The Economist on happiness

The Economist’s Christmas double issue includes a comment and a special report on the debate on happiness and economics. Its comment makes the correct point, if a little coyly, that increasing affluence is immensely beneficial even though it is not guaranteed to bring joy. The special report discusses the work of some of the most prominent happiness gurus including Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, Robert Frank, Daniel Kahneman and Richard Layard.