Don't Sweat the Small Stuff... and It's All Small Stuff

I liked this book. Short and straight to the point on each topic and very relatable.

This is an easy yet inspiring read! These are things that we know as common sense but Richard Carlson writes it in a way that really puts everything into perspective. I highly recommend this book for everyone and anyone who just needs a reminder not to sweat the small stuff.

A great book with a lot of simple, yet profound observations about how we (re)act to the "human environment" around us. And above all, how this small stuff that we can choose to do in order to divert anger, animosity, hatred, and transform them into something positive is so easy to choose. One thing that I am missing is a deeper challenge for the reader to understand that our human pre-condition in the world of constant competition makes it still difficult in real life. When you read the book it sounds like a simple task. In the real world, we know that we deal with much bigger obstacles than just with ourselves. I still highly recommend this book for anyone to read. A great contribution to make this world a better place.

The cover of this book says it was a bestselling book of the year at one time. After opening it up and glancing through it, it't not hard to see why. The pupose of the book is to get you to look at things, common situations we all come across everyday, like being criticized or being given more work than you can possibly finish, and see them a little differently. Believe it or not, it delivers- and in just a page or two at a time if you can believe that! That's because the wisdom is definitely there, on every page, and it just plain makes sense. Many times I've read a chapter or two and thought, "Why didn't I think of that before?". The other good thing about this tiny book is that you could either sit down and read it cover-to-cover, or just pick it up once in awhile and pick a random chapter to read. Either way, the mini-chapters are sure to quickly leave most readers wondering why they make such a big deal out of the things they do. Other short self-help books I like include "Finding Happiness in a Frustrating World".

"Don't Sweat the Small Stuff" is delightful in its conception and reads like a wonderful collection of wisdom vignettes. There are 100 short chapters in the book, each containing some insight on finding the keys to a satisfied, compassionate and enlightened life. The chapters can be read in any order. The soft and nurturing style is very appealing and makes this book a perfect companion to keep on hand when you are having a rough day and need a little support to put things into perspective. The simple and gentle wisdom of this book reminds me of another book Being Here: Modern Day Tales of Enlightenment by Ariel and Shya Kane. In this book, the Kanes reveal, through very engaging personal stories, how every moment is a life lesson and a gift, and they invite us to experience life directly, with compassion and in line with our true heart's desire. I heartily recommend both books to anyone interested in a soft and profound approach to enlightenment

It's not so much a book about helping you handle more stress better, but about making your life better so there won't be so much stress. Nearly all of the little "chapters" contain behavior-altering suggestions that are not easy to do--but that's the hard truth of self improvement. You cannot change behavior overnight, it's the kind of thing that requires day-to-day concentration. Benjamin Franklin discovered his, and wrote about it in his autobiography. He chose a handful of things he wanted to change about himself, and set out to practice one thing each day until he got it down--and it often took him much longer than he anticipated. If you don't want to put forth the effort of self-improvement, especially where stress is concerned, don't buy this book. This book is easy to read, the suggestions being one to two pages. It may seem like he's "watering" down the facts of stressors and behavior, when in fact this material *must* be simplified in order to be at a level that is concise, direct, and understandable. Some of the 100 suggestions seem to overlap, but in my opinion, it is necessary. There are many aspects to human behavior. For example: Is patience really as simple as we think it is? Or is Mr. Carlson right in helping us with different aspects of it by overlapping the "patience" theme in several chapters? You may just need to decide for yourself. So, when you're feeling bad about yourself and want to improve, this is a good place for ideas/reminders that can help you from the inside-out. You will have to read it slowly and re-read it again and again, using it as a reference for years to come in order to benefit from its potential effect on your life.