The Conquest of Happiness
Bertrand Russell 1930
This practical guide examines common causes of unhappiness and habits that can make life more enjoyable. Its chapter on boredom argues that a happy life still needs stretches of quiet and routine.
196 pages 3h 49m reading time
- One of the best-known books on everyday happiness written by a major modern philosopher.
- Argues that much unhappiness comes from thinking too much about yourself, and that happiness grows when you turn your interest outward to other people and the world.
- Argues that envy, fear of what others think, and treating life as a race to beat others are big sources of misery that can be overcome through clear thinking.
- Showed that a serious thinker could write about personal happiness in plain language for ordinary readers, and it is often counted among the early classics of thoughtful self-help.
Saved by mathematics
Russell wrote in the book that as a teenager he nearly took his life, but wanted to learn more mathematics.
Paying for a school
Russell wrote popular books like this one partly to earn money for the costly school he and his wife ran.
Built in two halves
The first half looks at what makes people unhappy, and the second looks at what makes them happy.