Happiness Squad

People Are Talking

Today, organizations win by providing personalized and meaningful professional experiences for their workforce. Hardwired for Happiness is a master class for progressive leaders who aspire to align culture and values with people to create a supportive workplace—and business—that thrives.

Shannon Sisler

Executive Vice President, Chief People Officer at Crocs

Hardwired for Happiness offers a blueprint for living a rich and intentional life. The nine-step practice that Ashish has laid out allows you to live from within and let go of fear, anxiety, anger, and resentment. For me, it established a strong framework for happiness, making better decisions, and, more importantly, allowing me to self-reflect and be more self-aware. It’s a must-read for a mindful leader!

Amish Patel

Vice President - Technology Platforms, Cloud, and Exponential Engineering at Anthem

In a firm of exceptional problem-solvers, Ashish Kothari has cracked the code on how to solve virtually any problem. His nine-part approach draws on the disciplines of neuroscience, psychology, philosophy, and leadership to provide a path through the darkness created by our fear-based mindsets. It has been a joy to see Ashish apply his nine practices in his own life and I am so glad he is now sharing his wisdom with the rest of the world.

Victoria Bough

Partner at McKinsey & Company

Beautifully combining storytelling and research, Ashish Kothari provides a map that can help you find the path to your best self. A powerful and accessible guide.

Tal Ben-Shahar

Co-founder of Happiness Studies Academy

Meeting Ashish in early 2021 was like a ray of sunshine in the midst of the global pandemic. He would join our calls from his home in Colorado, full of energy despite it often being very early in the morning for him. We immediately connected over a shared mission—helping people live a better life. We shared personal stories, discussed the latest research in health and well-being, and put our heads together to come up with concrete ways to help our colleagues. This book, I believe, is a great reflection of the Ashish I came to know: his intellectual curiosity, deep personal reflections, and a quest to give individuals some concrete tools to help them in their journey. An inward journey from fear to freedom, and towards a better life.

Annastiina Hintsa

CEO at Hintsa Performance

Insightful, well researched, engaging! So many insights that are practical and easily applicable to everyday life. Ashish combines research and personal stories to make a book that is easy to read and understand all the concepts. I highly recommend it to all the people who are interested in becoming their best self.

Soma Somasundaram

President and CEO at Champion X

What an honest capture of the inner turmoil we feel every day of our lives, though we have everything: the emptiness, the “rat race,” and above all, the fear of losing it all. With this book, Hardwired for Happiness, Ashish has truly provided simple and impactful tools to challenge ourselves and break out of the cycle or “perceived scarcity,” and his own life journey makes it so honest. This is a courageous approach that reignites the joy of living, enjoying every moment, and above all, feeling free!

Sumit Dangi

CFO and Treasurer at Jewelers Mutual Insurance

In our fast-changing, volatile, and unpredictable world, we need leaders who embody a mindset of abundance and lead with compassion and purpose. Ashish’s book Hardwired for Happiness presents a highly accessible and practical set of frameworks that we can all use to become more joyful, kinder, compassionate, and purposeful.”

Sundaram Nagarajan

President and CEO at Nordson Corporation

With Hardwired for Happiness Ashish Kothari has given us a foundational and sweeping description of the embodied path to awakening and joy. His offering is at one moment intimate, raw, and a deeply truthful portrayal of his own journey as a Seeker and student of Truth, and at another moment the output of his years of scholarship and study of the disciplines of well-being from sleep to diet to movement to prayer. This beautiful book is a companion on the journey that can guide one through the cultivation of mature emotional and spiritual intelligence and the development of a truly generous and open heart. The fruits of this inner work are well captured throughout the book in chapters on compassion, kindness, and the path of living with intention. In a truly timely way Ashish will help meet those of us turning afresh to the profound questions of meaning, purpose, community, and service. I urge you not to miss this gem.

Amy Elizabeth Fox

Chief Executive Officer at Mobius Executive Leadership

Through his life, Ashish achieved many summits of excellence. He has done it again. Ashish distilled the essence from hundreds of books and talks from great masters in the fields of psychology, neuroscience, and ancient wisdom, and from the book of his own life, to gift us an elegant guide to support us in taking a journey inward to living our best life. It is filled with simple yet powerful practices, supported by a wealth of references, research nuggets, and heartfelt stories. A book to keep by our bedside and return to frequently, using it as a life compass.

Johanne Lavoie

Partner at McKinsey & Company, coauthor of Centered Leadership: Leading with Purpose, Clarity, and Impact

Kothari masterfully provides an insightful and probing method of self-discovery that encourages one to delve into practices that foster a greater sense of inner fulfillment and joy. This book is truly impactful in bringing transformative awareness in how we approach situations and relationships. Hardwired for Happiness is a must-read that easily becomes a trusted resource for continuing to grow meaningful and inspirational connections with others.

Christy Bradley Orazi

Chief Procurement officer at MUFG

Hardwired for Happiness is a fascinating journey in which Ashish offers a well-carved path to help you move from living outside in to inside out. The book is also an excellent collection of some of the most impactful insights from contemplative thought leaders. Written in a simple, conversational language, the book will as much appeal to your brain as it will touch your heart.

Amit Sood

MD, Executive Director and CEO at the Global Center for Resiliency and Wellbeing

Simple, straightforward, and from the heart! Hardwired for Happiness is a must-read for leaders looking to navigate the future filled with lots of unaddressed complexity and uncertainty. This book demystifies the science behind our fears, and will allow us to face and master our fears rather than ignore them to thrive and be more effective. Ashish’s journey, his story, his perspectives, and the nine practices that he espouses will help create work–life harmony so that you can work well by living well.

Dhiraj Rajaram

CEO at Mu Sigma

A great read on self-reflection and leader development and on life in general! I warmly recommend this book to anyone who wants to reorient themselves on a path to deeper meaning, mindfulness, well-being, contentment, and gratitude.

Rasmus Hougaard

Managing Partner at Potential Project and author of “Compassionate Leadership: How to Do Hard Things in a Human Way

Hardwired for Happiness provides valuable tools to get in touch and truly (re)discover yourself. Ashish lays out nine simple yet powerful practices and beautifully describes each practice in detail while providing users with practical ways to put that into daily use (i.e., journaling, meditation, community practice, etc.). The book addresses delicate and complex subjects, yet is written so well that it’s an easy read. This is not just another book, it should serve as your life’s reference manual.

Gautam Jha

Director at American Securities

Into our third year of the pandemic and an ever uncertain and complex world, Hardwired for Happiness brilliantly brings us back to the fundamentals. This book beautifully weaves in the latest breakthroughs from science, philosophy, and ancient spiritual wisdom to help leaders thrive and overcome their personal and professional challenges.

Patrick Criteser

President and CEO at Tillamook

Rich and compelling from page one! Forget about the typical self-help tutorial—this is a life-changing read. Ashish literally unlocks the secrets to living a fuller and freer life! Grounded in solid research, it offers a practical and easy-to-follow roadmap to help anyone become the best version of themselves.

Rob McCutcheon

President at Husqvarna North America

Authentic, compassionate, practical. In this timely book, Ashish shares his own journey with vulnerability and offers a highly accessible approach that everyone can use to become better versions of ourselves and achieve our full potential.

Carl-Martin Lindahl

CEO and Board Director at SVP Worldwide