Richard Carlson (author)

Richard Carlson
Born	May 16, 1961 Piedmont, California, U.S.
Died	December 13, 2006 (aged 45) San Francisco, California, U.S.
Occupation	Author, psychotherapist and motivational speaker
Genre	Self-help
Website
dontsweat.com

Richard Carlson (May 16, 1961 – December 13, 2006) was an American author, psychotherapist, and motivational speaker, who rose to fame with the success of his book, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff... and it’s all Small Stuff (1997), which became one of the fastest-selling books of all time and made publishing history as USA Today's bestselling book for two consecutive years.^[1] It also spent over 101 weeks on the New York Times Best Seller list. It was published in 135 countries and translated into Latvian, Polish, Icelandic, Serbian and 26 other languages.^[2] Thereafter, Carlson went on to write 20 books.^[3]

Early life

Carlson was born and raised in Piedmont, California in East San Francisco Bay Area.^[1] He was an avid tennis player. He was the top ranked junior in Northern California in 1979. He received his bachelor's degree from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California, where he met and married Kristine Anderson (Kris Carlson) in 1981.

Career

Carlson started his career as a psychotherapist and ran a stress management centre. He published his first book in 1985, but became famous with his 10th book, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff…and it’s all Small Stuff. While Richard Carlson did not coin the term "Don't Sweat the Small Stuff," he was awarded a trademark for bringing it into American pop culture. The book topped the bestseller lists for two years, sitting in the number one spot on the New York Times list for over 100 weeks. The Don't Sweat series is based on his earlier work presented in "You Can Be Happy, No Matter What: Five Principles to Keep Life in Perspective." People magazine named Richard Carlson as one of that publication's "Most Intriguing People in the World." He was popular on the talk-show circuit.^[4][5] Meanwhile, he also appeared in a Don't Sweat the Small Stuff... and It's All Small Stuff TV special,^[6] and soon took up writing full-time.

He wrote many books following up on this success, including Slowing Down to the Speed of Life (co-authored with Joe Bailey, 1997), one co-authored by his wife, Don't Sweat The Small Stuff in Love (2000), and What About the Big Stuff (2002).

Death

Carlson died on December 13, 2006, from a pulmonary embolism during a flight from San Francisco to New York, while on a promotion tour for his book Don’t Get Scrooged: How to Thrive in a World Full of Obnoxious, Incompetent, Arrogant and Downright Mean-Spirited People (2006).^[7] He was survived by his wife, Kristine Carlson, and their two teenage daughters, Jasmine and Kenna; two sisters, Kathleen Carlson Mowris of Olympic Valley, California and Anna Carlson of La Selva Beach, California; and his parents, Barbara and Don Carlson of Orinda, California.

