The Secret Of Happiness: Three thousand years of searching for the good life - Softcover

Deeply considered and immensely well-informed...compels us to think afresh about how we behave. (Professor Stanley Wells)

Full of interesting anecdotes. (Daily Mail)

He wants to help us deal more elegantly with the frustrations of life...Schoch proves himself a genial guide...a sound introduction to important strands of religious and philosophical thought. (Alain de Botton Daily Telegraph)

Hugely enjoyable...a slap in the face to the self-help industry. (Julian Baggini)

This is definitely not self-help, and is all the better for it...a worthwhile and original addition to the growing number of books on the search for happiness, enlivened by Schoch's witty asides. (Charlotte Northedge Psychologies)

Offers up considered digests of the lives and thoughts of a selection of philosophers and religious leaders...an intellectual exploration of the best kind, a rigorous dusting down of ideas compelling us to think harder and better about what is life's most precious prize. (Melanie McGrath Sunday Telegraph Seven)

A quietly revolutionary new book (Irish Examiner)

The text is inspirational in offering the reader ways to think about their own happiness...Schoch's analysis will hit home for many readers. (Helen Boylan Sunday Business Post)

Today, influenced by books on the "science" of happiness and quick "self-help" cures, we have settled for a much weaker version of happiness than previous cultures: just enjoyment of pleasure and avoidance of pain. It is only through rediscovering previous religions and philosophies - through the individuals who put forward the ideas - that we can learn how to be genuinely happy again. With wit and warmth, Richard Schoch explores these ideas - from the Meditations of Marcus Aurelius to Buddha's Four Noble Truths - and travels through cultures and centuries to provide enduring wisdom for modern living.