Product Description

There is a paradox at the heart of our lives. We all want more money, but as societies become richer, they do not become happier. This is not speculation: It's the story told by countless pieces of scientific research. We now have sophisticated ways of measuring how happy people are, and all the evidence shows that on average people have grown no happier in the last fifty years, even as average incomes have more than doubled.

The central question the great economist Richard Layard asks in Happiness is this: If we really wanted to be happier, what would we do differently? First we'd have to see clearly what conditions generate happiness and then bend all our efforts toward producing them. That is what this book is about-the causes of happiness and the means we have to effect it.

Until recently there was too little evidence to give a good answer to this essential question, but, Layard shows us, thanks to the integrated insights of psychology, sociology, applied economics, and other fields, we can now reach some firm conclusions, conclusions that will surprise you. Happiness is an illuminating road map, grounded in hard research, to a better, happier life for us all.

From one of the leading voices in the new field of happiness studies comes a groundbreaking statement of the case: what happiness is, exactly, and how to get more of it, as individuals and as a society

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #527957 in Books
• Published on: 2005-01-27
• Released on: 2005-01-27
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Hardcover
• 320 pages

From Bookmarks Magazine
Reviewers agree that Layard, a leading British economist and well-known government advisor, raises fundamentally important questions that we all tend to ignore in our strivings to achieve on a daily basis. The author supplies ample data to show that capitalism’s emphasis on individualism and competition has helped to diminish the feeling of a common good among people of different classes and societies. The critics disagree, however, on Layard’s recommendation of state- and church-oriented intervention to reverse the patterns of behavior that are not, in so many eyes, contributing to happiness. Since "happiness studies" is a new science (see Gregg Easterbrook’s The Progress Paradox *** Mar/Apr 2004), it stands to reason that the early tomes of this philosophy would stir controversy. Just don’t let it dampen your day.

Copyright © 2004 Phillips & Nelson Media, Inc.

From the Back Cover
"Impressive . . . An excellent job of recounting the collective findings of much of this new science."
—The Wall Street Journal

"His lively new book . . . will not make conventional economists happy, but it should cause all of us to reflect more deeply on what really makes life worth living."
—Robert D. Putnam, author of Bowling Alone

About the Author
Richard Layard is one of Britain's best-known economists and a leading world expert on unemployment and inequality. He runs Europe's leading economics research center within the London School of Economics. He worked for the British government as an economic adviser from 1997 to 2001, and in 2000 he became a member of the House of Lords. He is the author of a number of academic books.

Customer Reviews

Makes you think
Mr. Layard proposes a redistribution of wealth as one of the important means to increase the overall happiness of a population, that is, take from the rich and give to the poor. The "rich" in this case is not just the wealthy; it is people like you and me, the productive members of society. He suggests that we take from those who have earned their money and give it to those that have not earned it. He suggests that it is morally correct for you to sacrifice a part of your well-being and property for the happiness of other people. Thus, the government coerces you to give what you have worked for to those that have not. This is an injustice. Your life, your money and your property belongs to you, not to somebody else, and it certainly does not belong to the government.

However, it could be reasoned that redistribution of wealth works, just look at the Scandinavian countries, they are happy because of their social policies. Sweden and Finland's are happy, despite these welfare states going through an extended period of economic decline. As an example of this slump, the European Union 2003 Prosperity Rankings shows that Sweden has fallen to the 14th place from fifth since the 1970's. Sweden and Finland have not been able to create any jobs in over two decades. Nevertheless, they are happy. So perhaps Mr. Layard's proposals have merit. If you are a libertarian, his collectivist ideas will give you a headache, but his book would be definitely worth reading.

A solution to stagnating happiness in prosperous countries?
Like all comments in all other reviews the book is an easy read about a complex subject. The subject: why is happiness stagnating since 1950 and what can be dome about it.
The authors presents some inconvenient truths about the causes of this stagnation being (1) broken families, increases in divorces and single parent families (2) decrease in trusting others (3) increase in women working with less time for children (4) television with negative impact on social life (5) Violence in TV (6) TV showing wealth and "beautiful people" (7) decline in religious beliefs (8) increased mobility. These are not opinions but proven by facts by analysing criminality levels, depression, life expectancy and suicide rates.
The author presents the policies that governments should implement to stop these negative trends being (1): monitor happiness statistics, (2) education in morality (3) more help to the poor, (4) better help with serious depressions, (5) flexible working hours, (6) subsidise community development, (7) make people understand that ever increasing wants lead to unhappiness,. (8) establish taxes at a level that people spend more time with the family. Each of these points is extensively explained and thought provoking. The author advised the UK government and has policy making experience.
The author recommends that the overall objective, the "end" should be to maximise total happiness, the idea of Jeremy Bentham (1748-1832) This subject is extensively covered with rebuttals of criticisms. Buddhism is described in a few pages. Buddhism recognises that all people want to be happy and that therefore suffering should be reduced as much as possible. The " means" is the "Right View". That is acting with the right intentions, recognising that, nothing is permanent, we depend on each other and we must understand causes and effects to find solutions. You can also say that the "end" is for people to adapt the "Right View". When actions are based on right view happiness will increase.

Societal solutions to the happiness problem
Layard is described on the dust jacket as 'one of Britain's best-known economists and a world expert on unemployment and inequality'. As you'd expect, his background profoundly informs his take on happiness.

The first part of the book surveys the 'problem' - the now-well-known statistic that although (US) incomes have doubled over the past 15 years, people are no happier.

In the second part Layard turns to remedies, which for him are essentially social and economic and focus on issues such as pollution, equality, poverty, and mental health.

In short:
Layard draws on research from psychology, neuroscience, sociology and applied economics in a style that's readable and clear. The book's analysis of the happiness 'problem' is comprehensive, but its solutions are largely social and economic. If you're looking for a more personal approach to a happier life, for techniques and tools to boost your own happiness, then this book may not satisfy you.