The Good Life, Robert Waldinger
The Good Life, Robert Waldinger
7 Rating(s)
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The Good Life
Lessons from the World's Longest Scientific Study of Happiness

Author: Robert Waldinger, Marc Schulz

Narrator: Robert Waldinger, Marc Schulz

Unabridged: 11 hr 9 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/10/2023

Includes: Bonus Material Bonus Material Included


Synopsis

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.

About Robert Waldinger

Dr. Robert Waldinger is a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School, director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development at Massachusetts General Hospital, and cofounder of the Lifespan Research Foundation. Dr. Waldinger received his AB from Harvard College and his MD from Harvard Medical School. He is a practicing psychiatrist and psychoanalyst, and he directs a psychotherapy teaching program for Harvard psychiatry residents. He is also a Zen master (Roshi) and teaches meditation in New England and around the world.

About Marc Schulz

Marc Schulz is the associate director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development and the Sue Kardas PhD 1971 Chair in Psychology at Bryn Mawr College. He also directs the Data Science Program and previously chaired the psychology department and Clinical Developmental Psychology PhD program at Bryn Mawr. Dr. Schulz received his BA from Amherst College and his PhD in clinical psychology from the University of California at Berkeley. He is a practicing therapist with postdoctoral training in health and clinical psychology at Harvard Medical School.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Liong on February 08, 2024

Forget money, fame, and fancy stuff! The secret to a great life, researchers say, is having good friends and family around you. This is what a super long study found, following folks for ages! The book tells real stories from the study's participants, making it easier to understand. Here's what they le......more

Goodreads review by Angie on November 28, 2022

Good life is good friends, good family, good relationships Everyone wants to know what makes a happy and fulfilling life, but how do you find out? As The Good Life says, “We are always comparing our insides to other people’s outsides”. Harvard has been taking on this challenge in a study that began m......more

Goodreads review by Joan on January 28, 2023

I was really excited for this book, and the opening chapters started out strong. An evidence-based book on the science of happiness, from the world's longest longitudinal population study? Sold. And as I said, I really loved the initial few chapters, particularly the context on how this study came a......more

Goodreads review by Rachel (TheShadesofOrange) on February 11, 2023

4.0 Stars This was such a fascinating summary of this long running study. The actual participants were all white guys, but I appreciated that the book acknowledged the lack of intersectionality and attempted to be inclusive.  The main finding was introduced right at the beginning so it's not a spoiler......more

Goodreads review by Truman32 on February 10, 2023

I read in the New York Times that Harvard has been doing a study on happiness since the 1930's. Since I always take the start of a new year as a chance to improve myself, I thought readingThe Good Life by smartypants Robert Waldinger, MD and Marc Shulz, PHD would be a good idea. There are many ways......more


Quotes

"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."