Climb Your Stairway to Heaven by David Leonhardt
The 9 Habits to Maximum Happiness
iUniverse.com - July 2001
ISBN: 059517829x
Nonfiction / Self-help

Reviewed by Susan Johnson, MyShelf.com
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Explorers have searched for it. Philosophers have tried to define it. Scientists don't believe in it, but most people just want to know how to get there. Where? Heaven! What most people believe is the key to untold happiness.

When David Leonhardt set out to write "Climb your Stairway to Heaven", he wanted to show his readers that there really is no secret to happiness. It is not something you can see, buy or touch, but rather something a person must find on their own. One can actually build his own stairway, and then climb each step to reach greater happiness.

How a person measures happiness determines how they will go about trying to achieve that goal. Some people measure happiness by possessions, fame or status. However, this is not always the case. Some people abandon good paying jobs to go in search of happiness.

Character also plays an important role in how a person achieves happiness. Researchers have determined that there are four character traits common in most people. These include a sense of control, optimistic outlook, high self-esteem and an extroverted personality.
David Leonhardt then lays out the nine steps that will help the reader go about reaching these lofty goals. Scattered throughout the book are a multitude of funny antidotes and wonderful quotes. One of my favorites is a Chinese proverb that states that "the best place to look for a helping hand is at the end of your own arm."

And so goes David Leonhardt's wonderful book. Page by page, the reader learns to appreciate what life has dealt him and how to make the best of his situation. If you are searching for a happiness that seems to elude you, pick up this book, and you might just learn how to find it.