We all want to be happy. But what does happiness mean? And what must we do if we wish to achieve it? Never before in history has so much been written about happiness by so many. Every genera¬tion seeks it out. Every civilization defines it for themselves. In her absorbing new book, one of the leading spiritual writers of our times, Joan Chittister, surveys humankind s long quest for happiness, in different periods and different cultures and religious traditions. She finds that the definition of happiness is a very personal thing. Every single human being has to shape it alone and individually. Happiness is something each of us discovers for ourselves. It is the great pursuit of our lives, and it as an intensely personal one.
Joan Chittister is a Benedictine Sister of Erie, Pennsylvania, a frequent visitor to the UK and Ireland, a best-selling author and international lecturer on topics of justice, peace, human rights, women's issues, and contemporary spirituality in the Church and in society. She presently serves as the co-chair of the Global Peace Initiative of Women, a partner organization of the United Nations, facilitating a worldwide network of women peace builders, especially in the Middle East. Her many books include The Gift of Years (DLT).