The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology that Fuel Success and Performance at Work
2010 Shawn Achor, 978-0-307-59154-8 http://books.google.com/books?id=ceYlEs6gT3QC

Are people happy because they're successful, or successful because they're happy? Achor summarizes a lot of research into positive psychology, sprinkling anecdotes from corporate consulting and day-to-day life in between easy-to-read findings. Achor also shares some useful tips for changing your behavior.

If you like this, you might want to read Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life for another research-backed practical approach to happiness. If your taste runs towards life-as-experiment memoirs, check out The Happiness Project.

Writing About Your Life
2004 William K. Zinsser, 1-56924-468-5, http://books.google.com/books?id=rLaciLyzFFEC

In this memoir, William Zinsser not only shares tips on how to write about your life but also demonstrates those tips in action. He sometimes steps out of the narrative to point out how the memoir works. Definitely worth a read if you're writing a personal blog, or any sort of nonfiction that could benefit from story.

Well Connected: An Unconventional Approach to Building Genuine, Effective Business Relationships
2010 Gordon S. Curtis and Greg Lewis, 978-0-470-57794-3, http://books.google.com/books?id=4bbo9S06QloC

This is an intermediate/advanced book on targeted social networking. It's a good book to turn to when you have clear goals and you need to figure out how to reach the specific people who can help you achieve them: the right person, the right approach. It builds on reciprocity and suggests several ways you can offer value.

Life's Too Short to Fold Fitted Sheets: Your Ultimate Guide to Domestic Liberation
2010 Lisa Quinn, 978-0-8118-6993-5, http://books.google.com/books?id=BpnGPwAACAAJ

This book boils down into: Don't stress out so much, and here are some productivity, housekeeping, home decoration, and entertaining tips for making life easier. I'm particularly looking forward to trying the section called “17 meals made from a deli chicken.”

The Age of Productivity: Transforming Economies from the Bottom Up
210 Edited by Carmen Pages, 978-0-230-62352-1 http://books.google.com/books?id=dUWPQAAACAAJ

This turned out to be a deep research collection on the economics of Latin American companies. Interesting section on company tax evasion and the effects on productivity: tax-evading companies stay small to avoid attention, but that means they can't enjoy economies of scale.

The Heart of Simple Living
2010 Wanda Urbanska, 978-1-4402-0451-7 http://books.google.com/books?id=r38fQAAACAAJ

Typical tips on simplifying, decluttering, and developing the domestic arts. Good tip on reciprocal dining, which is more like a time/meal exchange among friends instead of a dinner party. More focus on environmental sustainability than most books I've read in this field.

The Art of Barter: How to Trade for Almost Anything
2010 Karen S. Hoffman and Shera D. Dalin, 978-1-60239-953-2 http://books.google.com/books?id=Btv9QQAACAAJ

This book covers why, how, and where to swap instead of sell. Might be handy for negotiation practice.

Choose to be Happily Married: How Everyday Decisions Can Lead to Lasting Love
2010 Bonnie Jacobson, PhD with Alexia Paul, 978-1-60550-625-8 http://books.google.com/books?id=ABD_DJDSeZAC

See my notes elsewhere.

The Complete Works of Montaigne
1943 Translated by Donald M. Frame, 0-8047-0484-8 http://isbn2book.com/0-8047-0484-8/the_complete_works_of_montaigne_essays_travel_journal_letters/

I'm not done with this one yet. There's a lot to read and learn in this collection of essays, travel journals, and letters from the man who invented the essay. I've skimmed the Gutenberg Project's version and the John Florio translation, but Donald Frame's translation is the style I like the most. I look forward to learning more about philosophy, history, and assorted topics. Thanks to Ryan Holiday for the post about Montaigne's work!

Pretty good haul for one week.

The other day, I heard a weather forecast use the word “flurries”. Winter's coming! Fortunately, Lifehacker has tips on winterizing your body. Me, I'm renaming winter to “baking season.” Or soup season. Or hot chocolate season. It's also a good time to do social experiments, like getting better at giving gifts and setting up time to hang out with friends.

*British comedian Stephen Fry rants about language snobs and the evolution of English.* He convinces me to reconsider my gripes about people using “action” as a verb, as in: “Please action this survey.” I can see this will be a tough thing to get over. Fortunately, IBM gives me many opportunities to practice this new attitude.

Want to know if it'll be worth picking up that hammer? DIY or Not compares the average cost of professional labour or do-it-yourself resourcefulness. It also tells you what kinds of projects the site's readers would prefer to DIY or hire. For example, installing kitchen wall cabinets yourself might save you ~$800, but most people would rather have someone else do it. This site would be even better with a social network makeover. Wouldn't it be cool to share your experiences with DIY or hiring things out, and your actual costs?

Ever been interested in doing something, only to be discouraged because you suck? The Montreal Improv blog shares a great tidbit from Ira Glass. You might have started cat painting because you like . In the beginning, your abilities can't match up your taste. Practice is the only way to close that gap.