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In Search of Happiness Understanding an Endangered State of Mind
John F. Schumaker
Book Code: C9456
ISBN: 0-275-99456-2
ISBN-13: 978-0-275-99456-3
288 pages
Praeger Paperback
Publication: 2/28/2007
List Price: $29.95
Availability: In Stock
Media Type: Paperback
Trim Size: 5 1/2 x 8 1/4
Subjects: Reviews:
  • Schumaker's In Search of Happiness: Understanding an Endangered State of Mind ....[i]s a welcome addition to the bulging literature on happiness. Different from many other books on happiness, this one approaches the topic from a historical and cultural perspective rather than from that of the individual. By looking at the "big picture," the author is able to examine the megaforces that shape our lives and to warn us of the perils of modernization and consumerism. Thus, this book is as much a cultural critic as a psychological analysis....[I] highly recommened Schumaker's book to anyone interested in the positive psychology of enhancing the human condition. This is a concise and coherent book on a very complex topic....Both scholars and the general public can benefit from reading this outstanding book....Schumaker has added a new dimension to the ongoing dialogue on the subject of happiness.
    —PsycCRITIQUES     December 5, 2007
  • Your happiness will consist in whatever happens to make you happy, in whatever produces the highest levels of "subjective well-being" in you. John Schumaker's In Search of Happiness challenges this subjectivist view of happiness, particularly the idea that "consumer happiness" is the right kind of happiness to pursue....Schumaker deftly connects the shift toward earthly happiness to the rise of the self-help industry....While the call to get "back to nature" has been made before, and while it can sound dreamy and insensible, Schumaker makes a strong case against the values of consumer culture. If he is correct, then real happiness can only be achieved through the adoption of reasonable and sustainable values and through efforts to realize these values in the face of market forces that would have us simply work ourselves to death, and then spend the money on the biggest coffin we can afford.
    —Metapsychology     June 2007
  • Clinical psychologist Schumaker draws on insights from psychology, sociology, anthropology, evolutionary biology, philosophy, economics, and religious studies in order to construct a biography of "the life and death of happiness." He explores the essence of happiness in different cultures and different times and critiques the commercialized happiness of today's mass consumer society.
    —Reference & Research Book News     May 2007
Description: When future archaeologists sift through the layers of artifacts from our current era, they are going to scratch their heads over the vast quantities of happy faces. Bright yellow happy face buttons, decals, refrigerator magnets, knobs for pens and pencils, happy-face ties, coffee mugs, wallpaper, stationery and bumper stickers, even happy face stamps issued by the US Postal service in 1999. Happiness reigns supreme and most people in polls when asked what is most important in life will say happiness.' The quest for happiness has become a cultural obsession. It's a must-have state of mind that is marketed at every turn from fast food to amusement park hawkers to self-help book publishers, cosmetic companies and plastic surgeons. There is even an emerging brand of therapists - happiness counselors. And a new branch of psychology - Happiness Studies - as well as a new scholarly publication, The Journal of Happiness Studies. Have we gone happy crazy? Yes, in a consumer-oriented way, says clinical psychologist and internationally known social critic John Schumacher. The problem, he says, is we're looking for happiness in all the wrong places, and have no idea how to find deep and authentic happiness. Schumaker takes us through history, across cultures, literature, religions and philosophies to show how consumer culture is toxic to happiness, as well as general emotional well-being.Then he offers ways we can "society-proof" ourselves to find new, deep and lasting happiness. Astutely and with enthralling creativity, Schumaker examines happiness as far back as the prehistoric age, then takes a deep look at what we are doing today, and how that might affect the future. Entertaining, insightful and thought-provoking every step of the way, Schumaker takes us into an arena and a growing field that will motivate readers to think, and smile, and wonder.
LC Card Number: 2006038205
LCC Class: BF575
Dewey Class: 152
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