
The Five Thieves of Happiness
Failed to add items
Add to Cart failed.
Add to Wish List failed.
Remove from wishlist failed.
Adding to library failed
Follow podcast failed
Unfollow podcast failed
$0.99/mo for the first 3 months

Buy for $14.95
No default payment method selected.
We are sorry. We are not allowed to sell this product with the selected payment method
-
Narrated by:
-
Tom Dheere
About this listen
From best-selling author John Izzo comes this practical and inspirational guide. He shows that happiness is our natural state and explores five "thieves" that rob us of that innate sense of contentment.
A few years ago, Izzo was puzzled that he didn't feel happier. He was a successful consultant, a much-in-demand speaker, and a best-selling author. Sure, he'd had some setbacks and disappointments, but he knew enough to know he had it pretty good. And, as he shows in this book, both ancient wisdom and modern neuroscience say that we're naturally happy - it's our default setting. So why didn't it seem to be his?
Izzo went on a journey - a kind of pilgrimage - to try to understand what was going on. Reflecting as he walked the Camino de Santiago in Spain and spent time in the deserts of Morocco and in the Peruvian Andes, he began to identify five mental thought patterns that take our happiness from us. He calls them the five thieves of happiness: the thief of control, the thief of conceit, the thief of coveting, the thief of consumption, and the thief of comfort.
Drawing on recent psychological research, the world's spiritual traditions, and personal stories from his journey, Izzo describes the disguises these thieves wear, the tools they use to break into our hearts, and what we can do to lock them out once and for all. He shows how the same five thieves that rob us of our personal happiness are destroying society as well. This book will help us all discover, develop, and defend the happiness that is naturally ours as human beings while finding ways to create a world we all want to live in.
©2017 John Izzo, PhD (P)2017 John Izzo, PhDListeners also enjoyed...
-
The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die
- By: John Izzo
- Narrated by: John Izzo
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Imagine for a moment that you are about to take a foreign vacation to an exotic destination. You have saved your entire life to travel there. It is a destination with almost unlimited choices of how to spend your time and you know you will not have enough time to explore every opportunity. You are fairly certain that you will never get to take a second trip to this destination; this will be your one opportunity.
-
-
Should be mandatory reading for anyone ever born
- By Annie Armstrong on 11-29-21
By: John Izzo
-
Immunity to Change
- How to Overcome It and Unlock the Potential in Yourself and Your Organization
- By: Robert Kegan, Lisa Laskow Lahey
- Narrated by: Stephen R. Thorne
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Immunity to Change, authors Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey show how our individual beliefs - along with the collective mindsets in our organizations - combine to create a natural but powerful immunity to change. By revealing how this mechanism holds us back, Kegan and Lahey give us the keys to unlock our potential and finally move forward. And by pinpointing and uprooting our own immunities to change, we can bring our organizations forward with us.
-
-
Should be Required Reading for humanity
- By Chandra Achberger on 11-02-16
By: Robert Kegan, and others
-
How to Know a Person
- The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen
- By: David Brooks
- Narrated by: David Brooks
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As David Brooks observes, “There is one skill that lies at the heart of any healthy person, family, school, community organization, or society: the ability to see someone else deeply and make them feel seen—to accurately know another person, to let them feel valued, heard, and understood.” And yet we humans don’t do this well. All around us are people who feel invisible, unseen, misunderstood. In How to Know a Person, Brooks sets out to help us do better, posing questions that are essential for all of us: If you want to know a person, what kind of attention should you cast on them?
-
-
A book he was ready to write
- By Adam Shields on 11-17-23
By: David Brooks
-
Primal Leadership
- Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence
- By: Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, Annie McKee
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Daniel Goleman's international best seller Emotional Intelligence forever changed our concept of "being smart," showing how emotional intelligence (EI) - how we handle ourselves and our relationships - can determine life success more than IQ. Now Goleman and company apply that knowledge to leadership in a must-hear presentation.
