The Age of Absurdity: Why Modern Life Makes it Hard to be Happy

by Michael Foley

0 ratings • 0 reviews • 1 shelved
Book cover for The Age of Absurdity

Bookhype may earn a small commission from qualifying purchases. Full disclosure.

The good news is that the great thinkers from history have proposed the same strategies for happiness and fulfilment. The bad news is that these turn out to be the very things most discouraged by contemporary culture. This knotty dilemma is the subject of The Age of Absurdity - a wry and accessible investigation into how the desirable states of wellbeing and satisfaction are constantly undermined by modern life. Michael Foley examines the elusive condition of happiness common to philosophy, spiritual teachings and contemporary psychology, then shows how these are becoming increasingly difficult to apply in a world of high expectations. The common challenges of earning a living, maintaining a relationship and ageing are becoming battlegrounds of existential angst and self-loathing in a culture that demands conspicuous consumption, high-octane partnerships and perpetual youth. In conclusion, rather than denouncing and rejecting the age, Foley presents an entertaining strategy of not just accepting but embracing today's world - finding happiness in its absurdity.
  • ISBN10 1847375243
  • ISBN13 9781847375247
  • Publish Date 4 February 2010
  • Publish Status Out of Print
  • Out of Print 29 September 2011
  • Publish Country GB
  • Imprint Simon & Schuster Ltd
  • Format Paperback (UK Trade)
  • Pages 272
  • Language English