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Title details for Secrets of Adulthood by Gretchen Rubin - Available

Secrets of Adulthood

Simple Truths for Our Complex Lives

by Gretchen Rubin
ebook
1 of 1 copy available
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1 of 1 copy available
NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The author of The Happiness Project and Better Than Before distills her key insights into simple truths for living with greater satisfaction, clarity, and happiness.
The right idea, invoked at the right time, can change our lives. Drawing from her long studies of happiness, and also from the challenges she’s faced herself, writer Gretchen Rubin has discovered the “Secrets of Adulthood” that can help us manage the complexities of life. To convey her conclusions, she turned to the aphorism—the ancient literary discipline that demands that a writer convey a large truth in a few words.
Perhaps you’re paralyzed by indecision, struggling to navigate a big change, fighting a temptation, or puzzled by the behavior of someone you love; whatever you face, the right aphorism can help. From procrastination to the pursuit of happiness, Secrets of Adulthood is filled with witty and thought-provoking reflections such as:
  • “Recognize that, like sleeping with a big dog in a small bed, things that are uncomfortable can also be comforting”
  • “Accept yourself, and expect more from yourself”
  • “Easy children raise good parents”
  • “What can be done at any time is often done at no time”

    • For anyone undergoing a major life transition, such as graduation, career switch, marriage, or moving, or for those just encountering everyday dilemmas, these disarming aphorisms will inspire you by articulating truths that you may never have noticed but instantly recognize.

    • Creators

    • Publisher

    • Release date

      April 1, 2025

    • Formats

      • Kindle Book

      • OverDrive Read

        • ISBN: 9780593800744

      • EPUB ebook

        • ISBN: 9780593800744
        • File size: 6883 KB

    • Accessibility

      The publisher provides the following statement about the accessibility of the EPUB file supplied to OverDrive. Experiences may vary across reading systems. After borrowing the book, you may download the EPUB files to read in another reading system.

      Summary

      This ebook features mark-up that supports accessibility and enables compatibility with assistive technology. It has been designed to allow display properties to be modified by the reader. The file includes a table of contents, a defined reading order, and ARIA roles to identify key sections and improve the reading experience. A page list and page break locations help readers coordinate with the print edition. Headings allow readers to navigate the ebook quickly by level. Images are well described in conformance with WCAG 2.1 Level AA. Colors meet WCAG 2.1 Level AA contrast standards. There are no hazards.

      Ways Of Reading

      • Appearance of the text and page layout can be modified according to the capabilities of the reading system (font family and font size, spaces between paragraphs, sentences, words, and letters, as well as color of background and text).

      • All content can be read as read aloud speech or dynamic braille.

      • Has alternative text descriptions for images.

      Conformance

      • The publication contains a conformance statement that it meets the EPUB Accessibility and WCAG 2 Level AA standard.

      • This publication claims to meet EPUB Accessibility 1.1 WCAG 2.1 Level AA.

      Navigation

      • Table of contents to all chapters of the text via links.

      • Elements such as headings, tables, etc for structured navigation.

      Additional Information

      • Page breaks included

    • Languages

      • English

    • Reviews

      • Booklist

        March 1, 2025
        Between her successful books and popular podcast, Rubin has a loyal following. This collection of aphorisms (defined by the author as "a concise statement that contains an expansive truth") reflects Rubin's philosophy of growing and appreciating. She has sorted them by topics (happiness, self-improvement, adventure, decisions, perspective, work, pain, consequences, creativity). Rubin offers occasional commentary on some of the quotes, and in a closing section, she adds a practical laundry list of secrets, including items such as "Sometimes it's easier to make last-minute plans than to plan in advance," "If possible, have a challenging conversation while walking," and "If you're nervous about an upcoming event or experience, visit the location ahead of time to make it more familiar." According to the introduction, Rubin intends these words of wisdom for her two daughters as they grow up, and there are passages here that will resonate both for them and other readers. Rubin's latest may not change lives, but there's enough here to prompt a smile and the occasional nod from her many fans.

        COPYRIGHT(2025) Booklist, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

      • Library Journal

        April 1, 2025

        Bestselling Rubin (The Happiness Project), host of the podcast Happier with Gretchen Rubin, offers a book filled with short, pithy aphorisms that sum up important advice in small doses. Designed for self-improvement, but also packaged as a gift book and filled with illustrations. Prepub Alert.

        Copyright 2024 Library Journal

        Copyright 2024 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

      • Publisher's Weekly

        February 3, 2025
        Bestseller Rubin (The Happiness Project) returns with a collection of pithy, practical aphorisms. Among other topics, she investigates self-transformation (“One of the best ways to make yourself happy is to make others happy”), relationship challenges, and the benefits of community (“more friends, more safety”). Other sections warn of the dangers of excess (“Every medicine can become poison”), offer guidance on parenting (“One way to thwart a conversation is to refuse to answer. Another way is to talk and talk”), and muse on the benefits of taking initiative (“To respect us, people must first notice us; we can’t earn trust and admiration from the sidelines”). Rounding out the collection are valuable nuts-and-bolts tips for work and personal life, such as presenting information in threes and focusing on actions instead of outcomes. The author’s pragmatic, down-to-earth approach lends itself especially well to such guidance, and to aphorisms that enliven familiar insights with a touch of wry humor (“We can be very wrong for a very long time without noticing. Bloodletting was a common medical treatment for two millennia”). Rubin’s fans will want to snap this up.

    Formats

    • Kindle Book
    • OverDrive Read
    • EPUB ebook

    subjects

    Languages

    • English

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