Drawing on international comparisons of data on happiness, this book offers both general and academic audiences a simple, deep, and honest answer to the timeless question: "What makes people happy"?\Coalesces survey data from 29 countries and highlights country-specific examples and cases to offer readers an insightful global perspective grounded in high-quality social science\Addresses the age-old question of "Does money buy happiness?" and offers an original and surprising answer\Delivers the takeaway message that social context is more powerful than any one determinant of individual happiness (such as economics or psychology)\Presents a hopeful prognosis for future generations: that key decisions societies make as a whole—about issues like inequality, public policy, and family—serve to shape happiness.

Introduction : The science of happiness -- A happy person -- Happiness is: social context -- Marriage and happiness in the United States and Japan -- A happy couple -- The (re)distribution of happiness -- An unhappy person -- Unhappiness in post-communist societies -- Conclusions -- Appendix: technical analyses.