Book Review: Happiness is a Serious Problem

Dennis Prager's insightful book, Happiness is a Serious Problem was recommended to me by a psychiatrist who attended my creativity workshop in Dallas last fall. The principal idea that grabbed me was the difference between happiness and fun. Many people engage in a frantic search for happiness by scheduling lots of fun things to do, but when the fun is over, they don't actually feel happy. According to Prager, happiness is something you must work to achieve. Happiness is possible even under the worst of circumstances. He asserts that we have a moral obligation to be happy because of the impact we have on the lives of those around us. In this slim book, Prager covers a lot of territory, including the major obstacles to happiness and how to overcome them and attitudes and behaviors that are essential for happiness. This isn't a touchy-feely self-help book. It feels more like a wake-up call from a mentor or trusted friend. I found the reviews on Amazon.com (link above) to be interesting. Most people rated the book highly. The few who didn't, really hated it. Their reviews made them sound like unhappy people who were put off to learn that happiness takes work. If you approach this book with an open mind, it will almost certainly make you a happier person.