jdsutter's review
4.0
A very thought-provoking, yet whimsical, look at approaching life from a perspective of continual thankfulness. Jacobs tackles the topic from a purely secular mindset and points out the value of the practice even without any religious consideration. I found the book very interesting academically and philosophically; especially as a coffee lover myself.
Note: there are multiple instances of strong language.
Note: there are multiple instances of strong language.
bennmarine's review
4.0
It was good, just wish there was a bit more depth to it. Definitely would recommend to others though.
shighley's review against another edition
4.0
This book fit perfectly with my #oneword19, which I decided is "positive." Jacobs even talks about people with the deficit mindset; I decided to try to counteract the effect of encountering those showing negativity by being more positive myself. This was a great way to start a new year. I also enjoyed the fact that Jacobs narrated the audiobook this himself.
I had not heard the Ted Talk on this, and had not read any of Jacobs' other books. I was surprised that someone who had written The Year of Living Biblically would be an agnostic. To me, that was one thing that was missing from this book; no credit was given to God.
However, how many times can you say that the intro to a book alone made a difference? I really took this to heart; Jacobs talks about looking servers, cashiers, etc in the eye and thanking them. I immediately started doing this more. I had already vowed (several years) that I would write more thank you notes, and I have done that. Will I keep that up? Shortly after finishing the book, I was volunteering at an event where a respite care worker dropped off someone to watch a movie. As he walked away, I said, "Thank you for bringing him." He at first stopped, did a double take, and turned around to say, "You're welcome."
I enjoyed looking up the logo for Joe Coffee, the special lids, and several of the other ideas and people that were mentioned. I appreciated all of the research that he included, although I was a bit disappointed that he advocated for more government regulation. I couldn't believe that Barbara Ehrenreich has labeled gratitude as a right-wing conspiracy, but was glad that he pooh-poohed that a bit. Overall, this is a book that I think can have a positive, long-lasting effect on me.
I had not heard the Ted Talk on this, and had not read any of Jacobs' other books. I was surprised that someone who had written The Year of Living Biblically would be an agnostic. To me, that was one thing that was missing from this book; no credit was given to God.
However, how many times can you say that the intro to a book alone made a difference? I really took this to heart; Jacobs talks about looking servers, cashiers, etc in the eye and thanking them. I immediately started doing this more. I had already vowed (several years) that I would write more thank you notes, and I have done that. Will I keep that up? Shortly after finishing the book, I was volunteering at an event where a respite care worker dropped off someone to watch a movie. As he walked away, I said, "Thank you for bringing him." He at first stopped, did a double take, and turned around to say, "You're welcome."
I enjoyed looking up the logo for Joe Coffee, the special lids, and several of the other ideas and people that were mentioned. I appreciated all of the research that he included, although I was a bit disappointed that he advocated for more government regulation. I couldn't believe that Barbara Ehrenreich has labeled gratitude as a right-wing conspiracy, but was glad that he pooh-poohed that a bit. Overall, this is a book that I think can have a positive, long-lasting effect on me.
kmg365's review
4.0
The last book was about genealogy. Loved the book, can't stand genealogy. This one is about coffee. Loved the book, can't stand coffee. This gives you an idea how much I love Jacobs' writing.
He (mostly) avoids the pitfalls of the current gratitude movement that make me clench my jaw so tight my fillings are in danger of cracking. He approaches gratitude with a refreshing practicality. He starts by thanking a barista at his neighborhood coffee shop, and ends up making a trip to South America to thank the family farmers who grew and picked the beans.
Interesting factoid: if everyone involved in getting your morning cup of joe in your hand was paid U.S. minimum wage, it would cost somewhere between $25 and $30.