Gretchen Rubin is one of today’s most influential observers of happiness and human nature. She’s the author of several books, including the blockbuster New York Times bestsellers Outer Order, Inner Calm; The Four Tendencies; Better Than Before; and The Happiness Project. Her books have sold more than 3.5 million copies worldwide, in more than thirty languages. She hosts the top-ranking, award-winning podcast Happier with Gretchen Rubin, where she explores practical solutions for living a happier life.

Adam Felber is a writer, performer, and a regular panelist on NPR’s “Wait Wait Don’t Tell Me.” He spent 11 season’s on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher,” and has written several screenplays and books, including the recent “Confessions of a PuppetMaster” (HarperCollins). He’s the co-host of the long-running podcast “Nobody Listens to Paula Poundstone,” and the director/co-writer of the new eco-comedy YouTube series, “Unf***ing the Planet.”

The right idea, invoked at the right time, can change our lives. Drawing from her long studies of happiness, and also from the challenges she’s faced herself, writer Gretchen Rubin has discovered the “Secrets of Adulthood” that can help us manage the complexities of life. To convey her conclusions, she turned to the aphorism—the ancient literary discipline that demands that a writer convey a large truth in a few words.

Perhaps you’re paralyzed by indecision, struggling to navigate a big change, fighting a temptation, or puzzled by the behavior of someone you love; whatever you face, the right aphorism can help. From procrastination to the pursuit of happiness, Secrets of Adulthood is filled with witty and thought-provoking reflections.

For anyone undergoing a major life transition, such as graduation, career switch, marriage, or moving, or for those just encountering everyday dilemmas, these disarming aphorisms will inspire you by articulating truths that you may never have noticed but instantly recognize.