When Likes Aren't Enough

A Crash Course in the Science of Happiness

By: Tim Bono PhD PhD

Narrated by: Tim Bono PhD PhD

Are you as authentically happy as your social media profiles make it seem?

When a group of researchers asked young adults around the globe what their number one priority was in life, the top answer was "happiness." Not success, fame, money, looks, or love...but happiness. For a rising generation of young adults raised as digital natives in a fast-paced, ultra-connected world, authentic happiness still seems just out of reach. While social media often shows well-lit selfies and flawless digital personas, today's 16- to 25-year-olds are struggling to find real meaning, connection, and satisfaction right alongside their overburdened parents.

An Introduction to Happiness tackles the ever-popular subject of happiness and well-being, but reframes it for a younger reader struggling with Instagram envy and high-stakes testing, college rejections and helicopter parents. Professor of positive psychology Dr. Tim Bono distills his most popular college course on the science of happiness into creative, often counterintuitive, strategies for young adults to lead happier, more fulfilling lives.
Filled with exciting research, practical exercises, honest advice, and quotes and stories from young adults themselves, An Introduction to Happiness is a master class for a generation looking for science-based, real world ways to feel just a little bit happier every day.

Critic reviews

"This is one of the best books I've read that offers practical solutions for the mental health crisis. This should be required reading not only for students and higher education professionals, but for anyone who is interested in adopting healthier habits in their own lives. A must read!"
—Dr. Amelia Parnell, vice president for research and policy at NASPA-Student Affairs Administrators in Higher Education

"There are so many things to pull out of this book even beyond strategies to achieve happiness-Bono shows readers how they can make many choices that lead to a healthier lifestyle overall. His students' stories powerfully bring the research into practice."
—Dr. Beth Lingren Clark, assistant dean and director of first-year programs at University of Minnesota

Almost certain I'll listen to this book again

Written and read by a college professor. The book is well written, clever, and the chapters are well structured. The studies described are interesting and the stories of the professors personal experiences and students make the contrast between scientific study and personal emotion very fluid. In the audiobook, it's a little difficult to understand when he's talking about himself rather than a student, but in most cases I didn't find that not knowing who the personal story belonged to detracted from the validity of the experience. I've recommended this to several of my friends who are science minded or currently in school.