One of the basic beliefs of contemporary society has been that increasing prosperity and comfort will automatically lead to greater happiness. But we now have the data to prove that it's just not so...

Happiness: The Thinking Person's Guide teaches you how to be happier by exploring the science of happiness in human beings and revealing why we feel joy and sorrow when it often makes more sense to feel the opposite.Did you know that survival instincts left over from caveman days make us want things that are no longer good for us? Ever wondered why men tend to seek power and status and women worry about their physical appearance? Answering these questions and many more Richard O'Connor explains why we feel the way we do and trains us to:

- Develop core skills that we need to feel happiness today
- Fight the 'I see, I want' elements in ourselves that lead to unhappiness
- Manipulate dissatisfaction to change the way we view life
- Distinguish between second-rate desire and true happiness

Using self-assessment exercises combined with fascinating science this practical self-help guide will teach you how to rewire your brain to feel more joy; it's simply a learning process.

Richard O'Connor shows you ways to greater happiness * Telegraph *

Richard O'Connor is a psychotherapist in private practise who served as director of a large non-profit community mental health centre for 14 years. He is the author of three books, including Undoing Depression and Undoing Perpetual Stress. He currently practises in Connecticut and Manhattan in the USA.