Exploring happiness : from Aristotle to brain science /

Displaying her usual astonishing breadth and depth of knowledge, Bok (Harvard) creates a thoughtful discussion of happiness by focusing on the intersection of modern scientific discovery, philosophy, and literature. Books on the study of happiness tend to want to come to a definitive philosophical conclusion, but Bok wisely opts for the "greatest possible freedom and leeway in the pursuit of happiness, subject to such moral limits," in an effort to avoid premature closure in the evolving discussion. What sets this book apart (aside from the thorough yet approachable writing) is the use of personal narratives and thoughtful discussion of poetry, religion, and literature. Seen as a complement, not just a supplement, to the philosophical quest, these extend the dialogue to encompass many alternative voices and histories, creating the "gorgeous, many-hued tapestry" Bok alludes to. The volume includes a fascinating discussion of "moral salience," wherein we "learn to become more aware of moral choices before problems overwhelm us" (verified by brain scientists), coupled with a Kantian emphasis on truthfulness. Rich in content, this is a book of great value. Summing Up: Highly recommended. Lower-level undergraduates through faculty/researchers. S. J. Shaw Prairie View A&M University

*Starred Review* Confronted by a welter of conflicting definitions, eighteenth-century poet Alexander Pope despaired of establishing a meaning for happiness. Less easily discouraged, Bok acknowledges the contradictions in the diversity of perspectives, yet she converts these contradictions into openings for deeper inquiry. Readers will contemplate the tension between, for instance, Seneca's insistence on virtue as the basis for happiness and La Mettrie's affirmation of self-indulgence as its true fount. In a wide-ranging survey of philosophical thought, readers weigh contrasting claims about happiness proffered by the joyfully devout and the bemusedly skeptical; by the gregarious socialite and the introspective recluse; by the champions of genetic determinism and the defenders of individual agency. Merely examining such a diverse range of theories will enrich readers' thinking. Bok, however, looks to modern research to winnow wheat from chaff. Investigations in neurophysiology, for example, have exploded long-held assumptions about how optimism generates happiness. Survey sociology has now discredited Aristotle's claim that advancing age means diminished happiness. Still, some knotty questions resist empirical assessment: Is true happiness the piercing exultation of a singular moment, or the gratifying culmination of an entire lifetime? What, in any case, guarantees happiness hereafter? Bok lifts her topic above merely subjective opinion into a probing intellectual analysis.--Christensen, Bryce Copyright 2010 Booklist

For as long as human beings have been capable of articulating needs beyond basic survival, one subject has occupied their thoughts perhaps more than any other: happiness. How do we achieve it? How do we maintain it? If it springs from deception (of self or others), as has been suggested, is it any less valid? Thinkers great and small have wrestled with questions such as these for millennia. Bok seeks to synthesize differing opinion and explore the many views on happiness-from philosophers to neuroscientists-and organizes her findings around themes such as luck, illusion, and transience. Happiness is such a subjective concept that it's difficult to imagine an author managing to even touch on it, let alone offer a comprehensive survey. Still, Bok culls a careful collection of thoughts into a surprisingly dense philosophical examination, chronicling what great thinkers have had to say about the subject. Though the title may suggest something from the self-help shelf, this is indeed an exploration, not a guide; readers who want help getting happy should look elsewhere. (Aug.) Copyright 2010 Reed Business Information.