"The secret to happiness? Stop trying to find it - it's not all it's cracked up to be.
Finding happiness is less about learning new tricks and more about unlearning ways of thinking holding you back: Stop chasing happiness, stop obsessing over what others think, stop caring too much about how you feel, stop making sacrifices for personal success.
Here, academic and philosopher Frank Martela unpacks why we value happiness, and why chasing it is actually making you miserable. He reveals the secrets to Finland's continued top rankings in the global happiness reports by showing that, actually, living with purpose and contentment is much more beneficial that striving to be happy.
Building on Frank's personal encounters with people from all walks of life during travels around Finland and abroad, this book blends personal stories and quirky anecdotes with the latest scientific research and ancient traditions to deliver a strong message about how you should approach life: what you should stop doing and what you should start doing instead, to find an enduring sense of contentment and an energizing sense of purpose for your own life."
"In a series of essays that explore the notion of what brings significance to our existences, clarifying why we have this longing beyond the present moment and an insatiable dissatisfaction with where we are, scholar Frank Martela tackles the subject of finding meaning in life.
With beautiful decorative elements and an engaging design, the book approaches its subject in a readily digestible form. It grapples with some of life’s most pressing questions, like ''Is happiness a worthy goal?'' and ''What is the foundation for meaning in a secular society?'' and ''Is life an existential void?'' yet Martela answers these questions and more in a relaxed, conversational tone and with a wry sense of humor, placing some of life’s greatest philosophical concerns and quandaries into a modern-day context.
Martela quickly and concisely gets to the heart of the matter: your place in the world and how to find meaning in life as countless thinkers and philosophers have done before, yet the emphasis here is on what we do with the life we have and how we can make it more meaningful. Part prescriptive and part armchair philosophy book, A Wonderful Life is accessible to everyone, from the well-read scholar to the apprentice as well as anyone curious about how to extract the greatest meaning and sense of purpose from their existence."
Join our community for the latest bookish news, reading recommendations, exclusive opening extracts, author events and competitions. It\'s all free. And enter a monthly draw to win a £50 Gift Card. See past winners here
