Historian Jennifer Michael Hecht looks at contemporary happiness advice, explains why much of it doesn't work, and why it drives us crazy and makes us miserable. Using a social/pop-culture look at the world, she begins her inquiry through the lens of today's most oft perused paths towards attaining happiness - money, mood-managing drugs, knowledge, celebration, and bodies - and then reveals unsuspected insights about how these approaches have faired throughout history. With a new-found historical perspective, Hecht liberates us from the scolding, quasi-scientific messages that insist there's only one way to care for our minds and bodies. Rich with anecdotes about both failed and successful paths to happiness, Hecht traces a common thread of advice she calls 'our charm wisdom' that we can still apply today to create authentic, lasting happiness.
Jennifer Michael Hecht is a philosopher, historian, and award-winning poet. She is the author of Doubt: A History and The End of the Soul; the latter won the Phi Beta Kappa Society's 2004 Ralph Waldo Emerson Award. Hecht's books of poetry include The Next Ancient World and Funny. She earned her Ph.D. in history from Columbia University and teaches at The New School in New York City.
Title: The Happiness Myth: The Historical Antidote to What Isn't Working Today: Why What We Think Is Right Is Wrong
Author: Hecht, Jennifer
ISBN: 9780060859503
Binding:
Publisher: HarperCollins Publishers Inc
Publication Date: 2008-02-07
Number of Pages: 368
Weight: 0.2495 kg
Hecht's curiosity ranges widely, and the breadth of her learning is impressive... Fresh and daring analysis. -- Washington Post Deep and thoughtful. -- Michael Shermer, Scientific American Among the raft of happiness books published lately, this one is the obvious standout. I suggest climbing aboard. -- Cleveland Plain Dealer