Business of Life
Since I'm always interested in happiness, this article, despite its title - I hate smiley faces - caught my eye, Smiley Phrases about our hunger
for happiness books.
The "self-help" book category is now just about $670 million a year. Those little gift books at the checkout register are more like greeting cards with added value; their sales aren't even tracked in the book industry.
People hunger for happiness, even more for meaning. The Purpose Driven Life by Rick Warren has sold an astonishing 20 million copies.
Religious books have greater sales, about $1.8 billion and sales are expected to increase 37% over the next five years.
Stanford University philosophy professor John Perry says the best advice for bliss comes from Confucius and your grandmother.
"Confucius said happiness is a well-ordered life and family" - in other words, taking time to do the basic things right, Perry says. "Your grandmother said keep busy, have friends, don't be self-absorbed."
If we listened to these wise old heads, Perry concludes, "we wouldn't need all those books."