Joy on Demand by Chade-Meng Tan Summary
Overview of Joy on Demand
Discover how Google's "Jolly Good Fellow" teaches instant joy through simple meditation techniques. This New York Times bestseller by Chade-Meng Tan - endorsed by leaders from Jimmy Carter to the Dalai Lama - reveals why happiness isn't just desirable, but trainable like a muscle.
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Key takeaways
The Journey to Joy
I never thought I'd become an expert on happiness. For most of my life, I was far from joyful - in fact, I was downright miserable. But through an unexpected journey of self-discovery and mindfulness practice, I found a way to access joy on demand. Now, I want to share what I've learned so that you too can cultivate lasting happiness, regardless of your circumstances. My path to joy began when I was working as an early engineer at Google. Despite having what many would consider a dream job, I felt unfulfilled and unhappy. I started exploring meditation and mindfulness out of sheer desperation - I was miserable enough to try anything. To my surprise, I discovered that joy is a skill that can be developed through practice, much like building physical strength through exercise. Just as you can do bicep curls to strengthen your arms, there are mental exercises you can do to strengthen your capacity for joy. Through consistent practice, I was able to dramatically shift my baseline level of happiness. Even more remarkably, I found that I could eventually access a sense of joy and ease on demand, simply by tuning into my breath or cultivating loving-kindness.
The Science of Happiness
Easing into Joy
Inclining the Mind Toward Joy
Uplifting the Mind
Joy as a Way of Life
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"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
"Instead of endless scrolling, I just hit play on BeFreed. It saves me so much time."
"I never knew where to start with nonfiction—BeFreed’s book lists turned into podcasts gave me a clear path."
"Perfect balance between learning and entertainment. Finished ‘Thinking, Fast and Slow’ on my commute this week."
"Crazy how much I learned while walking the dog. BeFreed = small habits → big gains."
"Reading used to feel like a chore. Now it’s just part of my lifestyle."
"Feels effortless compared to reading. I’ve finished 6 books this month already."
"BeFreed turned my guilty doomscrolling into something that feels productive and inspiring."
"BeFreed turned my commute into learning time. 20-min podcasts are perfect for finishing books I never had time for."
"BeFreed replaced my podcast queue. Imagine Spotify for books — that’s it. 🙌"
"It is great for me to learn something from the book without reading it."
"The themed book list podcasts help me connect ideas across authors—like a guided audio journey."
"Makes me feel smarter every time before going to work"
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