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Happiness
The Science Behind Your Smile
Daniel Nettle
224 pages
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10 halftones and figures
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216x135mm
978-0-19-280559-1
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Paperback
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27 July 2006
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- Shows how the way we view happiness - our definition of it, and where we might seek it - has changed over time.
- Examines a wide variety of aspects of happiness: Can we measure it? Why are some people happy and others not? And is there a drug that could eliminate all unhappiness?
- Brings together the latest insights from philosophy, psychiatry, and psychology.
- Includes the latest research from the National Child Development Study, which has collected data on people's levels of happiness since 1958.
What exactly is happiness? Can we measure it? Why are some people happy and others not? And is there a drug that could eliminate all unhappiness?
People all over the world, and throughout the ages, have thought about happiness, argued about its nature, and, most of all, desired it. But why do we have such a strong instinct to pursue happiness? And if happiness is good in itself, why haven't we simply evolved to be happier?
Daniel Nettle uses the results of the latest psychological studies to ask what makes people happy and unhappy, what happiness really is, and to examine our urge to achieve it. Along the way we look at brain systems, at mind-altering drugs, and how happiness is now marketed to us as a
commodity. Nettle concludes that while it may be unrealistic to expect lasting happiness, our evolved tendency to seek happiness drives us to achieve much that is worthwhile in itself. What is more, it seems to be not your particular circumstances that define whether you are happy so much as your attitude towards life. Happiness gives us the latest scientific insights into the nature of our feelings of well-being, and what these imply for how we might live our lives. Readership: Readers interested in psychology, neuroscience, popular science, popular heath issues; anyone who has ever wondered why it was that they felt happy or sad at a point in their lives.
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Daniel Nettle, Lecturer in Biological Psychology at the Open University
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"A lucid and sensible survey of the latest research." - Independent "Well written, accurate and engaging, with a lightness of touch that makes it a delight to read." - Nature "An authoritative, challenging, even profound analysis of the most up-to-date research into its subject." - Winston Fletcher, THES "Excellent survey of the subject - a lucid, intelligent, and thoughtful essay." - The Lancet
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Introduction
1: Comfort and Joy
2: Bread and Circuses
3: Love and Work
4: Worries and Enthusiasts
5: Wanting and Liking
6: Placebos and panaceas
7: A Design for Living
References
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The specification in this catalogue, including without limitation price, format, extent, number of illustrations, and month of publication, was as accurate as possible at the time the catalogue was compiled. Occasionally, due to the nature of some contractual restrictions, we are unable to ship a specific product to a particular territory. Jacket images are provisional and liable to change before publication.
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