The Good Life

Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness

By: Robert Waldinger M.D. M.D., Marc Schulz Ph.D Ph.D

Narrated by: Robert Waldinger M.D. M.D., Marc Schulz Ph.D Ph.D

A New York Times Bestseller

What makes for a happy life, a fulfilling life? A good life? In their “captivating” (The Wall Street Journal) book, the directors of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, the longest scientific study of happiness ever conducted, show that the answer to these questions may be closer than you realize.

What makes a life fulfilling and meaningful? The simple but surprising answer is: relationships. The stronger our relationships, the more likely we are to live happy, satisfying, and healthier lives. In fact, the Harvard Study of Adult Development reveals that the strength of our connections with others can predict the health of both our bodies and our brains as we go through life.

The invaluable insights in this book emerge from the revealing personal stories of hundreds of participants in the Harvard Study as they were followed year after year for their entire adult lives, and this wisdom was bolstered by research findings from many other studies. Relationships in all their forms—friendships, romantic partnerships, families, coworkers, tennis partners, book club members, Bible study groups—all contribute to a happier, healthier life. And as The Good Life shows us, it’s never too late to strengthen the relationships you already have, and never too late to build new ones. The Good Life provides examples of how to do this.

Dr. Waldinger’s TED Talk about the Harvard Study, “What Makes a Good Life,” has been viewed more than 42 million times and is one of the ten most-watched TED talks ever. The Good Life has been praised by bestselling authors Jay Shetty (“an empowering quest towards our greatest need: meaningful human connection”), Angela Duckworth (“In a crowded field of life advice...Schulz and Waldinger stand apart”), and happiness expert Laurie Santos (“Waldinger and Schulz are world experts on the counterintuitive things that make life meaningful”).

With “insightful [and] interesting” (Daniel Gilbert, New York Times bestselling author of Stumbling on Happiness) life stories, The Good Life shows us how we can make our lives happier and more meaningful through our connections to others.

Critic reviews

"The authors/narrators, who are mental health researchers and administrators, offer inspiring information that goes beyond scientific findings. Performing alternate chapters with vocal clarity and humanitarian intentions, they persuasively argue that strong personal relationships are essential for happiness and that such relationships can be started or re-energized at any stage of life. The study they oversee finds that people who don’t prioritize connecting with others die younger and are more lonely, physically sick, and negative about their lives. One of the authors sounds earnest and pleasingly vulnerable; the other more self-contained and matter-of-fact. Both sound sensitive to the human condition, a trait that will allow their touching message to influence listeners who might be avoiding or underappreciating the value of meaningful relationships."

Eye Opener

The study was definitely well done. I learn about the importance of relationships and our life span.

MUST READ

I usually don’t enjoy or benefit from this sort of book. However, this is truly a wonderful exception. The presentation is very captivating in a simple but poignant way. This is a book that everyone who reads, will receive great long term benefit!

Great insights for all ages!

Enjoyed this book. It was a bit slow to get into the content. Maybe shorten the detailed info about the Harvard study - but once into the content very engaging and enlightening. Also if one purchased the Audio book version - is one able to get the book graphs and tools discussed?

Excellent advice and information

The book really reminded me that we can all have a good life. I’m sharing this with all the people I love.

I connected and felt deeply satisfied…and scared.

Such a profound study. I loved listening and I this and it made me love life, and also was a reminder that things are finite. Love your loves.