Intro -- Introduction -- Section 1 Happiness in General, and Pleasure in Particular -- 1 Can Happiness Actually be Pursued? -- The Laid-Back Philosophical Objection -- The Hedonic Adaptation Objection -- The Genetic Determinism Objection -- 2 Why Should Happiness be a Goal? -- The Best Lower- and Mid-Range Goal Selection -- Intrinsic vs. Extrinsic -- Authentic vs. Inauthentic -- Approach vs. Avoidance -- Harmony vs. Conflict -- Activity vs. Circumstance -- Flexibility vs. Rigidity -- Pursuit vs. Attainment -- The Benefits of Being Happy -- Alternatives to Happiness as Life's Major Goal -- The Backlash -- The Reply -- 3 Pleasure -- Evolution's Great Gift (and Aristotle's Excellent Definition) -- But: Evolution's Big Burden (Always the Pursuit, Never the Completion) -- Enhancing Pleasure -- Twelve Pleasure Enhancements, Specially Targeted at the Chronically Ill -- Pleasure's Proper Place -- Between Hedonism and Stoicism -- Ben-Shahar's Pleasure Personality Archetypes -- Back to Lessons from Stoicism and Hedonism: Special Concerns for the Chronically Ill -- Flow -- Conclusion -- Section 2 The External Goods -- 4 Work and Income -- The World of Work -- Micro-Tips -- Kinds of Work -- Flow, and The Importance of Work -- Accommodating Disabilities at Work -- Ben-Shahar's "MPS" Process -- Aristotle's Ideal Forms of Work -- Money -- Happier Spending -- Being Money-driven -- Comparison, Class, and Control -- Conclusion -- 5 Social Institutions -- Social Animals -- Enduring Relevance -- The Basic Structure -- The Happiest Societies -- Drawing Insights from "The World's Happiest Societies" -- The Economy -- Government -- The Law -- Armed Force -- Enabling Institutions -- Family -- Culture -- Summarizing Insights from the World's Happiest Societies -- Happiness and Human Rights -- Concluding Thoughts for the Chronically Afflicted.

6 Interpersonal Relationships -- Two Theories: Head vs. Heart -- Chronic Conditions, and Their Impact on Cognitive Benefit and Affectionate Attachment -- Aristotle on Love and Friendship -- Application of Aristotle to Chronic Conditions -- Marriage or Equivalent: Learning from the Best . . . and the Worst -- Speaking of the Best: Clinging to Ideals? -- Conclusion -- 7 The Body -- Physical Health and Happiness in General -- Big Picture: "Blue-Zone" Longevity -- Small Picture: "Fake It Until You Make It" -- Aristotle (and Others) on Body, Beauty, and Happiness -- Motion and Exercise -- Nutrition and Hydration -- Conclusion: Aristotle's Warnings About Weakness of Will -- Section 3 The Internal Goods -- 8 Mental Hygiene -- Positive Thinking -- Tools of Thought? -- The Role of Others in Positive Thinking -- Social Comparison -- Thinking About the Past -- Religious Belief -- Meditation -- Your Best Possible Self -- 9 Emotional Hygiene -- Six Universal Emotions -- Diminishing Negative Emotions -- Increasing the Positive Emotions -- The Two Big Personality Traits -- Neuroticism -- Extroversion -- Those Two Other Traits: Openness and Agreeableness (Including Sense of Humour) -- Coping -- Conclusion: Emotional Intelligence (EQ) and Maturity -- 10 Moral Character -- But Really? -- Virtues (and Vice) in General -- Particular Virtues -- Courage, in Conclusion -- Notes.