Book Review: Why Your Life Sucks - and What You Can Do About It

Why Your Life Sucks-and What You Can Do About It by Alan H. Cohen. (Second printing) ISBN 1-58872-028-4. Jodere Group, Inc., San Diego, CA. Available for $11.20 from amazon.com.

Alan Cohen's message in Why Your Life Sucks-and What You Can Do About It can best be summed up as "life is what you make it."

The author begins with the personal anecdote of a friend who had it all, and yet who still decided to end his own life. This happened to a respected coworker when Cohen was in his early 20s, and it began his search to define happiness and success in life. In Your Life, he shares his observations and lessons in a friendly and conversational style that makes for fast and easy reading.

The book is full of practical advice and easy-to-understand explanations of how and why the advice works to promote happiness and success. He uses helpful analogies and qualifications where necessary. One qualification is, not surprisingly, an explanation of the term "sucks." The author explains that "'Sucks' used to be a dirty word, but now we hear it everywhere. You can say it on television, in school, and read it in movie reviews. The word is brilliantly descriptive! When something sucks, it saps your energy and undermines the quality of your life. It makes you feel smaller and wish you hadn't participated. It sabotages your joy and you walk away feeling crummy." He goes on to explain that when your life sucks, you can't disregard it, because you're in it. You must address it and change it if you want to make it stop sucking, and you must do this for yourself. No one and no thing can do this for you.