I recommend all who are interested in new angles on public policies in our post-left/right world of politics to read Happiness: Lessons from a New Science by Richard Layard.

Layard’s book gives a very good introduction to the interdisciplinary study of Happiness. It provides excellent examples of who psychologists, biologists, economists, philosophers and other scientist have reached new insights into the nature of happiness and our related feelings.

However, when it comes to policy recommendations it is difficult to see how the concept on the more general is really operable. Except that Laylard proposes some very specific – but in my opinion highly commendable – policies with respect to for instance ban on advertising targeted toward children and a special tax on all advertising that uses pictures, graphics or the like that serves to get people to make irrational choices.

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