Review: The Happiness Journal by Viet Hung

An invitation to a more elevated form of living, The Happiness Journal by Viet Hung Nguyen is a thoughtful, comprehensive, and encouraging collection for those seeking change.

Composed of more than a decade of blog posts, and curated with an intuitive flow of ideas, this collection is full of uplifting and inspiring prose. As the author states in the foreword, the purpose of this book, and the entirety of their work, is “to inspire everyone to have a positive, well-rounded, peaceful, meaningful, fulfilled, energetic, and intense life.” The subsequent essays explore the tools and pathways to achieve such a life, framed through Nguyen’s own experiences, but also dipping into the realms of psychology, philosophy, history, mental health, belief, ambition, and basic common sense.

Some of the early essays hit harder than others, including the empathic exploration of “Giving or Receiving,” and the extended metaphor of “A Cloud Has No Legs.” Others are quaint and heartwarming, such as the Thanksgiving post where he offered thanks to all the beloved people in his life. The second main section of the book, regarding happiness in the workplace, takes a more practical and tangible tack. From boosting one’s compassion as a manager to lessons learned as an entrepreneur, these pieces ground the more abstract ideas of the first section.

Given the source material and the span over which it was written, the tone and format shift throughout the book, though the underlying messaging remains pure. Some of the chapters are short and unpolished, like a stream of consciousness on a given subject, while others are more structured, bringing in allusions, historical references, quotes, and more. This variability highlights the diverse approaches to finding happiness that the author has taken. Whether the concepts are big or small, obvious or nuanced, the feeling at the end of each piece is one of hope and potential.

While the book could be classified as a work of self-help, Nguyen’s voice stands out from other books in the field. Reading the book from cover to cover may not be the best approach, as that much positivity could veer into the saccharine. However, readers could certainly treat the book like a journal, soaking up a handful of pages a day. At the end of the read, one’s outlook on life would be undeniably impacted.

The writing is straightforward, and while this may be due to the author’s own admission of being a non-native English speaker, it gives the prose weight and authenticity, despite the simplicity. That being said, many of these blogs were translated from Vietnamese, which can result in the occasional syntactical mix-up or awkwardly worded sentence, including the book’s subtitle. The author also has a tendency to speak in superlatives, i.e., never, always, every, which can sometimes feel reductive or restrictive of the breadth of people’s experiences and belief systems. Somewhat softer language would result in less of an authoritative edge.

Those critiques aside, this is a well-penned and passionate celebration of happiness, attentiveness, appreciation, love, and learning that will most certainly change your sense of well-being, given the book’s inspiring sense of positivity.