The Conquest of Happiness

The Conquest of Happiness is Bertrand Russell’s recipe for good living. First published in 1930, it pre-dates the current obsession with self-help by decades. Leading the reader step by step through the causes of unhappiness and the personal choices, compromises and sacrifices that (may) lead to the final, affirmative conclusion of ‘The Happy Man’, this is popular philosophy, or even self-help, as it should be written.

Table of Contents

PART I CAUSES OF UNHAPPINESS 1 What Makes People Unhappy 2 Byronic Unhappiness 3 Competition 4 Boredom and Excitement 5 Fatigue 6 Envy 7 The Sense of Sin 8 Persecution Mania 9 Fear of Public OpinionPART II CAUSES OF HAPPINESS 10 Is Happiness Still Possible? 11 Zest 12 Affection 13 The Family 14 Work 15 Impersonal Interests 16 Effort and Resignation 17 The Happy Man