The Architecture of Happiness

Author(s): Alain de Botton

Philosophy

One of the great, but often unmentioned, causes of both happiness and misery is the quality of our environment: the kind of walls, chairs, buildings and streets we're surrounded by. And yet a concern for architecture and design is too often described as frivolous, even self-indulgent. The Architecture of Happiness starts from the idea that where we are heavily influences who we can be - and argues that it is architecture's task to stand as an eloquent reminder of our full potential.Whereas many architects are wary of openly discussing the word beauty, this audiobook has at its centre the large and naïve question: 'What is a beautiful building?' It amounts to a tour through the philosophy and psychology of architecture, which aims to change the way we think about our homes, streets and ourselves.


Product Information

Clever, provocative and fresh as a daisy Literary Review Full of splendid ideas, often happily and beautifully expressed ... an engaging and intelligent book Independent Genuinely thought-provoking Time Out

Alain de Botton was born in Zurich, Switzerland, in 1969. He is the author of Essays in Love, The Romantic Movement, Kiss and Tell, How Proust Can Change Your Life, The Consolations of Philosophy, The Art of Travel, Status Anxiety, The Architecture of Happiness, The Pleasures and Sorrows of Work, A Week at the Airport, Religion for Atheists, How to Think More About Sex, Art as Therapy, and The News: A User's Manual. Alain is a bestselling author in 30 countries. He lives in London, where he runs The School of Life and Living Architecture. Alain de Botton's first novel in nearly two decades, The Course of Love, will be published in April 2016.

General Fields

  • : 9780241970058
  • : Penguin UK
  • : Penguin (General UK)
  • : June 2014
  • : July 2014
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Alain de Botton
  • : Paperback
  • : 1
  • : English
  • : 720.1/03
  • : 280
  • : AMA
  • : B/W interleaved throughout