false http://photo.goodreads.com/books/1176319385m/612643.jpg 612643 1 <p> <i>"We think of our version of a happy life as more like physics than like pop songs; we expect the people of the next century to agree with our basic tenets&#8212;for instance, that broccoli is good for a happy life and that opium is bad&#8212;but they will not. Our rules for living are more like the history of pop songs. They make weird sense only to the people of each given time period. They aren't true. This book shows you how past myths functioned, and likewise how our myths of today function, and thus lets you out of the trap of thinking you have to pay heed to any of them."</i> </p> <p> <i>The Happiness Myth</i> is a fascinating cultural history that both reveals our often silly assumptions about how we pursue happiness today and offers up real historical lessons that have stood the test of time. Hecht delivers memorable insights into the five practical means we choose to achieve happiness: wisdom, drugs, money, bodies, and celebration. </p> <p> Hecht liberates us from today's scolding, quasi-scientific messages that insist there is only one way to care for our minds and bodies. Hecht looks at contemporary happiness advice and explains why much of it doesn't work. "Modern culture," she writes, "is misrepresenting me and spending a lot of money to do it." </p> <p> Rich with hilarious anecdotes about both failed and successful paths to happiness, Hecht's book traces a common thread of advice&#8212;she calls it "sour charm wisdom"&#8212;that we can still apply today to create authentic, lasting happiness. </p> 599099 1 4 2007 The Happiness Myth: Why What We Think Is Right Is Wrong total:80|5:24|4:26|3:20|2:7|1:3| 80 301 173 20 4 2 false false Wed Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Sun Aug 26 12:44:14 -0700 2007 Wed Oct 08 01:09:34 -0700 2008 The book begins with a defi...more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Mar 03 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sat Jan 17 18:40:38 -0800 2009 Wed Apr 01 12:38:17 -0700 2009 more...]]> 5 0 false false Wed Jun 25 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Fri Jun 13 16:41:18 -0700 2008 Thu Jul 03 10:53:15 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Sun Oct 14 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Fri Jul 04 12:48:18 -0700 2008 Fri Jul 04 12:49:32 -0700 2008 more...]]> 4 0 false false Tue Mar 31 16:23:59 -0700 2009 Thu Jan 29 01:00:45 -0800 2009 Tue Mar 31 16:23:59 -0700 2009 more...]]> 3 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Dec 24 07:19:08 -0800 2007 Sun Jan 06 15:59:04 -0800 2008 more...]]> 2 0 false false Wed Jul 22 17:02:30 -0700 2009 Wed Jul 22 17:06:52 -0700 2009 2 0 false false Wed Dec 12 23:54:44 -0800 2007 Thu Dec 13 00:01:23 -0800 2007 more...]]> 5 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Fri Feb 13 17:00:48 -0800 2009 Fri Feb 13 17:01:51 -0800 2009 5 0 false false Thu Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2009 Sat Feb 14 13:38:24 -0800 2009 Sat Feb 14 13:38:56 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Tue Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Thu May 15 10:04:22 -0700 2008 Thu May 15 10:14:02 -0700 2008 Freakonomics, it means to dispel conventional wisdom. It pursues that goal by not only tossing in a few figures that counter current perceptions, but - more interestingly - it does a good job of putting things ...more...]]> 4 0 false false Fri Jul 17 08:23:18 -0700 2009 Fri Jul 17 08:23:18 -0700 2009 3 0 false false Sun Jul 01 00:00:00 -0700 2007 Fri Jul 13 20:31:34 -0700 2007 Fri Jul 13 20:31:34 -0700 2007 more...]]> 3 0 false false Fri Feb 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Jan 28 12:40:01 -0800 2008 Fri Feb 01 11:13:33 -0800 2008 more...]]> 0 0 false false Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Mon Nov 19 11:45:30 -0800 2007 Sun Dec 02 08:49:34 -0800 2007
Although I'm generally irritated by how-to-be-happy literature, I've found that I'm equally irritated by the literature criticizing the how-to-be-happy literature.

I'm retreating b...more...]]> 5 0 true false Sat Dec 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Mon Jan 07 19:14:30 -0800 2008 Mon Jan 07 19:17:51 -0800 2008 5 0 false false Sat Mar 01 00:00:00 -0800 2008 Mon Mar 31 14:52:12 -0700 2008 Mon Mar 31 14:57:59 -0700 2008 0 0 false false Sun Jan 25 11:05:46 -0800 2009 Sat Mar 07 11:17:42 -0800 2009 4 0 false false Fri Aug 01 00:00:00 -0700 2008 Wed Dec 05 13:54:16 -0800 2007 Tue Sep 09 17:57:49 -0700 2008 5 0 false false Mon Jan 01 00:00:00 -0800 2007 Tue Mar 11 16:43:10 -0700 2008 Tue Mar 11 16:48:27 -0700 2008 http://www.goodreads.com/book_link/follow/8?book_id=612643