Engineering Happiness

Manel Baucells and Rakesh Sarin have been conducting ground-breaking research on happiness for more than a decade, and in this book they distill their provocative findings into a lively, accessible guide for a wide audience of readers. Integrating their own research with the latest thinking in the behavioral and social sciences-including management science, psychology, and economics-they offer a new approach to the puzzle of happiness. Woven throughout with wisdom from the world's religions and literatures, Engineering Happiness has something to offer everyone-regardless of background, profession, or aspiration-who wants to better understand, control, and attain a more joyful life.* Shows how a few major principles can explain how happiness works and why it is so elusive* Demonstrates how the essence of attaining happiness is choice* Explores how to avoid happiness traps* Tells how to recognize happiness triggers in everyday life