-
-
This opened my eyes
- By Mike on 10-22-07
By: Daniel Goleman, and others
-
The Art of Possibility
- Transforming Professional and Personal Life
- By: Rosamund Stone Zander, Benjamin Zander
- Narrated by: Rosamund Stone Zander, Benjamin Zander
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Presenting 12 breakthrough practices for bringing creativity into all human endeavors, The Art of Possibility is the dynamic product of an extraordinary partnership. The Art of Possibility combines Benjamin Zander's experience as conductor of the Boston Philharmonic and his talent as a teacher and communicator with psychotherapist Rosamund Stone Zander's genius for designing innovative paradigms for personal and professional fulfillment.
-
-
Excellent Book
- By Debbie on 04-10-15
By: Rosamund Stone Zander, and others
-
Lean In
- Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
- By: Sheryl Sandberg
- Narrated by: Elisa Donovan
- Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In her famed TED talk, Sheryl Sandberg described how women unintentionally hold themselves back in their careers. Her talk, which has been viewed more than eleven million times, encouraged women to “sit at the table,” seek challenges, take risks, and pursue their goals with gusto.
-
-
Lean In, Lead On
- By Cynthia on 03-14-13
By: Sheryl Sandberg
-
The Five Secrets You Must Discover Before You Die
- By: John Izzo
- Narrated by: John Izzo
- Length: 5 hrs and 2 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Imagine for a moment that you are about to take a foreign vacation to an exotic destination. You have saved your entire life to travel there. It is a destination with almost unlimited choices of how to spend your time and you know you will not have enough time to explore every opportunity. You are fairly certain that you will never get to take a second trip to this destination; this will be your one opportunity.
-
-
Should be mandatory reading for anyone ever born
- By Annie Armstrong on 11-29-21
By: John Izzo
-
Immunity to Change
- How to Overcome It and Unlock the Potential in Yourself and Your Organization
- By: Robert Kegan, Lisa Laskow Lahey
- Narrated by: Stephen R. Thorne
- Length: 10 hrs and 1 min
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Immunity to Change, authors Robert Kegan and Lisa Laskow Lahey show how our individual beliefs - along with the collective mindsets in our organizations - combine to create a natural but powerful immunity to change. By revealing how this mechanism holds us back, Kegan and Lahey give us the keys to unlock our potential and finally move forward. And by pinpointing and uprooting our own immunities to change, we can bring our organizations forward with us.
-
-
Should be Required Reading for humanity
- By Chandra Achberger on 11-02-16
By: Robert Kegan, and others
-
How to Know a Person
- The Art of Seeing Others Deeply and Being Deeply Seen
- By: David Brooks
- Narrated by: David Brooks
- Length: 7 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
As David Brooks observes, “There is one skill that lies at the heart of any healthy person, family, school, community organization, or society: the ability to see someone else deeply and make them feel seen—to accurately know another person, to let them feel valued, heard, and understood.” And yet we humans don’t do this well. All around us are people who feel invisible, unseen, misunderstood. In How to Know a Person, Brooks sets out to help us do better, posing questions that are essential for all of us: If you want to know a person, what kind of attention should you cast on them?
-
-
A book he was ready to write
- By Adam Shields on 11-17-23
By: David Brooks
-
Primal Leadership
- Realizing the Power of Emotional Intelligence
- By: Daniel Goleman, Richard Boyatzis, Annie McKee
- Narrated by: Arthur Morey
- Length: 8 hrs and 36 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Daniel Goleman's international best seller Emotional Intelligence forever changed our concept of "being smart," showing how emotional intelligence (EI) - how we handle ourselves and our relationships - can determine life success more than IQ. Now Goleman and company apply that knowledge to leadership in a must-hear presentation.
-
-
This opened my eyes
- By Mike on 10-22-07
By: Daniel Goleman, and others
-
The Art of Possibility
- Transforming Professional and Personal Life
- By: Rosamund Stone Zander, Benjamin Zander
- Narrated by: Rosamund Stone Zander, Benjamin Zander
- Length: 6 hrs and 38 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Presenting 12 breakthrough practices for bringing creativity into all human endeavors, The Art of Possibility is the dynamic product of an extraordinary partnership. The Art of Possibility combines Benjamin Zander's experience as conductor of the Boston Philharmonic and his talent as a teacher and communicator with psychotherapist Rosamund Stone Zander's genius for designing innovative paradigms for personal and professional fulfillment.
