In The Progress Paradox , Gregg Easterbrook draws upon\nthree decades of wide-ranging research and thinking to make the\npersuasive assertion that almost all aspects of Western life have\nvastly improved in the past century–and yet today, most men and\nwomen feel less happy than in previous generations. Why this is so\nand what we should do about it is the subject of this\nbook.

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Between contemporary emphasis on grievances and the fears\nengendered by 9/11, today it is common to hear it said that life\nhas started downhill, or that our parents had it better. But\nobjectively, almost everyone in today’s United States or European\nUnion lives better than his or her parents did.

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Still, studies show that the percentage of the population that\nis happy has not increased in fifty years, while depression and\nstress have become ever more prevalent. The Progress Paradox\nexplores why ever-higher living standards don’t seem to make us any\nhappier. Detailing the emerging science of “positive psychology,”\nwhich seeks to understand what causes a person’s sense of\nwell-being, Easterbrook offers an alternative to our culture of\ncrisis and complaint. He makes a Compelling case that optimism,\ngratitude, and acts of forgiveness not only make modern life more\nfulfilling but are actually in our self-interest.

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Seemingly insoluble problems of the past, such as crime in New\nYork City and smog in Los Angeles, have proved more tractable than\nthey were thought to be. Likewise, today’s “impossible” problems,\nsuch as global warming and Islamic terrorism, can be tackled\ntoo.

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Like The Tipping Point , this book offers an affirming and\nconstructive way of seeing the world anew. The Progress\nParadox will change the way you think about your place in the\nworld, and about our collective ability to make it\nbetter.

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From the Hardcover edition.

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