We have a very diverse range of interviews on the general theme of happiness. The psychologist Jonathan Haidt tackles the subject straight on, as does Anthony Seldon with recommendations for books on how to be happy. Jessica Pryce-Jones looks at happiness at work and Vanessa King chooses her best books on happiness for children.
Gretchen Rubin chooses her best books on how to be happier and Emrys Westacott chooses his best books on philosophy and everyday living. Roman Kznaric chooses his best books on the art of living.
Kieran Setiya discusses the mid-life crisis and Renata Salecl looks at misery in the modern world. Leo Hollis looks at why cities are good for you. The experimental psychologist Elaine Fox discusses optimism and how it can be good for you if grounded in reality, while the journalist Oliver Burkeman chooses books to help you with happiness through negative thinking. He argues that “many of the techniques that claim to enable us to achieve happiness don’t work” and that “happiness is impossible to aim for directly”. Ellen de Bruin chooses her best books on the contentment of Dutch women and happiness, arguing that they enjoy more freedom than their French sisters.
Rabbi Lionel Blue chooses his favourite books, with choices as diverse as Pilgrims Progress and Mills and Boon and explains the importance of love and why he likes a happy ending.
Paul Thagard and Jonathan Haidt both choose The How of Happiness by Sonja Lyubomirsky and Haidt and Jessica Pryce-Jones both choose Stumbling on Happiness by Daniel Gilbert. Lyubomirsky uses tools of experimental psychology to understand what makes people happy. As Thagard says, her findings “may not be shocking, but they’re very interesting and very useful”. Gilbert’s book looks at how humans make poor choices not only as consumers, but also in other areas of their lives. Pryce-Jones remarks, “the book is a reminder that happiness is complicated and complex and that our brains are flawed.”
The best books on Happiness for Children, recommended by Vanessa King
What is happiness? Why does happiness matter? Vanessa King, lead psychologist at the charity/non-profit Action for Happiness, discusses how developing ours and our children’s happiness skills can have benefits for our own lives and for society as a whole.
The best books on Midlife Crisis, recommended by Kieran Setiya
It’s an observable phenomenon that the gap in life satisfaction between the very young and the very old with those in their 40s is equivalent to that associated with getting a divorce. Kieran Setiya, the MIT philosopher and author of Midlife: A Philosophical Guide, chooses the best books to counsel you through this difficult period.
