Happiness: The Nature and Nurture of Joy and Contentment (Paperback)

by Dr. David Lykken (Author) "The aristocratic philosopher Bertrand Russell, author of Principia Mathematica and other light classics, published in 1930 a really heavy tome called The Conquest of Happiness..." (more)
Key Phrases: happiness thieves, genetic steersman, strong genetic roots, Deep Springs, Well Being, United States (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description
What makes us happy? Is it money, a fancy car, a nice house? Or is it something less tangible, something we have no control over? Is happiness in our blood?In this fascinating look at the world's most sought-after emotion, Dr. David Lykken recounts a series of extensive studies conducted on identical twins reared miles apart. The studies reveak that, no matter where we live or what we do, we have a consistent "Happiness Set Point": our overall levels of happiness remains the same.But our quest for constant contentment doesn't necessarily end there. While there's nothing we can do to change our genetic makeup, there's a lot we can do to make the most of our Happiness Set Point.As kind and candid as a good friend, Lykken reveals aspects of our lives that allow us to overcome our genes, that bring us pleasure. Whether it's a faithful pet, an interesting career, or the perfect lemon meringue pie, being what Lykken calls "an epicure of experience" is the key. Furthermore, Lykken outlines the emotions that deprive us of happiness, such as fear, anger, and shyness, and the ways that we can counteract them.With unfailing good humor and fascinating scientific research, Happiness explores the surprising truth behind our moods, and presents a new way of thinking, guaranteed to put a smile on even the most somber face.AUTHORBIO: Dr. David Lykken has been a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Palo Alto, California, and is now professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Minnesota. His studies of twins has attracted the attention of The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and Newsweek.He is the author of two professional books, and has written for a variety of publications, including Discover, Psychology Today, and USA Today. He and his wife, Harriet, have three children and ten grandchildren and live very happily in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

About the Author
Dr. David Lykken has been a Fellow at the Center for Advanced Study in the Behavioral Sciences at Palo Alto, California, and is now professor emeritus of psychology at the University of Minnesota. His studies of twins has attracted the attention of The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, and Newsweek. He is the author of two professional books, and has written for a variety of publications, including Discover, Psychology Today, and USA Today. He and his wife, Harriet, have three children and ten grandchildren and live very happily in Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Product Details

• Paperback: 288 pages
• Publisher: Golden Guides from St. Martin's Press; 1st edition (June 7, 2000)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0312263333
• ISBN-13: 978-0312263331
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.5 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 2.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #616,479 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars Disappointing, but a brave effort, May 13, 2006

By	Harrison Judd (Connecticut) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I really wanted to like this book. Its author is cheerful and well informed, and the subject is an important one. However, while the book has a promising beginning, it falls apart quickly - droning on like a university term paper in an alphabet soup about MZ, MZT, MZA, MPQ, LZT, MISTRA etc. (none of these acronyms are in the index)
Then full chapters are dedicated to bragging about his wonderful, well adjusted sons who received full scholarships to important universities and how wonderful various other members of his family are. He sounds happy - but I was much more interested in finding out how I could be more happy in my own life and helping others acheive the same. On this effort, he offers very little advice, ranging from a beer bread recipe to rambling on about making sure people are licensed before they can have children. This book would make an interesting, short pamphlet - but as a book it is deeply flawed.