-
-
Excellent Book
- By Debbie on 04-10-15
By: Rosamund Stone Zander, and others
-
Lean In
- Women, Work, and the Will to Lead
- By: Sheryl Sandberg
- Narrated by: Elisa Donovan
- Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In her famed TED talk, Sheryl Sandberg described how women unintentionally hold themselves back in their careers. Her talk, which has been viewed more than eleven million times, encouraged women to “sit at the table,” seek challenges, take risks, and pursue their goals with gusto.
-
-
Lean In, Lead On
- By Cynthia on 03-14-13
By: Sheryl Sandberg
-
The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership: 25th Anniversary
- Follow Them and People Will Follow You
- By: John C. Maxwell
- Narrated by: John C. Maxwell, Henry O. Arnold
- Length: 9 hrs and 32 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
HarperCollins and John C. Maxwell are celebrating the milestone anniversary of Maxwell’s bestselling The 21 Irrefutable Laws of Leadership, with the publication of a revised and updated 25th anniversary edition. Included are insights from Maxwell on each law and how they have impacted his life as a leader and mentor. There will also be stories from some of today’s most impactful leaders, like IT Cosmetics' Jamie Kern Lima, Maxwell Leadership CEO Mark Cole, and author and marketing expert Jeff Henderson, on how they have applied these laws to their own success journeys.
-
-
Very intriguing views.
- By Jason Frampton on 11-11-22
By: John C. Maxwell
-
The Big Leap
- By: Gay Hendricks
- Narrated by: Gay Hendricks
- Length: 5 hrs and 27 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In The Big Leap, Gay Hendricks, the New York Times bestselling author of Five Wishes, demonstrates how to eliminate the barriers to success by overcoming false fears and beliefs. Fans of Wayne Dyer, Eckhart Tolle, Marianne Williamson, and The Secret will find useful, effective tips for breaking down the walls to a better life in The Big Leap.
-
-
Inspiring, useful, a little preachy but VERY good
- By Monica Raven on 08-20-09
By: Gay Hendricks
-
Drive
- The Surprising Truth About What Motivates Us
- By: Daniel H. Pink
- Narrated by: Daniel H. Pink
- Length: 5 hrs and 53 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Most people believe that the best way to motivate is with rewards like money - the carrot-and-stick approach. That's a mistake, says Daniel H. Pink (author of To Sell Is Human: The Surprising Truth About Motivating Others). In this provocative and persuasive new book, he asserts that the secret to high performance and satisfaction - at work, at school, and at home - is the deeply human need to direct our own lives, to learn and create new things, and to do better by ourselves and our world.
-
-
Not as good as A Whole New Mind
- By Michael O'Donnell on 04-30-10
By: Daniel H. Pink
-
Hold Me Tight
- Seven Conversations for a Lifetime of Love
- By: Dr. Sue Johnson EdD
- Narrated by: Helen Keeley
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Heralded by the New York Times and Time as the couples therapy with the highest rate of success, Emotionally Focused Therapy works because it views the love relationship as an attachment bond. This idea, once controversial, is now supported by science, and has become widely popular among therapists around the world. In Hold Me Tight, Dr. Sue Johnson presents Emotionally Focused Therapy to the general public for the first time. Johnson teaches that the way to save and enrich a relationship is to reestablish safe emotional connection and preserve the attachment bond.
-
-
No PDFs
- By Michelle Johann on 09-11-20
-
The Power of Meaning
- Crafting a Life That Matters
- By: Emily Esfahani Smith
- Narrated by: Mozhan Marnò
- Length: 7 hrs and 17 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
This wise, stirring book argues that the search for meaning can immeasurably deepen our lives and is far more fulfilling than the pursuit of personal happiness. There is a myth in our culture that the search for meaning is some esoteric pursuit - that you have to travel to a distant monastery or page through dusty volumes to figure out life's great secret. The truth is, there are untapped sources of meaning all around us - right here, right now.
-
-
Meandering
- By LS on 09-27-17
-
Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets
- 5 Questions to Help You Determine Your Next Move
- By: Andy Stanley
- Narrated by: Andy Stanley
- Length: 4 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In Better Decisions, Fewer Regrets, Andy Stanley—pastor and bestselling author of Irresistible and Not In It To Win It—will help you learn from experience and stop making bad decisions by integrating five questions into every decision you make, big or small.
