Self-identity and human happiness

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Pascal Bruckner

Happiness today is not just a possibility or an option but a requirement and a duty. To fail to be happy is to fail utterly. Happiness has become a religion--one whose smiley-faced god looks down in rebuke upon everyone who hasn't yet attained the blessed state of perpetual euphoria. How has a liberating principle of the Enlightenment--the right to pursue happiness--become the unavoidable and burdensome responsibility to be happy? How did we become unhappy about not being happy--and what might we do to escape this predicament? In Perpetual Euphoria, Pascal Bruckner takes up these questions with all his unconventional wit, force, and brilliance, arguing that we might be happier if we simply abandoned our mad pursuit of happiness.

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Albert Bandura

Presents a comprehensive theory of human motivation and action from a social-cognitive perspective. This insightful text addresses the prominent roles played by cognitive, vicarious, self-regulatory, and self-reflective processes in psychosocial functioning; emphasizes reciprocal causation through the interplay of cognitive, behavioral, and environmental factors; and systematically applies the basic principles of this theory to personal and social change.--

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Ron Pevny

"As the baby boomer population begins to retire healthier than any generation before them, retirement is about to look a whole lot different. No longer are seniors satisfied with their retirement years being defined by wasting away their days on the porch or puttering around the house. In Conscious Living, Conscious Aging, Ron Pevny presents an empowering vision and practical tools that help one to age consciously for a passionate, fulfilling second half of life. This contemporary model for aging focuses on the potential for growth, passion, purpose, service, and spiritual exploration while also offering wisdom for dealing with inevitable losses. Conscious Living, Conscious Aging helps readers: -Identify unfulfilled goals; -Find ways to contribute their skills to society; -And, spend their retirement years as a time of profound personal development. Today, retirement presents a whole new opportunity to engage with life, community, and the world with vigor. Don't merely grow old, age consciously"--

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Todd G. Buchholz

A former White House director of economic policy makes the outrageous argument that we don't really want to relax--we want to compete. We think we will be happy when we have some downtime--when we can finally go on vacation, disconnect, shut down. But in this provocative book, Todd Buchholz will convince you that what you really want is to chase your tail--even if you never catch it. Weaving in everything from neuroeconomics to evolutionary biology to Renaissance art to General Motors, Buchholz will convince you that the race to compete has not only made us taller and smarter, it's what we love and need.--From publisher description.