• Gross National Happiness

  • Why Happiness Matters for America and How We Can Get More of It
  • By: Arthur C. Brooks
  • Narrated by: Richard Stevens
  • Length: 6 hrs and 10 mins
  • 4.4 out of 5 stars (33 ratings)

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Gross National Happiness  By  cover art

Gross National Happiness

By: Arthur C. Brooks
Narrated by: Richard Stevens
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Publisher's summary

Democrats and Republicans have two very different visions of America. Which one will make us happier? Who are the happiest Americans

Surveys show that religious people think they are happier than secularists, and secularists think they are happier than religious people. Liberals believe they are happier than conservatives, and conservatives disagree. In fact, almost every group thinks it is happier than everyone else.

In this provocative new book, Arthur C. Brooks explodes the myths about happiness in America. As he did in the controversial Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism, Brooks examines vast amounts of evidence and empirical research to uncover the truth about who is happy in America, who is not, and - most important - why. He finds that there is a real "happiness gap" in America today, and it lies disconcertingly close to America's cultural and political fault lines. The great divide between the happy and the unhappy in America, Brooks shows, is largely due to differences in social and cultural values. The values that bring happiness are faith, charity, hard work, optimism, and individual liberty. Secularism, excessive reliance on the state to solve problems, and an addiction to security all promote unhappiness.

What can be done to maximize America's happiness? Replete with the unconventional wisdom for which Brooks has come to be known, Gross National Happiness offers surprising and illuminating conclusions about how our government can best facilitate Americans in their pursuit of happiness.

©2008 Arthur C. Brooks (P)2010 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Arthur Brooks makes me--how else to put it?--happy. He makes me grossly, nationally happy. If you want to be a real American you need to pause in your life and your liberty and pursue some happiness by reading this book." (P. J. O'Rourke)
"Arthur Brooks may be the most innovative and creative analyst of public policy in America today. His insights are in a different league and may lead to an entirely new approach to thinking through public policy. Gross National Happiness is a must read for every person who wants to understand what policies America needs." (Newt Gingrich)

What listeners say about Gross National Happiness

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Another worth read/listen by Brooks

Arthur C. Brooks is by far on of the best minds we have in America. I listened to this years after it was written. It is timeless. It is spot on today as it was when it was first penned. The chapter on marriage and children should be required reading for anyone getting married and again when they decide to have children.

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Very worthwhile

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If only I was American

It was all about America, even though the facts are applicable.

I much prefer books read by the author.

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