Happiness: The Science behind Your Smile
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | 4.58 (987 Votes) |
| Asin | : | 0192805592 |
| Format Type | : | paperback |
| Number of Pages | : | 224 Pages |
| Publish Date | : | 2016-03-21 |
| Language | : | English |
DESCRIPTION:
"Excellent Overview of an Interdisciplinary Subject" according to Gregory Engel. This book delves between Economics, Psychology, Neuroscience and Evolutionary Biology to try and survey our general understanding of human happiness, and discuss the major ways in which happiness can be measured. Nettle does a good job of moving quickly from topic to topic, summing up the neces. "A beautifully written book" according to Aaron C. Brown. I have become interested in the modern theory and science of happiness, books such as The Geography of Bliss, Happiness: A History and Satisfaction. Nettle's contribution is a gem of literary precision: short, sharp, clear, wise, well-informed and funny. You can read it for the pleasure of the . Happiness is like the tooth fairy. It never comes. Alexander Kemestrios Ben Nettle has produced a terse gem of a book. The writing is all beef no fat. The theory and studies presented are poignant and relevant. This is one of the best books on 'Happiness' I have read.Nettle's main thesis is that humans are notoriously bad at knowing what will make them happy. This is b
Bringing together the latest insights from psychiatry, psychology, and philosophy, Daniel Nettle sheds light on happiness, the most basic of human desires. In the end, Nettle suggests that we would all probably be happier by trading income or material goods for time with people or hobbies, though most people do not do so.Happiness offers a remarkable portrait of the feeling that poets, politicians, and philosophers all agree truly makes the world go round.. We read that happiness varies from country to country, for example, the Swiss are much more happy than Bulgarians. Nettle, a psychologist, is particularly insightful in discussing the brain systems underlying emotions and moods, ranging from serotonin, to mood enhancing drugs such as D-fenfluramine, which reduces negative thinking in less than an hour; to the part of the brain that, when electrically stimulated, provides feelings of benevolent calm and even euphoria. And we learn that, in a poll among people aged 42 years old--peak mid-life crisis time--more than half rated their happiness an 8, 9, or 10 out of 10, and 90% rated it above 5. The book is packed with fascinating observations. We discover the ev
Ending on an optimistic note, the author sees a population buoyed by advances in both psychotherapy and medication. From Publishers Weekly What is happiness—is it an unpredictable emotion like joy? A rational construct like personal fulfillment? Or is it some subtle, elusive combination of both? In this enjoyable, thought-provoking book, Nettle digs into the subject with great insight and just a bit of cheeky irreverence. In clear, succinct prose, he argues "that what we are programmed for by evolution is not happiness itself, but a set of beliefs about the kinds of things that will bring happiness, and a disposition to pursue them." He cites survey after survey that report that people's sense of their own happiness outstrips their actual material well-being. 15 b&w illus. . Nettle, a biological psychologist at Britain's Open Universi