In Pursuit of Happiness : Better Living from Plato to Prozac (Hardcover)

Kingwell touches on many of the issues that need to be considered, such as the cultural forces of capitalism, the philosophical discourse of Aristotle, Boethius and the like, and the flourishing "new age" movement. But his treatment is more survey than argument. I was never quite sure what Kingwell was trying to say, until I read on to the next chapter where he finally stated what he had "proved" previously. To take on such challenging questions is to commit yourself to a more serious effort than the one here.

For example, Kingwell's investigation of the new age movement appears to be little more than a one-week course he took called "Inward Bound: An Activa Meditation Retreat" in Western Massachusetts. Compare this to Tony Schwartz five-year investigation in "What Really Matters." After the week, Kingwell ends up dismissing the instructor Kaufman's proselytizing to "get happy," even though it actually is quite close to where Kingwell himself finishes at the end of the book. On a similar note, Kingwell's study of Prozac consists of six weeks of unsupervised use, not exactly a comprehensive investigation.

Also troubling was lack of logical integrity in many of his arguments. By example, Kingwell rejects the argument that material wealth is not an important factor in happiness because of his fear that such an argument might be abused to justify wealth inequalities. Just because an argument may be abused is not a basis for dismissing it. Another annoyance is that many of the quotes provided are not properly cited.

All that said there are some nice insights here. Kingwell is quite right to highlight the self-congratulatory nature of so many of the New Age movement thinkers. He notes for example about Maslow's psychology and its many followers that it is "at once appallingly elitist and charmingly seductive ...Reading its tenet, one is sometimes tempted to offer oneself kudos for being in the upper echelon. Self-actualization? That's me." I just wish there were more of these insights and less ramblings.

In Pursuit of Happiness is a rare thing - it's readable philosophy and its darn interesting. Kingwell covers lots of ground, always exploring and exposing human nature. This tome has a personal side as well... he discusses his own framework for happiness with the backdrp being his professional career.

The reader will find his work serious, witty, funny, and always engaging. If you've ever wanted to better understand what it means to be "happy", truly happy, then this is a great place to start. Kingwell will engage you and make you think. In true philosophical form, he asks as many (if not more) questions than he answers... but as with classic philosophical pursuit, this isn't nearly as frustrating.

If you're big into cultural philosophy then this author is for you - I highly recommend his writings.

The author's writing style is clear and concise. He has a good sense of humor, and I liked the way he tied popular culture, philosophy, and personal examples together. The book wasn't dry, dull and boring, the way philosphy can be at times.

There is only one reason that I can't give the book five stars. I found that Kingwell rambled a bit, and he lost track of his point. Overall, however, I think the book is really worthwhile, and I would encourage anyone who is interested in philosophy to pick up a copy of the book.