The updated edition of Live More Happy was launched with author Dr Darren Morton at the ELIA Summit in Melbourne on October 16. First published in 2017, it is expected that the 100,000th copy of the book in its various editions will be sold in the next few weeks, with the launch of both this updated edition and the new Updated Pocket Edition.
“The new edition includes a substantial amount of updated research from the past decade,” explained Dr Morton. “Interestingly, the overall structure and key messages of the book haven’t needed to change significantly because the latest science has largely reinforced what was presented in the original edition. What the newer research does provide is greater depth, fresh insights and some fascinating nuances that help us understand even more about why these strategies work.”
Dr Morton is director of the Lifestyle Medicine & Health Research Centre at Avondale University and a certified diplomate of the International Board of Lifestyle Medicine. He has become a global leader in lifestyle medicine research and communication, with international opportunities including delivering the closing keynote presentation at the American College of Lifestyle Medicine conference last November.
Dr Morton has also presented his work in the form of The Lift Project, which has seen more than 60,000 complete the wellbeing program around the world. He said that this experience has also shaped some of the updates to the new edition of his book.
“One of the great lessons from The Lift Project over the past decade is that knowing what to do and actually doing it are two very different things,” he said. “So one thing I think distinguishes Live More Happy is that it doesn’t just explain what to do; it also explains why it works. I think understanding the science can be very motivating. But even when people understand the what and the why, following through can still be difficult.”
He said this is why each chapter of his book has challenges for readers to apply what they have learnt in their own lives. “Give people small, achievable opportunities to experience success, while recognising that the more they put in, the more they’re likely to get out,” he explained. “Small successes build confidence, and confidence makes bigger changes possible. That insight has increasingly shaped the way I communicate about wellbeing.”
Live More Happy has also seen translated editions published in Spanish, Romanian and German, and the new pocket edition will be released in coming weeks. “I’ve always been touched by stories of people giving Live More Happy to others—to friends and family members, and sometimes even to acquaintances they simply felt might benefit from it,” Dr Morton said.
Live More Happy (Updated Edition) is available now from Adventist bookshops in Australia and New Zealand, and will be released to bookshops more broadly from the end of October.
