When you ask people about their most cherished values in life, “happiness” is always at the top of the list. But surprisingly few people claim real happiness. We seem to be completely satisfied with nothing, and indeed, there is little correlation between the circumstances of people’s lives and how happy they are.

In this book, lecturer, theologian, philosopher, and Los Angeles radio personality Dennis Prager ruminates on what makes happiness such a serious problem to solve. He discusses the difference between happiness and success and between happiness and fun and how to adjust our expectations of life. Prager maintains that insatiable human nature makes lasting happiness profoundly difficult to achieve but that nevertheless, it can be a reality. When happiness is treated with the same level of seriousness that people bring to life’s other tasks, it becomes immediately more tangible and thus achievable.