The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness

 Shirley J.   Adult Comedy    Paula Poundstone's Experiments/Research/Findings on what makes her happy

The Totally Unscientific Study of the Search for Human Happiness by Paula Poundstone  320 pages

I always knew Paul Poundstone was funny but I had no idea how truly brilliant she is until having read this book.   She tells hilarious story after hilarious story and after each she gives her quantitative theorems on her hap (happy) level from each experience and the summation of her findings.   The further I went the more I liked this book and the more I liked Paula Poundstone.  Whether talking about her three kids, her 16 cats and other animals in their family menagerie, the Lamborghini she rented for a day, her stint on "Wait, wait...Don't tell me!, her stand up gigs every weekend, her bone to pick with the school system or political system in America, the lack of accountability she finds irritating, she will amuse sometimes mystify but always assail the reader with hilarious commentary and she strives to find happiness through self reflection and experiments.   She presents her data as easily as Sheldon Cooper spouting string theory and she does it with such a wonderful grasp of humor and how to deliver it with aplomb!   Whether she is taking her daughter who has cerebral palsy on a 4 day hike through southwest terrain, she is learning to swing dance much like women who clean their house before letting in a house cleaning service she surreptitiously takes private lessons on the side while joining a beginner's class so she will look smart and capable, or the home organizer she hires only to feel as though the woman is trying to tear memories from her when she wants her to throw away the several pairs of jeans she hopes to fit into again one day, Paula Poundstone is an incredibly busy amazing person (just the constant cleaning up after her cats is more than most folks could accomplish in a week, geez!).   A fun read that will keep you laughing out loud and that in itself is happiness as is this book.  Well done, Paula Sugar Push Poundstone (see the part on Swing Dancing).  A joy for all ages middle school through seniors - so funny!