The Happiness Hypothesis

The author of the #1 New York Times bestseller The Anxious Generation shows how a deeper understanding of the world's philosophical wisdom can enrich and transform our lives.

“Wonderfully smart and readable.” —The Washington Post

In The Happiness Hypothesis, award-winning psychologist Jonathan Haidt skillfully combines philosophical wisdom and scientific research. Each chapter explores one of ten “Great Ideas” that have been discovered by several of the world's civilizations—to question each idea in light of what we now know, and to extract from them the lessons that still apply to our modern lives, illuminating the causes of human flourishing.

Haidt expertly unravels the world's philosophical wisdom and its enduring maxims—such as “do unto others as you would have others do unto you” and “what doesn't kill you makes you stronger”—and tackles the eternal question, “How can I live a meaningful life?”

“An erudite, fluently written, stimulating reassessment of age-old issues.” ―Publishers Weekly, starred review