The Happiness Hypothesis is a book about ten Great Ideas. Each chapter is an attempt to connect with an idea discovered by many cultures around the world - to challenge it in light of what we know today from scientific research and to extract the lessons that still apply in modern life.

Award-winning psychologist Jonathan Haidt shows us how a deeper understanding of universal wisdom and its timeless principles can enrich or even transform our lives. To this end, he examines in the light of modern science the multifaceted division of our mind, the importance of how we perceive the world, the role of reciprocity in social life, our innate biases, the paradoxes of pursuing happiness, the significance of love, the beneficial effects of adversity, the power of spirituality, and the importance of coherence in our lives.

Jonathan Haidt is a professor at New York University. His research focuses on morality - its emotional foundations, cultural variations, and developmental trajectory. One goal of his research is to show how one can approach the moral motivations of their opponents with understanding and respect. He has been named "one of the top 100 global thinkers" by Foreign Policy and Prospect magazines.