I’ve really enjoyed the conversations I’ve been having with everyone on Instagram about the books that I’ve read or am currently reading, and thought it might be cool to have a space here for personal reviews of some of my favorites. So today starts a series of book reviews that begins with Delivering Happiness by Tony Hsieh.
I get my reading recommendations from several sources, but more often than not they come from Mr. Chris Do and the wonderful people of The Futur. Their reading lists never disappoint and Delivering Happiness was no exception. I still have plenty to read before the end of the year, but I’m not going to lie, this book is a contender for 2020 Favorite Book of the Year. Trust me, it’s that good.
Delivering Happiness in a nutshell is all about discovering the answer to “What am I working towards?” and more simply “What makes me happy?” These were questions the author, Tony Hsieh, asked himself throughout his career, especially when building the Zappos empire, and questions that drove him to ultimately “stop chasing money” and “start chasing [his] passion.”
As the book chronicles the Zappos journey, from its early days in the Bay Area to the HQ relocation in Las Vegas and the company’s ultimate mission about cultivating the best customer service, it discusses the subconscious dialogue we all deal with daily (and without evening knowing it), and putting it front and center for questioning. As Tony says, if you ask yourself ‘why?’ enough times (whether it be about your personal or professional aspirations), you arrive at the same conclusion as everyone else; that whatever it is that you are doing or looking to achieve will ultimately make you happier. Asking ‘why?’ was Tony’s North Star and the successes he achieved by following it speak for themselves. Throughout the book he encourages the reader to think about their ideals and question how passion, relationships, inspirations, goals, core values and a sense of purpose contribute to their desire for happiness.
Tony’s heartfelt and genuine story was more than impactful. It was one of the most inspirational stories I’ve ever read, and one that will always be top of mind. Entrepreneur or not, I hope everyone who picks up a copy of Delivering Happiness enjoys his fresh perspective on business and life as much as I did.
“If you keep asking yourself ‘why?’ enough times, you’ll find yourself arriving at the same answer that most people do when they repeatedly ask themselves why they are doing what they are doing: They believe that whatever they are pursuing in life will ultimately make them happier.”