Book Presentation

In Gross National Happiness, Brooks examines vast amounts of evidence and empirical research to uncover the truth about who is happy in America and what makes them happy. 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 is largely due to differences in social and cultural values.

What can be done to maximize America’s happiness? Brooks offers surprising and illuminating conclusions about how our government can best facilitate Americans in their pursuit of happiness.

Currently a visiting scholar at the American Enterprise Institute, Arthur C. Brooks is also the Louis A. Bantle Professor of Business and Government Policy at Syracuse University. He writes frequently for the Wall Street Journal and other publications, and he is the author of Who Really Cares: The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism.

This is a summary and not a critique or a review of the book. It does not offer judgment or opinion on the content of the book.  This summary may not be organized chapter-wise but is an overview of the main ideas, viewpoints and arguments from the book as a whole. This means that the organization of this summary is not a representation of the book.