Build the Life You Want: The Art and Science of Getting Happier

Build the Life You Want aims to provide readers with a practical, empowering guide to creating the life they desire. To this end, the book is split into two parts. The first part details the principles of emotional self-management, and the second part offers guidance on building the pillars of a good life. At the core of both these sections lies the belief that individual agency is the key to happiness. This type of agency refers to one’s ability to make intentional choices and take purposeful action in shaping an ideal lifestyle regardless of external circumstances. With its action-oriented and individual-centric approach, this book may resonate with readers who are seeking to overcome passivity and assert greater control over their lives. At the same time, this perspective may also alienate readers who desire a more contextual and holistic understanding of happiness that acknowledges the challenges inherent in systemic factors and societal conditions.

One way in which the authors underscore the theme of individual agency is through the use of business-centric language that frames the reader as the CEO of their own life. In the introduction to the book, Brooks describes the life of his mother-in-law, Albina, who lived to the age of 93 and embodied the principles of individual agency and happiness espoused in Build the Life You Want.