Happier Hour: How to Beat Distraction, Expand Your Time, and Focus on What Matters Most

I read a LOT of behavioral science books. This one is among the best! It hits that sweet spot: interesting, useful, science-backed. So many eye-opening things that I can apply right away.

I can’t unsee the examples and metaphors Cassie Holmes uses. They’ve already changed my life for the better!

This is an amazingly actionable book filled with great science that's also a treat to read. I can't recommend it enough!

I can anticipate the skepticism of readers. Hundreds of books have happiness in the title and are chock full of references to scientific articles. Well, this book is different. It's focused. The exercises are original. The narrative flows. And you will leave with a better sense of how you are letting the most valuable currency in your life, time, slip away toward unfulfilling activities. Most importantly, you will gain access to a better approach for extracting joy and meaning from moments.I really enjoyed this. And I read way too many books on this topic as someone who has been teaching The Science of Well-Being for over two decades.

There are many self-help and behavioral books about happiness and spending your time wisely, but nothing like Cassie Holmes' book. It is filled with useful insights for deeper reflection and actionable tools to transform our relationship with time. I can't recommend it enough!

I appreciate that it is stretchy and also very compressing. I can do everything in these shorts. I love how I can put my phone in either pocket but when I tried to put my M&M's in them they melted some of the color off. I wasn't even sweating. Anyways definitely get these cause if you want to make your butt look bigger and for working out. I have a little one so chasing her is my workout.

Very soft and looks great

Great walking shorts with pockets no frills. Thumbs up

The pockets are the best. My phone doesn't fly out even while running, and the front waistband pocket is great for a pocket knife.These are buttery soft and don't slide all over. Very durable in the wash and haven't stretched out.I will say: while hiking I've gotten caught on thorns and the fibric pulled easily, but they still don't have holes just fuzzies.I want them in every color.JUST GET THEM

I ordered these along with other brands all the same size these were the only ones that did not fit. I was able to get them on but they were so tight they caused me stomach pain. I recommend ordering at least one size larger than you would normally order.

I bought the grey one's, they are smooth, light to medium compression (didn't want too thin or too thick). Will be great for all season's. The band is tight but doesn't cut into me. I am 5'4" and the length is perfect (120 lbs, bought size xsmall). Pantylines are seen just a bit but not enough to be too concerned. What's odd is the maroon/red colored one's were not as comfortable, they were somewhat itchy so returned them (but were the same blend of fabric percentage).

What I did to fix the falling down waistband was to purchase a 3 inch wide elastic strip and sew it, stretched so that it puckered a little, into the waistband, I watched a YouTube how to do it. Now they fit and I would give them a 5-star review. I especially love all the pockets . Company sewers please fix this problem!

I bought the 8inch inseam in xl and LOVED it! Fit great, true to the size chart, just the right amount of compression. So I ordered the same size in with the 5inch inseam. The 5inch is a completly different product. See picture. The above label is the 5 inch inseam and the below is the 8inch. The 5inch is 1-2 inches bigger (see picture) and made with a thinner material. It has almost no compression and stretches out easily when wet. Sadly I didn't have the original packaging so I can't return.

When I was growing up, I imagined myself as a superhero whose power was to freeze time--which would allow me to do all the stuff I wanted to do instead of homework. I never got super powers, but this book is the next best thing. Packed with so many ways to save and manage and optimize your time, allowing you both to succeed AND relax.

Holmes has a friendly and engaging writing style that pulls you in and gets you thinking about how you spend your time. The research findings are interesting but don’t overwhelm the very readable narrative. It’s a must-read for anyone curious about best ways to carve out more fulfilling time in their day.

This well researched and accessible book provides practical wisdom about beating distractions and curating a less chaotic approach to life, work and wellbeing.

I am a pretty happy person, but there are things I do (e.g., accept too many requests out of obligations) and do not do (e.g., reach out to friends and family) that have been scientifically studied and shown to affect happiness. Cassie Holmes presents a lot of these concrete steps in her book and explains why and how they can help get more out of the time we have with this life. Definitely a worthwhile investment in your life to read this book!

