Sarah van Gelder and her colleagues at YES! Magazine have been exploring the meaning of real happiness for eighteen years. In this volume, they marshal research, in-depth essays, and personal stories that lead to a life-altering conclusion: what makes us truly happy are the depth of our relationships, the quality of our communities, our opportunities to make a contribution, and the renewal we receive from the natural world.

What We Know About Real Well-Being -- Introduction Movement to Live More Simply Is Older Than You Think / 10 Things Science Says Will Make You Happy / Who Pays the Price for Cheap Stuff? / Why Everyone Is Happier in More Equitable Societies / We Are Hardwired to Cooperate and Share / Why Saying Hello Matters / Practice of Happiness (or, How You Can Get Some) -- Introduction This Is Your Life -- Show Up For It Mindfully / Give Yourself a Break: Take a Tech Sabbath / Kick Your Addictions, Return to Intimacy / Stop Worrying and Find Work You Love / Follow Your Calling -- Even When It Scares You / Share Meals with Loved Ones / Choose Gratitude / Sustainable Happiness and the Beloved Community -- Introduction Story of Your Gift / Heal, Don't Punish / Hidden Treasures in Your Neighborhood / How to Design Your Neighborhood for Happiness / Five Ways to Meet Your Neighbors / Lessons in Gratitude From a Pay-It-Forward Restaurant / Everything I Need to Know About Happiness, I Learned in the Forest / Wild Geese