Drawing on international comparisons of data on happiness, this book offers both general and academic audiences a simple, deep, and honest answer to the timeless question: "What makes people happy"?

• Coalesces survey data from 29 countries and highlights country-specific examples and cases to offer readers an insightful global perspective grounded in high-quality social science

• Addresses the age-old question of "Does money buy happiness?" and offers an original and surprising answer

• Delivers the takeaway message that social context is more powerful than any one determinant of individual happiness (such as economics or psychology)

• Presents a hopeful prognosis for future generations: that key decisions societies make as a whole—about issues like inequality, public policy, and family—serve to shape happiness