How to Be Happy, Dammit by Karen Salmansohn

Billed on its cover as "A cynics guide to spiritual happiness," How to Be Happy, Dammit wants to be "the first and only self-help book that merges Psychology, Biology, Eastern Philosophy, Western Philosophy, Quantum Physics, and the Zen of Bazooka Joe." For such a lofty and original goal, there isn't much new to be found here. The 44 "life lessons" contained in the book will never surprise or amaze you. But what keeps the book consistently engaging is its visual style, utilizing on every page the kind of textual artistry usually found in high-style magazines. The creative expression of self-help principles through color and space rather than just words gives the book a strong positive energy even a cynic would enjoy.