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Overview
There is a paradox at the heart of our lives. We all want more money, but as societies become richer, they do not become happier. This is not speculation: It's the story told by countless pieces of scientific research. We now have sophisticated ways of measuring how happy people are, and all the evidence shows that on average people have grown no happier in the last fifty years, even as average incomes have more than doubled.
The central question the great economist Richard Layard asks in Happiness is this: If we really wanted to be happier, what would we do differently? First we'd have to see clearly what conditions generate happiness and then bend all our efforts toward producing them. That is what this book is about-the causes of happiness and the means we have to effect it.
Until recently there was too little evidence to give a good answer to this essential question, but, Layard shows us, thanks to the integrated insights of psychology, sociology, applied economics, and other fields, we can now reach some firm conclusions, conclusions that will surprise you. Happiness is an illuminating road map, grounded in hard research, to a better, happier life for us all.
Synopsis
An illuminating road map—founded on groundbreaking scientific research—pointing the way to a better, happier life
From a distinguished economist and leading figure in the new field of happiness studies comes this revolutionary work addressing the elusive concept of happiness and how we can have more of it. Based on sophisticated, cutting-edge scientific research, Happiness integrates insights gleaned from psychology, neuroscience, sociology, and applied economics to draw surprising conclusions about the true causes of happiness and the means we have to effect it. (Hint: It probably isn't wealth or fame.) BACKCOVER: “Impressive . . . An excellent job of recounting the collective findings of much of this new science.”
—The Wall Street Journal
“His lively new book . . . will not make conventional economists happy, but it should cause all of us to reflect more deeply on what really makes life worth living.”
—Robert D. Putnam, author of Bowling Alone
Library Journal
Layard, a leading British economist and member of the House of Lords, draws on research in economics, history, medicine, philosophy, psychology, and public life to answer the question of what happiness is, exactly, and how to get more of it. He offers insights into the roles of income, health, and values before concluding that happiness is worth pursuing on the personal and the global community level. To that end, suggestions are offered, e.g., introduce more family-friendly practices at work, eliminate high unemployment, and prohibit advertising to children. Concise and engaging, this makes an ideal purchase for both public and academic libraries. Copyright 2005 Reed Business Information.