This Book Won’t Make You Happy: Eight Keys to Finding True Contentment

“Life does not have to be extraordinary to bring peace, purpose, and fulfillment,” suggests Feliciano, a psychotherapist and Psychology Today columnist, in her enlightening debut. Where happiness is “fleeting” and mercurial, contentment is stable and durable, according to the author: “If happiness is defined by having everything you want, contentment is wanting everything you have.” She draws on cognitive behavioral psychology to identify the “eight keys to contentment”: acceptance, self-compassion, gratitude, connection, present focus, priority/intention, resilience, and faith. The author recommends mastering one practice at a time and offers examples of changes she has made in her own life, such as getting more sleep and reducing screen time. Feliciano also explores why happiness is more elusive than contentment, spotlighting the relentless pressure of maintaining appearances and the persistent pang of the fear of missing out. Feliciano strikes an often humorous tone (“if Crazy Town had a mayor, I would be unanimously elected”), and though she acknowledges her Christian faith, she presents her advice in a way that will appeal to non-Christians as well. This witty and insightful guide elevates keeping it real to a new level. (Apr.)