-
-
too preachy
- By Aryn on 02-18-21
By: Andy Stanley
-
Reinventing the Body, Resurrecting the Soul
- How to Create a New You
- By: Deepak Chopra
- Narrated by: Deepak Chopra MD
- Length: 10 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Fifteen years after his number one New York Times best seller, Ageless Body, Timeless Mind, Deepak Chopra revisits "the forgotten miracle" – the body's infinite capacity for change and renewal. You cannot take advantage of this miracle, Chopra says, unless you are willing to completely reinvent your body, transforming it from a material object to a dynamic, flowing process. "Your physical body is a fiction," Chopra contends. Every cell is made up of two invisible ingredients: awareness and energy.
-
-
Great!
- By Lisa on 02-24-10
By: Deepak Chopra
-
The Bhagavad Gita
- By: Eknath Easwaran
- Narrated by: Paul Bazely
- Length: 8 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
The Bhagavad Gita, "The Song of the Lord", is the best known of all the Indian scriptures, and Easwaran's reliable and accessible version has consistently been the best-selling translation. Easwaran's introduction places the Gita in its historical setting and brings out the universality and timelessness of its teachings. Chapter introductions give clear explanations of key concepts in that chapter.
-
-
Content and narration reduced me to tears
- By Lauriesland on 01-11-16
By: Eknath Easwaran
-
Manifest Your Destiny
- The Nine Spiritual Principles for Getting Everything You Want
- By: Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
- Narrated by: Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
- Length: 2 hrs and 34 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Best-selling inspirational author Dr. Wayne Dyer can help you to achieve your highest goals by showing you how to attract your needs and desires into your life. Dr. Dyer's stunning work focuses on the ancient principle of manifesting.
-
-
Really Enjoy Wayne Dyer
- By Mark on 05-09-03
-
The More Beautiful World Our Hearts Know Is Possible
- By: Charles Eisenstein
- Narrated by: Paul Geiger
- Length: 10 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
In a time of social and ecological crisis, what can we as individuals do to make the world a better place? This inspirational and thought-provoking book serves as an empowering antidote to the cynicism, frustration, paralysis, and overwhelm so many of us are feeling, replacing it with a grounding reminder of what’s true: we are all connected, and our small, personal choices bear unsuspected transformational power.
-
-
Excellent concepts; narration detracts a bit
- By Christina P. on 06-03-19
-
The Noticer
- Sometimes, All a Person Needs is a Little Perspective.
- By: Andy Andrews
- Narrated by: Andy Andrews
- Length: 4 hrs and 9 mins
- Abridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
>. Orange Beach, Alabama is a simple town filled with simple people. But like all humans on the planet, the good folks of Orange Beach have their share of problems - marriages teetering on the brink of divorce, young adults giving up on life, business people on the verge of bankruptcy, as well as the many other obstacles that life seems to dish out to the masses. Fortunately, when things look the darkest - a mysterious man named Jones has a miraculous way of showing up.
-
-
Fabulous, Life Changing
- By Ml on 09-04-09
By: Andy Andrews
-
Change Your Thoughts—Change Your Life
- Living the Wisdom of the Tao
- By: Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
- Narrated by: Dr. Wayne W. Dyer
- Length: 9 hrs and 9 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
Five hundred years before the birth of Jesus, a God-realized being named Lao-tzu in ancient China dictated 81 verses, which are regarded by many as the ultimate commentary on the nature of our existence. The classic text of these 81 verses, called the Tao Te Ching or the Great Way, offers advice and guidance that is balanced, moral, spiritual, and always concerned with working for the good.
-
-
Less is more
- By CAT on 06-25-08
What listeners say about The Five Thieves of Happiness
Highly rated for:
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- cyndi
- 01-02-17
Enjoyed it!
loved listening and narrator was great! I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Spudboy
- 01-09-17
Insightful, causing reflection soul-searching
TARGET AUDIENCE: This is the type of self-help book which causes the reader to do reflection and soul-searching. It isn’t the “follow these steps and your life will be great.” If you are interested in doing some self-examination and contemplation this is an amazing book.
