Lately, “the good life” is all the rage in philosophical circles. Which isn’t a surprise – it’s a subject that most decent philosophers have dealt with. But why so many new books and why now? The challenge is to differentiate the wheat from the chaff. Joel K. Kupperman has been writing interesting books such as, Six Myths about the Good Life: Thinking About What Has Value and Ethics and Qualities of Life. Personally, I’m with Socrates’ advice which may not have been an answer to “how to happy” but it works: Know thyself.
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Eileen P. Daly-Boas 
Have you looked into the Happiness stuff that Richard Ryan is working on? I’ll try to get a citation to one of his articles – he likes his stuff to be out on the web.
I haven’t seen Richard Ryan’s stuff. Good to know. Thanks!
When I start thinking along these lines, I inevitably end up back at Douglas Adams’ Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy. Slartibartfast says, “Perhaps I’m old and tired, but I think that the chances of finding out what’s actually going on are so absurdly remote that the only thing to do is to say, “Hang the sense of it,” and keep yourself busy. I’d much rather be happy than right any day.”
Here’s an idea of Ryan’s work on what he calls the myth of a good life:
http://www.rochester.edu/pr/Review/V62N3/feature5.html
So what you’re really saying is that it’s finally “in” to be a Bradfordian!?… It was a good idea to mention this site on Facebook. I think it’s appropriate that you are hosting this weblog since you are such a clear thinker and a capable writer! Good luck with your back troubles 🙂