“Good luck!” We wish it to people in earnest. We hurl it at them with sarcasm. But few people really understand the links between luck and happiness.

One of the questions I used to ask in my live seminars is whether a lucky rabbit’s foot can bring happiness. Some wise guy always shouts out, “Not for the rabbit!” But the answer is in fact “yes.” When researching my book, Climb your Stairway to Heaven, I found compelling research to show that people who believe themselves to be lucky tend to be happier. And if that takes a lucky rabbit’s foot or a lucky ritual or if you have a lucky number or color, that is just great.

But luck is more than superstition.  believe it or not, there is science behind luck.

A few years ago, I wrote a review of The Luck Factor by Dr. Richard Wiseman, and this week I was thinking of that book again.  I decided to look up my review and also to share it with you.

The author is Dr. Richard Wiseman, and he conducted several years of research into the science of luck.  His conclusion is that luck is something we make for ourselves, and he lays down four principles for changing our luck. “Dr. Wiseman’s central thesis is that luck can be predicted and therefore controlled. He offers four “principles of luck”, then explains how we can harness these principles to live luckier lives.”

Most books that draw on good psychological science are more boring than a rendition of the Antarctica national anthem.  This one is an easy read and a fascinating read, and Dr. Wiseman includes many fun exercises to illustrate his points. This book gets a ten-out-of-ten from me. Read the full review.