Reason to Be Happy: Why logical thinking is the key to a better life

by Kaushik Basu

Brought to you by Penguin.

Why do our friends have more friends than we do? Can simple maths help us with our self-esteem? And how can game theory offer solutions to the climate emergency?

When we reason well, it is easier to be happy (and good and also, you know, right). But when dealing with others, it's not enough to be clever - you must be able to put yourself in the shoes of the clever person opposite you and think of what they might do. It's this insight that lies at the heart of Reason to Be Happy, whether you are dealing with the Cuban Missile Crisis or letting go of anger.

Full of fascinating thought experiments and revealing stories, Reason to Be Happy is a paean to the power of rationality. If you want to have a good life and even make the world a better place, you need to start by thinking clearly.

Genres: Nonfiction, Self Help, Economics

Audible Audio

Published January 18, 2024

About the author

Kaushik Basu (born 9 January 1952) is an Indian economist who is currently the Chief Economic Adviser to the Government of India and is also the C. Marks Professor of International Studies and Professor of Economics and, till recently, he was Chairman of the Department of Economics and Director, Center for Analytic Economics at Cornell University.


He is Editor of Social Choice and Welfare, Associate Editor of Japanese Economic Review and is on the Board of Editors of the World Bank Economic Review. In 2008, the Government of India awarded him the Padma Bhushan, one of the country's highest civil honors.

Reviews

[Peter McClintock · Rating 4 out of 5]

Although there are only a few ratings for this book I think it deserves more than a 3. It's all about expectations. If you're looking for deep insights on happiness maybe it's a 3, but it's really a book about game theory. I found it interesting and thought provoking.

[Evie Coghill · Rating 1 out of 5]

not my cup of tea, didn’t really have a clue what was going on

[Dylan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book that shed light on how economics, psychology, and philosophy can make the world a better place.

I will not recommend it as an audiobook as there are a couple of diagrams.

[Frédéric Bonin · Rating 1 out of 5]

I did not finish this book but did read about 2/3 of it. It started out interesting but then veered into something I didn’t enjoy.

The book is supposed to be about reasoning but felt more to me like a bunch of name dropping of authors, philosophers, academics mixed with the author’s own musings.

I don’t think it was the author’s intent but the tone of the book progressively felt insufferably academic and from a lifetime of privilege.

I was genuinely struggling to keep intellectually therefore I probably wasn’t the right audience anyway and chose to return the book to the library and not finish it which is rare for me.

[Via · Rating 3 out of 5]

Bagian "Corporation Guilt Shelter" dalam buku Kaushik Basu membahas bagaimana perusahaan sering kali menggunakan berbagai cara untuk menghindari tanggung jawab moral dan hukum atas tindakan mereka, meskipun tindakan tersebut merugikan masyarakat atau lingkungan. Basu menyoroti bahwa perusahaan besar sering kali beroperasi dengan cara yang memungkinkan mereka menutupi kesalahan atau menghindari konsekuensi dari tindakan mereka, menggunakan struktur hukum, birokrasi, dan komunikasi yang kompleks.

Konsep ini menjelaskan bagaimana perusahaan bisa menghindari rasa bersalah atau tanggung jawab melalui peraturan yang menguntungkan mereka atau dengan memindahkan tanggung jawab ke pihak lain, seperti kontraktor, cabang perusahaan, atau bahkan karyawan. Misalnya, ketika terjadi kerusakan lingkungan atau pelanggaran hak asasi manusia, perusahaan sering kali berusaha untuk menghindari hukuman dengan menyalahkan pihak ketiga atau mengandalkan celah hukum.

Bagian "Dear Nation" dalam buku Kaushik Basu adalah seruan reflektif dan kritis terhadap kondisi bangsa dan masyarakat saat ini. Basu berbicara langsung kepada pembaca dengan nada yang introspektif, seolah-olah berbicara kepada sebuah bangsa yang sedang menghadapi tantangan moral, sosial, dan ekonomi. Ia mengajak kita untuk melihat ke dalam dan mengevaluasi tindakan, kebijakan, dan pilihan yang diambil oleh individu maupun kolektif.

Basu menyoroti bahwa masalah yang dihadapi bangsa—seperti ketidaksetaraan, korupsi, dan konflik—tidak hanya disebabkan oleh kesalahan pemimpin atau sistem, tetapi juga oleh perilaku dan pilihan kita sebagai warga negara. Ia mendorong masyarakat untuk mengambil tanggung jawab bersama dalam membangun negara yang lebih adil dan berkelanjutan, bukan hanya mengandalkan pemimpin atau institusi.

Dalam "Dear Nation," Basu menekankan pentingnya kolaborasi, integritas, dan komitmen terhadap nilai-nilai yang lebih tinggi untuk membawa perubahan positif. Ia menyerukan agar kita tidak hanya menjadi penonton pasif dari peristiwa yang terjadi, tetapi juga menjadi agen perubahan yang aktif, dengan keberanian untuk menghadapi ketidakadilan dan memperjuangkan kebaikan bersama. Pesan ini adalah panggilan untuk introspeksi dan tindakan nyata demi membentuk masa depan yang lebih baik bagi generasi mendatang.

[Geert Bijloos · Rating 3 out of 5]

The title is somewhat misleading. I thought it would be more on individual happiness and lifehacks through reasoning. A light read also. The book is about revolutions and creating a better world for everyone. A much more Noble idea of course, just not what I was expecting. Pretty interesting though.

[Dizo · Rating 1 out of 5]

Esperaba una lectura de fácil comprensión, siento que mezcla muchos temas sin profundizar en uno en específico, a veces sentía que estaba leyendo filosofía, otras economía.

Me hubiera gustado que tuviera sus puntos más claros

[John · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too anti-God rhetoric for my liking.

[Gemma Meehan · Rating 2 out of 5]

Interesting premise but didn’t use many real world examples eg of when being moral would acc be bad for collective good

[R. · Rating 3 out of 5]

作者講自身經歷的部分，比書本身要探討的主題讓人覺得快樂、有趣。例如第二章有一篇叫《你以為只有你有爺爺嗎？》