Happiness pursuit takes book prize
Wednesday, 16 May 2007 12:20
Stumbling on Happiness was described as "highly readable"
Science In Focus
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A scientific take on the pursuit of happiness has won a prestigious science book award.
Daniel Gilbert's Stumbling on Happiness was named last night as the Royal Society's science book of the year.
In it he guides readers through the various ways people try to make themselves happy, drawing on psychology, neuroscience and personal experience. Mr Gilbert uses science to show how it is not always the conventional routes that lead to happiness.
He saw off competition from novels based on climate change, memory and the Galapagos Islands' Lonesome George tortoise.
Professor Colin Pillinger, chair of the judges and a professor of planetary sciences, said that the six books short-listed for the award were all "excellent" and that reaching a decision was "extremely difficult".
"Stumbling on Happiness is an outstanding and highly readable winner of this year's prize," he said.
"Daniel Gilbert's voice provides a witty companion throughout this exploration of the science behind the pursuit of happiness."
Commenting on the award, Mr Gilbert said he was "absolutely delighted to receive this tremendous honour".
"There are very few countries (including my own) where a somewhat cheeky book about happiness could win a science prize – but the British invented intellectual humour and have always understood that enlightenment and entertainment are natural friends," he added. "So God bless the empire!"