This book is about 5 possible reasons why happiness increases as you age. It is in ways biographical in nature as the author tells lots of stories from her own life. It looks at how we view the world differently in our older compared to younger years.

I liked how the book made me feel. It made me look at how I can handle things in a calmer way now than I may have done in my 20s. It helped me see the advantages of aging. It enabled me to understand that different life stages can affect our happiness. Fundamental to the book is the idea of U-shaped happiness. This means that we naturally go through a period of reduced happiness but it increases again over time. Good to know!

This is the author’s first book and in it she shares important things about her life, like when she had – and overcame – depression. She uses many examples to illustrate her points. An anecdote I enjoyed very much was about how she went into the "forbidden playground" as a rebellious young child. She used the playground’s seesaw as a metaphor for what our emotions can be like!

On the one hand reading this book is comforting like having a warm blanket around you on a cold day; and on the other hand you know that you are reading something that is evidence-based. This book is written for people over 30. I’d recommend it for people from their thirties up to a lot older!