The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de Botton

The Architecture of Happiness by Alain de BottonWhat makes a house truly beautiful? Why are many new houses so ugly? Why do we argue so bitterly about sofas and pictures and can differences of taste ever be satisfactorily resolved? To answer these questions and many more, de Botton looks at buildings across the world, from medieval wooden huts to modern skyscrapers; he examines sofas and cathedrals, tea sets and office complexes, and teases out a host of often surprising philosophical insights. The

There are no teachers

life in Blue Mountain when she was pursued by 'gentleman callers'

Like the Tao Te Ching or the Dhammapada

self-confidence

She was imprisoned and exiled

and a man too innocent for his times

unforgettable in its descriptions

who aren't medical doctors or Ph

" they replied

who waits patiently for him at home

Belief can be so strong that pharmaceutical companies use double- and triple-blind randomized studies to try to exclude the power of the mind over the body when evaluating new drugs

de Botton takes twenty-five archetypal news stories