The Conquest of Happiness Paperback – 15 Jan. 2019

I have to say that when I bought this book I was pretty skeptical and even cynical about the topic matter, having read Russell's History of Western Philosophy and some of the other titles in the Routledge Classics and expecting something similar.I was very pleasantly surprised and intend to re-read this book annually, Russell wrote this book for a mass audience, combining philosophy, psychology and common sense Russell first surveys what he believes to be the main causes of unhappiness, byronic unhappiness, competition, boredom and excitment, fatigue, envy, the sense of sin, persecution mania and fears of public opinion, and then proceeds to consider the possible sources of happiness Zest, affection, the family, work, impersonal interests and effort or resignation.Some of it can appear dated and the work of the age in which it was written, for instance I think that he wrote about a sense of sin at a time where this could be a great deal more troubling to the conscience than present day, then again I remind myself that there are probably people and places where this remains very much the case today.I cant fault Russell in his ultimate conclusion that to be happy one should live objectively, have a wide range of interests and be as sincerely and genuinely interested in and warm towards others, engaging with the world instead of retreating from it where possible. The book is full of great advice about how living after this fashion can permit you to cope with the sources of unhappiness which Russell perceives.Russell also, in his wisdom, does not pretend to have all the answers and when he does touch upon the topic of psychology does say that it is possible that on occasion more professional advice and assistance could be called for, something that I think is very much lacking in other self-help genres or treatise.I would also recommend this book as very readable, its jargon free, the pace is excellent and I enjoyed it as much as any book of its kind or more light reading like genre fiction.

Written in 1930, nearly ninety years ago, this book remains as important and relevant as ever.We have more than we need, most of us, we have shelter, food, and many of us have families, hobbies, relative wealth and ease - so why would so few of us in the world say we are truly happy?Russell was born to an aristocratic family and became an Earl on the death of his older brother in 1931, but he was no conformist - his views on religion and relationships were unorthodox, and he was married four times, at one point having an affair with his children's nanny, who he subsequently married.He was also a historian, mathematician, writer, social critic, political activist, and Nobel laureate.It is clear from examples we can all supply that wealth does not equate to happiness, and Russell provides his view on how to achieve a happy life, in a style that is entirely accessible and often dryly humorous. This is not some dry tome but full of what Russell himself describes as "zest," an ongoing interest in, and attachment to life, the natural world, people you find "congenial," with luck your work, and something in life that you regard as absorbing. Above all, a close relationship, ideally a physical one. And an avoidance of envy and worry combined with a realistic view of our own unimportance - but how?I found a YouTube clip of an interview with Russell aged eighty, and his flame was still strongly burning.Some of the references are dated, naturally - not many of us still have maidservants - but the principles remain the same, and I imagine no reason why they will not always.

Bertrand Russell, mathematician, philosopher and Nobel prize winner,appears to have lived a full and interesting life for 97 years so his philosophy to achieve happiness should be well worth a look. I like the easy to read format, chapters that may be read at your leisure one at a time or even read the whole book in one sitting.BR looks at the reasons for unhappiness ie Boredom, envy, being a victim, having a persecution complex etc and gives very good advice, often hilariously funny, to change your way of thinking, if that is your problem. So, if something really upsets you keep thinking about it, force yourself to think about it until it becomes so tiresome and boring that you never want to think about it again, he says. This is of course contrary to the usual advice of putting things to the back of your mind, but a good idea I think.I love his thoughts on women and envy, the women on a train with their jealous looks when a well dressed lady steps on. Women on the whole dont much like other women, whereas men are only jealous of someone in the same field as themselves, an interesting idea. Envy and conforming to society ie 'keeping up with the Jones' causes no end of dissatisfaction and this needs knocking very firmly on the head to avoid lifelong misery.Then BR gives some good advice for long term happiness and it can be summed up by saying 'Zest'. Having an interest in everything around you is the key to not falling into the misery trap. So take my advice, get this book, it is better than most modern self help books on the shelf.

I have been reading Russell since I was a teenage and I am still unqualified to review a mind as clear and as agile. I learned the truth of that famous maxim, "Do not say more than can be said with less" before I encountered William of Occam. Russell introduced us and it is this quality that, in my mind, makes his treatment of Happiness such a great work, though overshadowed by the Principia Mathematica. It is clarity that makes the first impression and then the simplicity, the candour and the humanity of outlook that gives us a perspective on the confusions and evasions of contemporary attitudes.