I could go on and on about happiness. What is it? What quantifies it? Who came up with the idea and why does it make us feel good to be happy?
A lot of different things in life could make you happy. My other half makes me happy. My friends make me happy. A sunny day with an ice cream also makes me pretty happy. So does a good book.
About 2 years ago (back in 2017, back before my other half and back when I thought I was livin da vida loca) I purchased ‘Happy: Why more or less everything is absolutely fine’ by Derren Brown. 2 years later, in 2019, I have finally finished this book. Btw, this is nothing about the book – I just majorly struggle with non-fiction books 😅
I love Derren Brown’s exploration of the philosophical theories behind how happiness is quantified, qualified and how it is depicted through time. It explores Socrates to Stoics (I have to say I enjoyed the Stoics the most). BUt don’t let the title fool you – this is not a self-help book. But it did make me question what makes me tick as a person – what makes me happy as a person and what influences this.
Whilst I’m not a huuuuge non-fiction lover – I’ve challenged myself to read 5 this year – I did really enjoy this one. It’s not too philosophy heavy and also Derren Brown has sprinkled in some anecdotes, making it wholly relatable and breaks it down.
I’d recommend this for a read – especially if you’re a lover of the non-fiction. It’s a fairly easy read and the way that anecdotes have been popped in break it up, making it something that you can pick up and return to whenever you fancy.
Francesca xo
Hello! My name is Francesca and i'm a twenty-something year old working in Human Resources. I live in the Home Counties and work in them too.
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