The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can’t Stand Positive Thinking - Hardcover

An excellent book; Burkeman makes us see that our current approach, in which we want happiness but search for certainty - often in the shape of material goods - is counterproductive. We're on a treadmill of disappointment. So Burkeman explores a better way, and tells us about the philosophers and thinkers who have inspired him -- ***** * * Daily Telegraph, * * He has written some of the most truthful and useful words on [happiness] to be published in recent years. This is a marvellous synthesis of good sense, which would make a bracing detox for the self-help junkie -- Julian Baggini * * Guardian * * If life can only have one destination, then, Burkeman argues, we should enjoy the journey as much as we can and deal with the terminus when it comes. It's a simple idea, but an exhilarating and satisfying one * * Observer * * Addictive, wise and very funny. Burkeman never takes himself too seriously, but the rest of us should. -- Tim Harford * * author of THE UNDERCOVER ECONOMIST * * The Antidote is a gem. Countering a self-help tradition in which "positive thinking" too often takes the place of actual thinking, Oliver Burkeman returns our attention to several of philosophy's deeper traditions and does so with a light hand and a wry sense of humor. You'll come away from this book enriched - and, yes, even a little happier -- Daniel H. Pink * * author of DRIVE and A WHOLE NEW MIND * * Quietly subversive, beautifully written, persuasive and profound, Oliver Burkeman's book will make you think - and smile -- Alex Bellos * * author of ALEX'S ADVENTURES IN NUMBERLAND * * Does the pursuit of happiness make us miserable? In this elegant and erudite book, Oliver Burkeman explores the riddle of joy in the 21st century. This book doesn't set out to make you happy, but that may just be why it works -- Jonah Lehrer, author of Imagine: How Creativity Works [The Antidote] has performed a neat trick by appealing to both the self-help superfan and the self-help cynic... it's immensely readable and rewarding * * The Stylist * * Wry, thought-provoking and often hilarious * * Irish Independent * * Burkeman's entertainingly argued proposition seems refreshingly well-grounded in reality, solid research and common sense and is probably worth a shot... * * Good Book Guide * *

For a civilisation so fixated on achieving happiness, we seem remarkably incompetent at the task. Self-help books don't seem to work. Few of the many advantages of modern life seem capable of lifting our collective mood. Wealth - even if you can get it - doesn't lead to happiness. Romance, family life and work often seem to bring stress as much as joy. We can't even agree on what 'happiness' means. So are we engaged in a futile pursuit? Or are we just going about it the wrong way? What if it's our constant efforts to feel happy that are making us miserable? In this fascinating new book, Oliver Burkeman introduces us to an unusual collection of people - experimental psychologists and Buddhists, terrorism experts, spiritual teachers, business consultants, philosophers - who share a single, surprising way of thinking about life. They argue that in our personal lives, and in society at large, it's our constant effort to be happy that is making us miserable. And that there is an alternative, 'negative path' to happiness and success that involves embracing failure, pessimism, insecurity and uncertainty - the very things we spend our lives trying to avoid. Thought-provoking, counter-intuitive and ultimately uplifting, The Antidote is a celebration of the power of negative thinking.