Product DescriptionToday, human beings tend to think of happiness as a natural right. But they haven’t always felt this way. For the ancient Greeks, happiness meant virtue. For the Romans, it implied prosperity and divine favor. For Christians, happiness was synonymous with God. Throughout history, happiness has been equated regularly with the highest human calling, the most perfect human state. Yet it’s only within the past two hundred years that human beings have begun to think of happiness as not just an earthly possibility but also as an earthly entitlement, even an obligation. In this sweeping new book, historian Darrin M. McMahon argues that our modern belief in happiness is the product of a dramatic revolution in human expectations carried out since the eighteenth century.
In the tradition of works by Peter Gay and Simon Schama, Happiness draws on a multitude of sources, including art and architecture, poetry and scripture, music and theology, and literature and myth, to offer a sweeping intellectual history of man’s most elusive yet coveted goal.
Happiness: A History (Rating: 5 out of 5) The pursuit of happiness. If you browse the shelves of your local bookstore or library, you are sure to find a couple dozen titles that claim to have the secret to happiness. Surprisingly though, when you look past the cover these books don't seem to agree on THE way to gain happiness. After reading a few of these titles it becomes very apparent that no one seems to even agree on what constitutes happiness. Some believe that material possessions are proof of happiness while others think that happiness is a state or mind. Still others say that happiness is merely an illusion.
The conflict over the definition of happiness, how to achieve this goal, and whether happiness is even attainable isn't new. The questions and the quests are likely as old as human life. Happiness: A History looks at these questions in more detail from a historical perspective.
The journey starts with the Greek world where happiness was seen as grace (primarily abundance of material possessions) from the Gods that could easily be taken away. There's an interesting little story that basically illustrates the notion that only at the end of one's life could it be determined that the life had been happy. Other cultures, as evidenced at Pompeii, viewed happiness as synonymous with physical pleasure.
Then the philosophers, the religious practitioners, spiritualists, and eventually the scientists join in on the discussion. Some wonder if we deserve to be happy; others see it as our divine right. Many produce solid plans about how to gain enlightenment, material wealth, or success- defining each as true happiness. Others suggest that happiness is a journey not a destination. Together, they set the stage for the confusion in our own present.
A marvelous book (Rating: 5 out of 5) If I find a good book, I make a lot of notes. This is such a book. I made plenty of notes. What was new for me was the popularity of happiness books during the "dark" middle ages. I have to admire the thoroughness the writer has done his job. Major philosophical and theological ideas are nicely represented. I do not give easily five stars as you can find out, but this book really deserves it.
Echo of Paul Johnson (Rating: 5 out of 5) This is a terrific book, and an amusing, provocative, and delightfully lilting read. McMahon echoes the suggestion of Paul Johnson that Enlightenment rationalism's undermining of religioous faith left a vacuum that has been filled by worship of artists and intellectuals who, we are to imagine, feel deeply, and both suffer and exult so much more transcendently than we Muggles. While the first two-thirds of the book are a treat themselves, it is the final third that bears the book's importance. It is here where McMahon exposes the many hollow spaces that we delude ourselves to be the residences of "happiness."
Takes some work (Rating: 3 out of 5) There is no doubting Mr. McMahon's ability to write, research, and disect the crux of human happiness. What makes this a difficult read is getting through his ego that he injects throughout the book, and just focusing on the content of his research. In my opinion, Mr. McMahon should have taken more of his editor's advice and streamlined his verbosity. If you can get through all of that, it is worth the time. The book can be both therapeutic and educating.
Happiness recovered (Rating: 5 out of 5) The proliferation of new books about "Happiness" (many of the "how to" category) and the numerous reviews of what has been written in the past about its "pursuit", may just show that either we do not know, or have failed to achieve that supposedly ultimate goal of human existence. The thouroughly documented and elegantly written "History of Happiness" by Darrin McMahon is not one of the crowd. It is brilliantly written and a pleasure to read, even by those who "don't care" (aren't there any?) about happiness and/or the literature concerning it. Starting with the meaning of the word (related to happening, haphazard and perhaps)we go through ancient philosophers, religious leaders, medieval scholars, to end up with modern democracies and the promises of the "false prophets", political innovators and dictatorial demagogues. Prof. McMahon is not only a spectacularly well-informed academic but an inspiring and brilliant light on a subject that - well - is truly everyone's concern.