their outlook and anticipate failure, but the 10% approach seems both manageable and likely. For these reasons—emotional, scientific, and practical—readers found Harris's book to be a valuable, relatable story that could help them in their own search for happiness.