Books like Meanings of life by Roy F. Baumeister

Jonathan Haidt blends modern psychology and brain science with ancient wisdom to explain what makes people happy and how to increase it.

David Brooks examines the shift from external accolades to internal virtues, using historical leaders to show how humility, self‑discipline, and moral depth guide true character and life fulfillment.

Sonja Lyubomirsky, a research psychologist at the University of California, reveals a research‑based, step‑by‑step plan to boost happiness in everyday life, drawing on studies with thousands of participants.

People the world over suffer from the inability to control their finances, their weight, their emotions, their craving for drugs, their sexual impulses, and more. The United States in particular is regarded by some observers as a society addicted to addiction. Therapy and support groups have proliferated not only for alcoholics and drug abusers but for all kinds of impulse control, from gambling to eating chocolate. Common to all of these disorders is a failure of self-regulation, otherwise known as "self-control.". The consequences of these self-control problems go beyond individuals to affect family members and society at large. In Losing Control, the authors provide a single reference source with comprehensive information on general patterns of self-regulation failure across contexts, research findings on specific self-control disorders, and commentary on the clinical and social aspects of self-regulation failure. Self-control is discussed in relation to what the "self" is, and the cognitive, motivational, and emotional factors that impinge on one's ability to control one's "self."

Explore how everyday life offers deep meaning through belonging, purpose, storytelling, and transcendence, and learn to build a culture of meaning in schools, work, and communities.