The good news is that the great thinkers from history have proposed the
same strategies for happiness and fulfilment. The bad news is that these
turn out to be the very things most discouraged by contemporary culture.
This knotty dilemma is the subject of The Age of Absurdity - a wry and
accessible investigation into how the desirable states of wellbeing and
satisfaction are constantly undermined by modern life. Michael Foley
examines the elusive condition of happiness common to philosophy, spiritual
teachings and contemporary psychology, then shows how these are becoming
increasingly difficult to apply in a world of high expectations. The common
challenges of earning a living, maintaining a relationship and ageing are
becoming battlegrounds of existential angst and self-loathing in a culture
that demands conspicuous consumption, high-octane partnerships and
perpetual youth. In conclusion, rather than denouncing and rejecting the
age, Foley presents an entertaining strategy of not just accepting but
embracing today's world - finding happiness in its absurdity.