Happiness in Action: A Philosopher’s Guide to the Good Life

by Adam Adatto Sandel

"Here, at last, is a book about what happiness really means, and why it often eludes us in our stressed-out, always-on lives."
--Arianna Huffington, Founder and CEO, Thrive

A young philosopher and Guinness World Record holder in pull-ups argues that the key to happiness is not goal-driven striving but forging a life that integrates self-possession, friendship, and engagement with nature.

What is the meaning of the good life? In this strikingly original book, Adam Adatto Sandel draws on ancient and modern thinkers and on two seemingly disparate pursuits of his own, philosophy and fitness, to offer a surprising answer to this age-old human question.

Sandel argues that finding fulfillment is not about attaining happiness, conceived as a state of mind, or even about accomplishing one's greatest goals. Instead, true happiness comes from immersing oneself in activity that is intrinsically rewarding. The source of meaning, he suggests, derives from the integrity or "wholeness" of self that we forge throughout the journey of life.

At the heart of Sandel's account of life as a journey are three virtues that get displaced and distorted by our goal-oriented striving: self-possession, friendship, and engagement with nature. Sandel offers illuminating and counterintuitive accounts of these virtues, revealing how they are essential to a happiness that lasts.

To illustrate the struggle of living up to these virtues, Sandel looks to literature, film, and television, and also to his own commitments and adventures. A focal point of his personal narrative is a passion that, at first glance, is as narrow a goal-oriented pursuit as one can imagine: training to set the Guinness World Record for Most Pull-Ups in One Minute. Drawing on his own experiences, Sandel makes philosophy accessible for readers who, in their own infinitely various ways, struggle with the tension between goal-oriented striving and the embrace of life as a journey.

Genres: Philosophy, Psychology

304 pages, Hardcover

Published September 20, 2022

Reviews

[Huiling Zhu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved reading this book. The author thinks deeply about happiness through exercise and daily life. It is thought provoking and easy to read. Great book, we need more books like this so as to understand happiness and virtues.

[Conrad Zero · Rating 3 out of 5]

The "3 star" rating may be misleading. I wanted to give it 4 stars for having some compelling reinterpretation of Socratic and Nietzschean teachings for the modern-day audience. But I also wanted to give it 2 stars for including such an unnecessarily dense and complicated writing style.

I'm disappointed that the author wasn't able to connect his own thoughts of "living in the now" with Taoism, Zen Buddhism, or Eckhart Tolle's The Power of Now. This would have aligned with the writing style better than pop culture references to Mad Men and Breaking Bad.

[Skylee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have been studying happiness for years, especially Aristotle's ideas on Happiness. I found this book is very interesting, it combines Aristotle's way of thinking with modern daily life, which gives us a brand new and profound way of understanding happiness.

[Kalle Wescott · Rating 5 out of 5]

The best part of this book was Walter White as Nietzschean Hero.