book data
55 ratings, 3.15 average rating, 22 reviews
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published
June 27th 2006
by Penguin (Non-Classics)
binding
Paperback, 320 pages
isbn
0143037013
(isbn13: 9780143037019)
description
An illuminating road map—founded on groundbreaking scientific research—pointing the way to a better, happier life
From a d...more
From a d...more
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other reviews (showing 1-20 of 92)
i think this is actually the one recommended in the review i read, but it was still pretty interesting. although, i did get kind of depressed at how being miserable changes your brain and weakens your immune system and makes you die sooner (apparently oscar winners live longer than mere nominees). the book is essentially an argument for making happiness the ultimate aim of society, and describes the kind of public policy that would be required. he mainly argues for more family-friendly work plac...more
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Read in April, 2007
First half: somewhat faulty science whose flaws were mildly offensive to my sensibilities. Example: a study of nuns showed that 21% of those most cheerful died in the following nine years, compared to 55% of least cheerful nuns. Layard claims this "shows how happiness can increase a person's life." How naively speculative to assume causality between these two variables!! Perhaps the nuns were happy for the very reason that they were healthy. Or maybe an outside variable (having family ...more
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Read in August, 2007
recommends it for:
no one in particular.
This was really quite bad. It should've been an interesting book, and I've read articles about happiness and other emotions that have been interesting. Neurobiology can be interesting! It's possible! However, this is really about 3 surveys stretched out -- using huge font, huge margins, huge graphs, etc. -- to fill a meager book. I was really disappointed. After reading a couple books on the brain (A User's Guide to the Brain and The Ghost in the Machine) where every single bit of ...more
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Read in January, 2008
Unfortunately - I didn't get a chance to finish the book completely - so I hope to continue reading it some other time. I really enjoyed some of the studies regarding happiness that he reports in the book, and I think I would have enjoyed it more if that had been the emphasis of the book. However, the book looks at happiness - or rather unhappiness - as a type of social problem, and thus how we should respond to it to try to fix it. I imagine that this is what is more interesting to most peop...more
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Read in April, 2006
recommends it for:
people who need evidence that they're happy although they are not rich
A book on the economics of happiness, that is mistakenly placed under psychology. Plainly - economists tend to be clumsy when counting happiness, and Layard gives us some tools to count correctly. In sum, love brings happiness. Money does, but not much past a middle class amount. We tend to compare ourselves to our neighbors.
Lots of neat little psychological truths about how we make economic decisions. For people who want to learn about economics but don't want the math.
Lots of neat little psychological truths about how we make economic decisions. For people who want to learn about economics but don't want the math.
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Read in January, 2005
recommends it for:
economists
Every economist should read this book. Written by a pschyologist (if I remember correctly), it sets out from fundimental research and economics exactly why a focus on money as the measure of happiness and good is very very wrong and a huge mistake.
Well-written and easy to follow for a lay person but with all the fancy charts n such to make people who like such things happy too.
Well-written and easy to follow for a lay person but with all the fancy charts n such to make people who like such things happy too.
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Read in October, 2008
recommended to Holly by:
Dr. Sandra Lubarsky
so far I really like this! Yes, part of my grad program - this week's topic: Taking Happiness Seriously.
I should send this book to my ex-husband. he thinks fun and happiness are utterly unimportant.
* * * * * *
Interesting - don't agree with everything, but written by an economist - so - what can I expect? However, he's moving in a good direction I think.
I should send this book to my ex-husband. he thinks fun and happiness are utterly unimportant.
* * * * * *
Interesting - don't agree with everything, but written by an economist - so - what can I expect? However, he's moving in a good direction I think.
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Very accessible book for everyone.
The author is an economist who is basically spoon-feeding his audience the material, which consists of outlining the debates going on between economics, psychology, neuroscience, social policy and biology (to name but a few).
Nice introduction, shame its not as easy-to-understand when it comes to journal articles!
The author is an economist who is basically spoon-feeding his audience the material, which consists of outlining the debates going on between economics, psychology, neuroscience, social policy and biology (to name but a few).
Nice introduction, shame its not as easy-to-understand when it comes to journal articles!
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Read in April, 2008
Good book detailing the latest research on what makes people happy and how much. The last 100 pages were a bit slower, detailing the author's thoughts on policy changes to maximize happiness in the US (tax addictions and vices, graduated tax brackets higher than now to incent the rich to work less and give more to the most poor, maximizing happiness)
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Why is it that in the U.S. we are richer as a nation than ever before and yet are not really any happier than 1950? Richard Layard investigates just what it is that makes us happy and how we might want to rethink how we measure success as a result. Great starting point for anyone interested in positive psychology.
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Read in June, 2008
Buku yang ditulis seorang ahli ekonomi, membahas kebahagiaan dari berbagai sudut. Bukan hanya dari psikologi tapi juga dari filsafat,sosiologi, fisika, agama dan ekonomi. Buku yang beda banget dari buku lain yg nulis ttg kebahagiaan.
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Read in April, 2005
recommends it for:
people interested in the psychology of happiness
I give this book a low four - it has some interesting material, but I wasn't particularly wowed by his writing, synthesis or additional insights. Still, worth a read if you find the psychology of happiness interesting.
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Currently in the middle of this one, has some interesting ideas on new methods in economics, aside from the standard GDP, and rational utility maximization framework
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Read in August, 2007
recommends it for:
Stephen
Fascinating book by this leading economist that evaluates the factors in peoples lives that generally lead to happiness, and luckily for me - being rich isn't the answer!
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I suppose this book was mildly entertaining. It's criminal to not only insinuate, but insist, this is based on any scientific foundation at all.
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Read in November, 2007
Neat research on what really makes us happy(& doesn't) and public policy implications. Quick easy read by a London economist (i know!)
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My Review of this book was featured in the Jan-Feb 2006 issue of THE FUTURIST
http://www.wfs.org/futurist.ht...
http://www.wfs.org/futurist.ht...
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An economist talks about happiness, or rather, gross national happiness, among other things.
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Discussion about happiness that is based on research and science...Interesting!
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happiness (on 2 people's shelves)
psychology (on 2 people's shelves)
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quotes from this book
"No society can work unless its members feel responsibilities as well as rights."
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