I loved this book. Professor Holmes shows how small changes in how we perceive and invest our time can have enormous impact. And she offers personal, relatable examples that go a long way in making the book practical, especially for those with significant responsibilities outside of work. Well done!

this book is a pleasure to read, fascinating if you're interested in psychology, and gives me hope about getting a handle on some of these things in my life! it's crazy that we focus SO much attention on how we spend our money, and so comparatively little on how we spend our time. it's worth making time for this one--your investment will pay dividends.

This book is fantastic - so accessible and helpful and positive. It gives practical guidelines and tips for optimizing your time for a happier day/week/month/year, and it's a pleasure to read. It has personal anecdotes as well as academic studies that both help further your understand of the suggestions. Highly recommended!!

Not only is Dr. Holmes's book entertaining and engaging, it is chock-full of practical, bite-sized tips and tricks. Through the book, I felt as if I was sitting in on a master-class from an accessible professor. Rarely does a work of non-fiction have such an immediate and positive impact on my life. Highly recommended for anyone who is interested in spending their time in better and happier ways.

I read and listen to a lot of research about management truths and techniques. An important shift we are seeing in the workplace is employers struggle to keep staff happy, not just paid. This book is a treasure trove of helpful tools to guide our teams and ourselves.

Unlike the headline, this keyboard is a lot better than it sounds. I bought this keyboard about a month ago and have used it almost everyday since. here is my 30 day review:initial impressions: when i pulled the keyboard from the box i had two main thoughts: 1. wow this thing looks gorgeous and 2. wow this thing is heavy. now it isn't crazy heavy, just way heavier than I expected.set-up: my laptop has BT capability (as i believe most are nowadays) and it was a breeze. took literally 60 seconds to connect. however, it does have the USB-C capability to directly plug in if needed too. the USB-C port is also how the keyboard charges.First week: initial use was good. i enjoy the "click-click" sound the keyboard makes, almost like an actual typewriter. if you are looking for a quiet keyboard, i do not recommend this. the keys light up when in use and only takes a second or two for the BT to kick back in when it hasn't been in use for hours/overnight, unlike some other BT keyboards. The slight gripe i have is that the keyboard is not ergonomic friendly. the keyboard is substantially "thicker" than most other keyboards and so it sits higher than usual. if i am typing for extended periods of time, i will begin to feel my wrists get tired. Nothing painful, just tired.After 1 month: keyboard is still going strong. so far haven't run into any issues that other than what i have commented on. my keyboard light up still works fine, no issues with the keys wearing down or connectivity issues. the battery went down to 40%, so decided to charge it. didnt take long at all, and i would expect the battery to last at least for a few months now that it is fully charged. the wrist-ergonomic issue is still there, but i've managed to just re-position the keyboard so its more comfortable. not perfect, but good enough.Overall assessment: its a pretty sick looking keyboard and if you have that "industrial - antique/rustic - cyberpunk" feel for your home office that you want to add to, then this is the keyboard for you. if you are just looking for a BT keyboard, then skip this. its expensive and heavy to transport, not to mention it isnt the most ergonomic friendly keyboard around. the price tag for this keyboard is more about its aesthetics than its functionality.Overall, i am happy with this purchase and would recommend it if you want a cool looking keyboard.Final grade: 4/5

