60 Days Of Happiness by Randy Alcorn

60 Days Of Happiness: Discover God's Promise Of Relentless Joy by Randy Alcorn can be read as a 60 day devotional (as the title implies), or in larger chunks as a more traditional book. Each of the 60 days begins by posing a question the reader may have, such as "Why aren't Christians known for their happiness?". This question is followed by a brief scriptural excerpt and a quote relevant to the issue at hand. Randy then uses biblical explanations, personal anecdotes, and real-life examples to shine a light on God's view of the issue, as best as we can learn from the Bible. After each reading session (an average of 3 pages), Randy includes a simple yet very detailed prayer to help us become attuned to God's desires for us and our happiness.

In the clever introduction, Randy explains how this book came to be. It's drawn from selected portions of his larger book on the subject, Happiness.

"While I've written the big book Happiness and also a very small one, God's Promise of Happiness, I felt the need for a medium-sized book for those who want more than the one and less than the other." (page xi)

While I have not read either of the other books mentioned, I found this book to be just right for providing insight into a lot of different issues surrounding the concept of our happiness, both individually and as a society. The readings were all simple enough that my 12-year-old can relate to and learn from them, yet complex enough for me to gain a new understanding of things I had not thought to look at in the way in which Randy presents them.

Overall, I'm giving this book 4/5 stars, and would recommend it to anyone who struggles to find a place for happiness in the daily flow of life. If nothing else, start by reading just the sections that appeal to you. By the time you finish, you'll most likely want to go back and read the rest to see what insights you've been missing.

*Disclaimer: I received a free print edition of this book from Tyndale House Publishers for the purpose of this honest review. All opinions are my own.*

About The Author (back copy):

Randy Alcorn is the founder and director of Eternal Perspective Ministries and a New York Times bestselling author of more than fifty books, including Heaven (more than one million sold), The Treasure Principle (more than two million sold), If God Is Good, Happiness, and the award-winning novel Safely Home. His books have sold about ten million copies and have been translated into nearly seventy languages.

Alcorn resides in Gresham, Oregon, with his wife, Nanci. They have two married daughters and five grandsons. Randy enjoys hanging out with his family, biking, underwater photography, doing research, and reading. 

Purchase Links:
     Tyndale
     Amazon
     ChristianBook