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  • Published: 14 January 2027
  • ISBN: 9781529989908
  • Imprint: Ebury Digital
  • Format: Audio Download
  • RRP: $36.99

Nothing to Fix

The Life-Changing Science of Shifting Your Perspective




How to stop fixating on fixing and start living fully by Director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, Zen master and New York Times bestselling author of The Good Life

‘A masterclass in perspective, acceptance and finding happiness where you least expect it’ Mel Robbins

‘A must-read for anyone who is seeking clarity, purpose and peace’ Jay Shetty

'A profound exploration of what it means to live fully in an increasingly chaotic world' Steven Bartlett

Have you ever felt that something about your life isn’t quite right?

Not dramatically wrong. Just slightly off. As if things would be better if you were a bit more focused, a bit calmer, a bit more on top of things.

Director of the Harvard Study of Happiness, Dr Robert Waldinger draws on decades of research and contemplative practice as a Zen priest to reflect on a gnawing question: is this all there is? He shows that the problem is often not what’s happening to us, but how we relate to it. When we treat every feeling, thought or experience as something to improve, life begins to feel like a series of problems to solve. But there is another way.

This book offers a radically simple shift: learning to meet life as it is, rather than constantly trying to make it better. Through short reflections and practical exercises, Waldinger introduces a way of living that is calmer, more open and more connected – even in uncertainty.

Because the good life isn’t something we arrive at once everything is fixed. It’s something we learn to recognise, moment by moment.

  • Published: 14 January 2027
  • ISBN: 9781529989908
  • Imprint: Ebury Digital
  • Format: Audio Download
  • RRP: $36.99

About the author

Robert Waldinger

Dr Robert Waldinger is a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, the director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development and a Zen master who teaches meditation around the world. His TED Talk, 'What Makes a Good Life?' has been watched more than 75 million times, making it one of the ten most viewed talks ever on the platform. He is the author, with Marc Schulz, of the New York Times bestseller The Good Life.

Also by Robert Waldinger

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Praise for Nothing to Fix

Bob Waldinger is a triple threat – a psychoanalyst, a scholar, and a Zen master – and this book reflects his polymathic powers. It pairs timeless wisdom with modern science. It offers a bracing message with undeniable warmth. And it delivers deep insights alongside practical guidance. Perhaps most important in a world where so many people feel uneasy and discontent, it meets the moment.

Daniel H. Pink, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Power of Regret, When and Drive

Dr Robert Waldinger’s work has had a tremendous influence on me personally. With his mix of modern science and ancient wisdom, he sits at an incredibly fascinating and fruitful intersection, one that has the potential to change the world.

Dan Harris, New York Times bestselling author of 10% Happier, and host of the 10% Happier Podcast

The perfect synthesis of western science and eastern wisdom. It is a book I have long needed

Arthur Brooks, #1 New York Times bestselling author of From Strength to Strength

Dr Robert Waldinger has done it again. In Nothing to Fix, he flips the script on everything we think we know about happiness. This isn’t just another self-help book telling you to fix yourself. Instead, Dr Waldinger shows us that the life we crave is already within reach – it’s about learning to see it clearly. This is a masterclass in perspective, acceptance and finding happiness where you least expect it. If you’re ready to stop striving and start thriving, Nothing to Fix will show you how.

Mel Robbins, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Let Them Theory and host of The Mel Robbins Podcast

I'm so excited for this book! Dr Waldinger uniquely combines his expertise on the science of happiness with a deep understanding of ancient traditions. This book will be filled with practical, evidence-based advice on how to live better and will help readers learn to avoid the misconceptions that so many of us have about living a good life.

Laurie Santos, host of The Happiness Lab podcast

Robert Waldinger’s Nothing to Fix is a profound exploration of what it means to live fully in an increasingly chaotic world. His insights – rooted in science, therapy and ancient wisdom – feel like a roadmap for anyone striving to find purpose and peace in their daily lives.

Steven Bartlett, bestselling author of The Diary of a CEO and host of the Diary of a CEO Podcast

Dr Waldinger is a modern-day prophet, seamlessly combining science, history and heart-forward human storytelling to instill wisdom that sticks with you long after his words have finished. Most importantly, he is a product of his own ideas, exhibiting a contagious authenticity that makes you want to live in line with his teachings so that you too can experience their value in your life.

Sahil Bloom, New York Times bestselling author of The 5 Types of Wealth and creator and writer of The Curiosity Chronicle Newsletter

Smart, warm and accessible, Nothing to Fix is a treasure trove of scientific insight and ancient wisdom, converging on the key principles that tell us how to live well – in this and every other century.

Daniel Gilbert, New York Times bestselling author of Stumbling on Happiness

Bob Waldinger brings both depth of understanding and a genuine care for people. His work reflects a clear intention to translate insight into meaningful change in people’s lives. This commitment to serving society through knowledge and human values is commendable and worth emulating.

Gurudev Sri Sri Ravi Shankar

Nothing to Fix is an exceptionally inspiring and wholly commonsensical book. It illuminates what down-to-Earth meditative wisdom actually looks like, and how it can be cultivated to enhance health and wellbeing across the lifespan. It is also a beautiful exegesis of what is sometimes called Zen Mind. Its implications for personal wellbeing are not only robust and convincing, but, as recounted here, infectious. Watch out! Its deeply empathic message might just jump right off the page and into your heart, illuminating and transforming your way of being you. Waldinger’s voice and disarming personal candour, combined with the rigour of compelling conclusions from the study, are high energy motivators in and of themselves for waking up to the power and beauty of the present moment, and for living the life that is yours to live, while you have the chance.

Jon Kabat-Zinn, author of Wherever You Go, There You Are

I have personally learned so much about human thriving from Dr Robert Waldinger’s research. I admire how he masterfully blends the timeless wisdom of Zen practice with the art of living well and science. Nothing to Fix is a must-read for anyone who is seeking clarity, purpose and peace within themselves.

Jay Shetty, #1 New York Times bestselling author and host of the On Purpose podcast