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When a book has the word ‘happiness’ in its title and a smiley face on its cover, it is temp-ting to slot it in the teeming ranks of pulp non-fiction. Haidt, a social psychologist and teacher, hopes that the ideas discussed in The Happiness Hypothesis will help people find meaning in their lives. Haidt’s is not exactly a novel pursuit, and he acknowledges this early on; ‘Wisdom is now so cheap and abundant that it floods over us from calendar messages, bottle caps, and mass e-mail messages forwarded by well-meaning friends.’ So what is different about this book? To start with, its approach. Haidt compares concepts from ancient philosophies, correlates them to modern developments, and, by the end of it, actually arrives at a not-too-complicated recipe for happiness.

The prevailing metaphor in the book, to understand how people’s minds are divided, is that of the rider and the elephant. Desire and reason often pull us in different directions, and we end up dissatisfied. The book prescribes, quite simply, changing your mind. Some people are born being able to see the silver lining. For others, not as lucky, Haidt recommends either meditation, therapy or Prozac.

Psychological studies and findings pepper this book. And they lend a unique dimension to understanding. The fact that the ‘I’m right : you’re biased’ attitude is ingrained in people is demonstrated through an interesting study at Stanford. In it, participants were quite happy to learn about self-serving bias, but they still refused to accept that they were biased. Biased points of view can of course be the raw material for everything from a divorce to a world war. To achieve harmony, Haidt advises that you see life as a game. You cannot quit the game, because you have a part to play. What you can do is stop taking it very seriously.

That might seem like pop psychology but it is really effective philosophy. This a well-researched book. Haidt weaves his own understanding with references from Marcus Aurelius, Confucius, John Donne, Gautam Buddha, Abraham Maslow, and even Woody Allen.

Ultimately, people need love, work, and a connection to something larger than themselves. The book reaches the conclusion that there is no inspiring answer to a question about the purpose of life. But there are compelling answers to questions about the purpose within life. And this is the book to read to reach happy solutions.

3 quick lessons
The happiness hypothesis

1. Happiness = Biological set point + Conditions of life + Voluntary activities
2. Form secure attachments
3. Find a calling, not just a career