World's Happiest Places

I am a big fan of Professor Arthur Brooks's work. He is currently the head of the American Enterprise Institute, a conservative think-tank based in Washington, D.C. He is best known for his book "Who Really Cares--The Surprising Truth About Compassionate Conservatism"..a book that debunks an article of faith among liberals and progressives: that those associated with the "left-wing" of the political spectrum tend to be more generous with the charitable giving of time and percentages of income given to worthy causes.

Professor Brooks's work cannot easily by dismissed as right-wing hucksterism. He is a political independent---although I assume, with his appointment as head of the A.E.I., he has now thrown his lot in with the conservatives. Secondly, he examines troves of evidence, e.g. tax returns, opinion surveys, etc., to support his conclusions.

Progressives have slipped into poroxysms of rage because of this book. How dare someone challenge the false narrative that liberals are good and conservatives are evil??? I can picture Keith Olbernmann on MSNBC---a network that has just announced that it will become an extention of the Obama White House's propaganda machine---saying to Professor Brooks, "HOW....DARE....YOU....SIR!!!!"


Brooks's second major book was entitled "Gross National Happiness; Why Happiness Matters for America and How We Can Get More of It." To be honest, I have not read this book, and I'm not even sure I know the general thrust of his argument. I should have read this book by now, but my reading list is growing faster than I am capable of reading...so, doing the math...I may not get to this book for a while.


I was reminded of his work when I read this article on Yahoo's news page. It has interesting implications for the future of this country.

World's Happiest Places

A new report reveals where people feel most positive about their lives

By Lauren Sherman

Where in the world do people feel most content with their lives?

According to a new report released by the Organization for Economic Co-Operation and Development, a Paris-based group of 30 countries with democratic governments that provides economic and social statistics and data, happiness levels are highest in northern European countries.

Denmark, Finland and the Netherlands rated at the top of the list, ranking first, second and third, respectively. Outside Europe, New Zealand and Canada landed at Nos. 8 and 6, respectively. The United States did not crack the top 10. Switzerland placed seventh and Belgium placed tenth.