The Azio Retro Classic is an excellent keyboard. This is my first mechanical keyboard, so I cannot compare it to others, but the fit, finish, feel, and sound all met my expectations. I first began to see similar retro or Steampunk keyboards about eight to ten years ago, when I hardly knew what Steampunk was. As a lover of Victorian literature, I have long been an admirer of Victorian aesthetics, and while this is hardly Victorian, it definitely has that “vibe” of something that could have been. On that score, I have no complaints about the appearance of the Retro Classic, which I purchased in the Elwood version. It certainly feels like real wood, and looks wonderful.The tactile experience is wonderful, and it is certainly more clicky than your average keyboard. I love typing on this thing, and it feels quite nice. I read many of the reviews before purchasing, and noticed that some complained of wrist pain. I am not an expert typist by any means, but if you are experiencing pain while using this or any other keyboard, it could very well be poor typing habits. Wrist-pads or wrist-rests are not necessary, as your wrists should be elevated to roughly the same height as your fingertips while you are typing. So please do yourselves a favour and learn good typing habits! It may well prevent early development of carpal-tunnel syndrome.I am not a gamer, so I cannot comment on its use in that manner, but as a writer, it is really something special, especially compared to the typical rubber-dome type keyboards that are so common these days. There really is no comparison between a mechanical keyboard and a rubber dome keyboard; it is superior in every way, excepting, perhaps, cost. But if you type a lot, it is a worthy investment. Indeed, the cost is what held me back from mechanical keyboards for so long. I have been eyeing the buckling spring, IBM Model M style keyboards from Unicomp for years, but could never really justify the cost. When Datamancer began to produce retro-inspired keyboards about a decade ago, it became something of a dream to own one, but they cost hundreds of dollars, and as beautiful as they are, I simply could not justify spending that kind of money on a keyboard, regardless of beauty and quality. When I saw the Azio Retro Classic, I balked at the price; let’s face it: 189.99 for a keyboard is pretty pricey. But I decided to shell out the cash and give it a try. And I am glad I did!A word about Azio’s customer service. As a longtime Linux user, I rather dislike having the Microsoft Windows logo on my keyboard. After reading reviews and watching several video reviews—many of the latter for the Bluetooth version—I was rather expecting the USB version I bought to come with the alternative Mac key caps; it did not. I had hoped to swap out the Windows hotkey for the Mac CMD key cap. So I e-mailed Azio Customer Support and expressed my disappointment as a Linux user to not have another option for the Windows logo on the hotkey and asked if they would be willing to send me a set of the Mac key caps included with the USB version. Firstly, I am not fond of wireless keyboards for security reasons, one of the very reasons I use Linux to begin with. A few days after writing them, they responded that they were happy to help and would try to get this request approved for me, and would send me a tracking number when they shipped. In addition, they asked which distribution of Linux I am using so they can attempt to offer support for Linux in the future. True to their word, four days later they sent me a tracking number and I received them the following Monday. They sent a whole set of Mac key caps, and I happily swapped out the Windows logo key for the Mac key. Not being a Mac user, I can’t say if the USB version, even with the Mac key caps, would work as well as the Bluetooth version which has a switch for Windows or Mac. True, the Bluetooth version can be used wired, but unless you wish to use it with Bluetooth, it is an added expense. But then, Mac products have always been more expensive than PC products.I would suggest to Azio that they offer these with a more generic hotkey key cap to begin with. For one thing, the “retro vibe” of these keyboards almost demands something more generic than a Windows logo; this could be something as simple as a large asterisk. I daresay both Mac and Windows users could easily determine what it is they are looking at. Personally, I think some kind of a sprocket or wheel logo would be a good option for the hotkey.All of that said, this is an excellent keyboard, and I imagine that both those experienced with mechanical keyboards and those who are not would be more than pleased with this, if you are looking for a keyboard that is both aesthetically pleasing and functional. I will also add that if you are at all worried about the round keys, don’t be. I had no trouble adjusting straight off and honestly cannot tell a difference. If anything, I seem to type better, though that could admittedly just be my imagination and admiration for a superior keyboard, which this definitely is.

Great mechanical feel of the switches provides awesome feedback. Response on USB is very quick. I have not tested the Bluetooth. The overall look fits very well with my antiques roll top desk allowing me to preserve the classic look while using modern computer. The provided cable was also long enough to reach my "off-too-the-side" computer without need for an extension as my mouse requires. Some might balk at the cost, but I have owned several keyboards at lower price points and none came close to the quality of this one.

I really wanted to love this keyboard. Without writing a novel. Here are my initial impressions:1) Aesthetics; classy, vintage, center piece for your office. On illuminating keys, I love the idea, but there is substantial bleed through of the lighting (see picture). I would also fully expect the keys to start rubbing off within a year.2) Function: keys are too tall, mushy (not clicky), bottom of my wrist hurt, fingers hurt. Be sure to purchase the wrist rest if you are going to buy this keyboard.3) Overall: In a pinch, I would give this keyboard a solid 3. Really just a form vs. function thing here. It looks good, there is no question about that. But, I am in finance, and I need a solid, fast, reliable keyboard that will allow me to code and write expressions with ease.Caveats:I am coming from a year of using my Logitech G915. For you gamers, you know about this Keyboard I am sure of it. Point is, I am trying hard not to compare and contrast the two keyboards. I want to give this Retro a fair shake prior to returning. As, this was my initial impression after an hour’s use: “return”. I think I am going to give this a week and then make the decision. In a week’s time I will follow up with this review.