STORY: The author is a story teller. The lessons that he imparts come as he tells his story. This winding path, may be off-putting for some, but I found it wonderful. Terrific insights.
NARRATOR: The narrator really made this book come alive. The flow and prosody of the book truly brought the book to life.
OVERALL: A thought provoking book. I thoroughly loved it.
I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Believer50
- 12-23-16
Did Not resonate
I got this book via audiobook boom. This book did not speak to me. I awaken every morning thanking God for what He has done and making myself available for His kingdom building. The way I feel has nothing to do with happiness. It is plain joy! That is something that can only be given and received. No matter what the world spouts I believe that my joy comes from Jesus and that makes me see the world through a different set of lens. Happiness always seems to be tied to happenings and I don't equate it to joy.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Claire
- 12-21-16
So very logical and enlightening
What made the experience of listening to The Five Thieves of Happiness the most enjoyable?
I kept thinking 'yep, I do that', listening to it was an eye opening experience. Its given me a lot to think about and I'm going to be working on a few things in here over the next 30 days before I listen to it again and pick more things to work on.
What about Tom Dheere’s performance did you like?
The narration was really smooth and consistent, it was lovely to listen to.
Any additional comments?
This book was just what I've been needing. It offers examples from different religions of the world as well as giving actionable points, a great mix.
Note: I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the narrator/author/publisher in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Jmbradle
- 02-15-17
Layperson enlightenment presented in the reverse
He takes concepts from Buddhism , Sikhism and Christianity and pulls out their teachings on the way we humans falter in keeping our innate happiness . He presented it in 5 chapters with 5 thieves of happiness. What I found missing in this book, was a discussion on the way we pursue self soothing , whether that is eating, drinking, sex, shopping, or anger outbursts. These steal happiness, most certainly
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Linda
- 12-27-16
Enjoyable and enlightening
Enjoyable book, nicely narrated, with insights into the happiness killers in our lives. Most of us would not be surprised by the list but insights into the mechanisms behind the five thieves are eye opening. Highly recommend. This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Daman
- 01-10-17
Kept me glued and drawn in....
Any additional comments?
I loved this book. It was so true every time the author presented a particular "thief to happiness. " It resonated well with me and I wanted to listen in one sitting. The author connected well with the listener.
"This review copy audiobook was provided by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost."
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
1 person found this helpful
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- ZaraQ
- 01-19-17
Great Self-help Book on Audio
Any additional comments?
I was provided this audiobook at no charge by the author, publisher and/or narrator in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom. I fully enjoyed listening to this self-help book. It's just under 4 hours and so it's a perfect length to listen while driving, multi-tasking, or while going to sleep. I plan to have this audiobook as a regular listen while going to sleep in place of affirmations. The narrator has a very pleasant voice and did a great job bringing the written word to a portable medium that can be listened to regularly to help us be our better selves. Listening regularly to this audiobook will help me to let go and remember what truly makes me happy. I hope I can get others around me to do the same. I highly recommend this audiobook!
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- ZJ
- 05-28-19
A great book of introspection
Great insights, focus and guidance. Liked the style, narration, and message.
Overall highly recommended for self development.
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
- Beth T. Irwin
- 12-31-16
Endless sermonizing killed it
I kept losing track of the topic due to the author's endless spiraling tangents with politics, personal anecdotes and social views layered in. If I hadn't volunteered to listen, I would have stopped even earlier. From boredom. The author obviously worked hard on this. I simply couldn't bear to sit through the last hour.
Pros: Highly educated author references other faiths than Christianity on a regular basis. Thank you!
Obviously well-researched, if not well organized.
Cons: Combined with the narrator's textbook style (great voice, but read in a voice suited to calculus or chemistry lectures), this became the sermon from Hades.
The author's perpetual sermonizing and politicizing became painful after a few hours. Imagine the dullest, most wandering sociology lecture you ever sat through...
Takeaway: I found my own happiness by analyzing where this text went wrong so that I try to avoid putting anyone else through such an endless session of torturously tangled tangents.
I was really looking forward to listening to this as the author has other offerings out that with good reviews. Hopes dashed, alas. Unless you're a fan, pass on this one.
“I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.”
Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You voted on this review!
You reported this review!
2 people found this helpful