The Other Side of Happiness

Pain is bad, right? In this fascinating book, Brock Bastian will convince you otherwise. Drawing on both vivid everyday examples and surprising laboratory findings, he shows how pain, suffering, and struggle give us pleasure, make us kinder, focus our thoughts, and give our life meaning. Bastian is a brilliant researcher and deep thinker and THE OTHER SIDE OF HAPPINESS is a delight to read – Paul Bloom, author of AGAINST EMPATHYBrock Bastian skilfully shatters the zeitgeist of positive thinking, showing how struggle and suffering are vital elements of a life well lived – Adam Grant, author of ORIGINALS and OPTION B with Sheryl SandbergThis is a marvellous, thought-provoking challenge to how we think about and go about the pursuit of happiness. If you’re tired of all the simple minded books telling you to just cheer up and be happy, this is the book for you! – Roy F. Baumeister, author of WILLPOWER: REDISCOVERING THE GREATEST HUMAN STRENGTHExplains why hardship sometimes yields richer lives that are laden with meaning, deep social connections, and unexpected bliss. A beautifully written and important book that should be required reading for anyone who’s ever wondered why well-being so often flourishes in unexpected places – Adam Alter, author of DRUNK TANK PINK

Dr. Brock Bastian is an Associate Professor in the School of Psychological Sciences at the University of Melbourne. His studies have been reviewed in leading news outlets such as Time Magazine, Huffington Post, Economist, New Scientist, Scientific American, CNN, ABC, Globe and Mail, The New Yorker and New York Magazine. Brock’s pioneering approach to research has been acknowledged with the Wegner Theoretical Innovation Prize, and his presentations have been included on the ABC Radio National Big Ideas podcast.