Loving the book so far! Author’s content deserves 5 stars.However the kindle ebook transcription was poorly done. Any time there are two f’s or a “fi” it’s shown as a blank in the text. If you read the screenshot carefully you’ll notice some examples (nd instead of find). The entire book is like this which is kind of annoying to read.

Amazing read with really helpful tips to see how you truly spend your time.

Such a fantastic read and the exercises are great. The author’s writing style is approachable and she uses personal stories to make her research relatable. I bought this book for family and friends after reading it given the impact it had on how I’m thinking about the ways I spend my time. I highly recommend it.

If there were problems with the early Kindle edition, they have all been fixed. Kindle format looks good and appears error free. Book does a great job of pulling together recent research on happiness and related subjects.

Such a terrific book, on such an important topic. Couldn’t recommend it more strongly. Only wish there were options for more than 5 stars…

I enjoyed both reading this book and following along with the author’s own voice on Audible.Though I was already familiar with some of the research, I found this book to be a breakthrough because it shows how to put the the theory in practice against today’s back drop of business and societal expectations. The author made it an enjoyable read by putting in personal vignettes (her own and other’s) that made the story itself enjoyable and fast-paced. It also gave me the sense that the approaches were sustainable… for real people.One area where I’d love the author to follow up is how this works for people of lower economic means. Is time poverty experienced (or manageable) in the same ways when there is also financial poverty?All in all a great debut effort. Can’t wait to read / heard more from her.

Loved this book! It offered easily accessible exercises, perspectives, and reminders for how to find the joy that is all around you. I've already implemented some of the strategies and found they have an impact. Thank you Cassie for putting this out in the world!

This book is chock full of very useful happiness action steps that are backed by research. We followed several of the processes in our family that everyone is able to do (including our 10 and 12 year olds) with great results. The tiles have been very helpful for helping us plan our schedule, and the golf ball, pebbles, sand metaphor has stuck in our kids' brains, making it easier to plan time for homework, time with friends and family time.

I picked up this book a year & a half into retirement & wish I had read it in my 20’s.

Practical, honest, and optimistic

I enjoyed reading this and got a lot out of it. However, if one has older kids (and all that brings, especially if your kids are in public school), pet(s), elderly parents, is a single parent, and/or doesnt have the money to outsource cooking and cleaning and petcare, eldercare, or pay for private schools, the whole thing might fall apart. How does she do all the "household to-dos" in 2 hours?! Definitely got some Cheryl Sandberg/ not a normal mortal vibes, but like I said, I still got a lot of out it. Feels a bit aspirational for me, but sometimes it's nice to pretend things like getting all the household stuff done in 2 hours is possible! Appreciated the emphasis on time as a finite asset which thus makes setting your priorities paramount.

I love this book! It helps you to organize your life doing more of the things you love! Thank you Cassie Holmes!

Overall extremely seamless transaction which I truly appreciate!

The downloaded Kindle version is missing letter and parts of words. It is also poorly formatted. The content is excellent. I hope you can fix the format problems.

I really liked learning about assessing my happiness through each activity I do as well as reflecting on what is my purpose. It brought me a sense of self validation and has motivated me to continue doing the things I love in life. Totally recommend this book!

Good book. Easy to implement and understand. Great ideas to change mindset and ways of thinking and prioritizing. I recommend and will refer back to the book in the future.

We have limited time, but there are tools to help us use time in much more meaning ways. Holmes gives us those tools and questions to ask ourselves. The answers are surprising and liberating.

I picked this book up on a whim and I’m really glad I did. The book flowed really well and the author was relatable. It’s packed with lots of great ideas for thinking about your time, how your spending it and the best ways to make it count. There’s even several helpful exercises throughout the book that offered some surprising results when I finished them. Really glad I found this! A big thank you to the author for writing it and sharing her knowledge.