Books on happiness

Below are a few examples of the hundreds of books that can be found at Amazon in 5 countries. For (more) books on specific subjects concerning happiness, click on the subjects in the menu at the left.

This book represents philosophical personalism at its best. It makes you reflect on what it means to be a person. Following a basic maxim of Greek philosophical wisdom, `Operation follows existence,' the author develops an objective definition of personhood. From there, he takes you to the next step: If you are a person what does it really mean to be happy? He proposes four levels of happiness:

1. Happiness, that which comes from an external stimulus. It interacts with one or more of the five senses, but does not last very long.
2. Happiness, that which comes from ego-gratification. This kind of happiness comes whenever one can shift the locus of control to oneself. Hence, winning, gaining power or control, or gaining popularity causes happiness.
3. Happiness, that which comes when we want to make a difference with our lives, our time, our energy and our talent, because we also desire love, truth, goodness, beauty and being.
4. Happiness, that which comes from an awareness of a seemingly unconditional horizon surrounding human curiosity, creativity, spirit and achievement. In the context of faith, this desire for unconditional, perfect, ultimate, and even unrestricted Love, Goodness, Truth, Beauty and Being, might be called a desire for God.

Although all the levels of happiness have some good in then, levels 3 and 4 are absolutely necessary for a person to become fully human. Furthermore, the level of happiness that you adopt as a goal in life will determine your concept of success, self-worth, love, suffering, ethics, freedom, person, rights and the common good. Last but not least, Spitzer challenges you to confront in a compassionate but thoughtful way two of the most controversial issues of our culture: abortion and euthanasia.
In conclusion, if you agree with Socrates that the unexamined life is not worth living, you will find this book an excellent, thorough and powerful invitation to examine yourself in order for you to lead a good and happy life. It is true: philosophy might not be enough, but it is certainly a great beginning.