Bibliography

• You Can Feel Good Again: Common-Sense Therapy for Releasing Depression and Changing Your Life, Published by Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated, 1994. ISBN 0-452-27242-4.
• Don't Sweat the Small Stuff—and It's All Small Stuff: Simple Ways to Keep the Little Things from Taking Over Your Life. Published by Hyperion, 1997. ISBN 0-7868-8185-2.
• You Can Be Happy No Matter What: Five Principles Your Therapist Never Told You, Contributor Dr. Wayne Dyer. Published by New World Library, 1997. ISBN 1-57731-064-0.
• Don't Worry, Make Money, Published by Hyperion, 1997. ISBN 0-7868-6321-8.
• Slowing Down to the Speed of Life: How to Create a More Peaceful, Simpler Life from the Inside Out, with Joseph Bailey. Published by Harper Collins, 1998. ISBN 0-06-251454-7.
• Don't Sweat the Small Stuff with Your Family: Simple Ways to Keep Daily Responsibilities and Household Chaos from Taking Over Your Life, Published by Hyperion, 1998. ISBN 0-7868-8337-5.
• A Don't Sweat the Small Stuff Treasury: A Special Selection for Teachers, Published by Hyperion, 1999. ISBN 0-7868-6576-8.
• Don't Sweat the Small Stuff at Work: Simple Ways to Minimize Stress and Conflict While Bringing Out the Best in Yourself and Others, Published by Hyperion, 1999. ISBN 0-7868-8336-7.a
• Don't Sweat the Small Stuff Teens: Simple Ways to Keep Your Cool in Stressful Times, Published by Tandem Library, 2000. ISBN 0-613-31135-3.
• Don't Sweat the Small Stuff in Love: Simple Ways to Nurture and Strengthen Your Relationships While Avoiding the Habits That Break Down Your Loving Connection, with Kristine Carlson. Published by Hyperion Books, 2000. ISBN 0-7868-8420-7.
• The Don't Sweat Guide for Parents: Reduce Stress and Enjoy Your Kids More, Don't Sweat Press, Publisher, Don't Sweat Press, Published by Hyperion, 2001. ISBN 0-7868-8718-4.
• Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Men: Simple Ways to Minimize Stress in a Competitive World, Published by Hyperion, 2001. ISBN 0-7868-8636-6.
• Don't Sweat the Small Stuff for Women: Simple and Practical Ways to Do What Matters Most and Find Time for You, with Kristine Carlson, Published by Hyperion, 2001, ISBN 0-7868-8602-1.
• The Don't Sweat Guide for Moms: Being More Relaxed and Peaceful So Your Kids Are, Too, with Don't Sweat Press, Kristine Carlson. Published by Hyperion, 2002. ISBN 0-7868-8727-3.
• The Don't Sweat Guide for Graduates: Facing New Challenges with Confidence, Don't Sweat Press. Published by Hyperion, 2002. ISBN 0-7868-8725-7.
• What About the Big Stuff?: Finding Strength and Moving Forward When the Stakes Are High. Published by Hyperion Books, 2003. ISBN 0-7868-8880-6.
• The Don't Sweat Guide for Teachers: Cutting Through the Clutter So That Every Day Counts, Don't Sweat Press, Published by Hyperion, 2003. ISBN 0-7868-9053-3.
• The Don't Sweat Guide for Dads: Stopping Stress from Getting in the Way of What Really Matters, Published by Hyperion, 2003. ISBN 0-7868-8724-9.
• The Don't Sweat Guide to Your Job Search: Finding a Career You Really Love, by Editors of Don't Sweat Press, Richard Carlson, Published by Hyperion, 2004. ISBN 1-4013-0760-4.
• Don't Get Scrooged: How to Thrive in a World Full of Obnoxious, Incompetent, Arrogant, and Downright Mean-spirited People, Published by HarperCollins, 2006. ISBN 0-06-075892-9.
• You Can Be Happy No Matter What: Five Principles for Keeping Life in Perspective, Contributor Dr. Wayne Dyer. Published by New World Library, 2006. ISBN 1-57731-568-5.
• An Hour to Live, an Hour to Love: The True Story of the Best Gift Ever Given, with Kristine Carlson. Hyperion 2007. ISBN 1-4013-2257-3.
• Focus on the Good Stuff: The Power of Appreciation, by Mike Robbins, Richard Carlson. Published by Wiley Default, 2007. ISBN 0-7879-8879-0.
• Stop Thinking, Start Living.

References

1. Richard Carlson: Bestselling self-help guru The Independent, December 30, 2006.
2. Obituary - Richard Carlson The Telegraph, Jan 4, 2007.
3. Richard Carlson, 45, Self-Help Author, Dies New York Times, December 17, 2006
4. 'Don't Sweat Small Stuff' author Carlson dies at 45 The Oakland Tribune, Dec 15, 2006.
5. Carlson's advice in huge demand San Francisco Chronicle, Jerry Carroll, Chronicle Staff Writer, February 17, 1998.
6. Don't Sweat the Small Stuff... and It's All Small Stuff Overview New York Times
7. 'Don't Sweat Small Stuff' author dies at 45 San Francisco Chronicle December 16, 2006.

External links

• Don't Sweat.com official site
• Co-author Joe Bailey Site
• Graphical compilation of Richard Carlson's Weekly Thoughts

Obituaries

• The San Francisco Chronicle (16 December 2006)