The Good Life

November 1, 2022
Since 1938, the Harvard Study of Adult Development has tracked the lives of 724 participants (268 Harvard students and 456 inner-city Boston teens, all male and white) and their descendants (including women). Every two years, participants are sent a questionnaire requesting data on physical fitness, social changes, and emotional status. Every 15 years, questions are asked in person so that interviewers can add their own observations. Pouring through the collected data, the authors began to see patterns in their lives. Whether they became scholars, blue-collar workers, or served in the armed forces, the participants' responses pointed to successful relationships rather than money earned as an indicator of their overall happiness. Dipping into the data, Waldinger and Schulz explore the power of strong relationships at home, at work, and in the community. Each chapter begins with a sampling of the questions posed to the participants. The responses are placed in context as the authors provide background information for the participants. Readers are able to pose these questions to themselves and compare responses, thus acquiring an unusual and valuable perspective.

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November 21, 2022
Waldinger and Schulz, director and co-director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, unpack in this fascinating outing some key findings of the landmark 84-year survey of human happiness. Beginning in 1938, a group of 724 male participants submitted to interviews every two years; the now three-generation enterprise involves their approximately 1,300 descendants (the study now also includes female descendants). Researchers have pinpointed one vital ingredient for happiness: good relationships. The authors paint vivid portraits of participants, among them Leo DeMarco—a high school teacher who defined himself by his relationships, and was one of the study’s happiest participants—and John Marsden, a successful lawyer certain that his “career...would bring him happiness... was never able to find a path to joy.” As well, the authors explain the health benefits that positive social relationships can confer (promoting a stronger immune system), and share tips for cultivating strong relationships (consciously using empathy to help connect) and weathering challenges within them (striving for “reflective” rather than “reflexive” responses to difficult situations). Exercises and prompts appear throughout and are intended to help readers recognize and maintain the connections they value. Combining intensive research with actionable steps, this penetrating testament to the power of human connection offers gems for almost anyone looking to improve their happiness.

December 16, 2022

Waldinger and Schulz are the current directors of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which began in 1938 and is still active today. This appealing book distills the key to happiness into one simple thought: "Good relationships keep us healthier and happier." The study follows the original participants and their descendants throughout their lives with questions relating to their health, habits, behaviors, emotions, and beliefs in an effort to discover what makes people thrive. Using anecdotes from the study, the authors show the importance of strong, stable relationships to living a satisfying life. Different types of relationships are explored, ranging from family members to casual encounters with baristas, and the authors provide advice on building and repairing many different types of connections. They note the inherent biases present in the initial study and use findings from more inclusive studies to bolster their findings. VERDICT This is an approachable overview of this notable study that can be understood and appreciated by many. Waldinger's TED talk about this subject is in the top 10 of most-viewed talks, so expect interest.

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Starred review from December 1, 2022
A comprehensive examination of what makes a "good life," based on a study that "has followed the lives of two generations of individuals from the same families for more than eighty years." Waldinger and Schulz, the current director and associate director of the Harvard Study of Adult Development, which began in 1938, use the data from this massive research project to make a convincing argument about what constitutes a good life. Early in the book, they give their conclusion: "Good relationships keep us healthier and happier. Period." The authors present consistently fascinating insights about the lives of many of the study's participants, as well as those in related studies, showing what aspects of life are most beneficial, regardless of age, gender, class, wealth, or status. Encompassing the experiences of more than 1,300 descendants from the original 724 participants, the project is "the longest in-depth longitudinal study of human life ever done"--and it is ongoing. The resulting book, write Waldinger and Schulz, "is deeply informed, appropriately, by the long and fruitful friendship of its authors." Most readers fully understand the chaos of modern-day life, "a haze of competing social, political, and cultural priorities, some of which have very little to do with improving people's lives." The Harvard Study, on the other hand, has always remained devoted to illuminating the "lived experiences" of the participants, showing the value of a wide variety of relationships, whether focused on family, friends, romantic partners, or work colleagues. Throughout, the authors maintain a conversational tone and include many of the questions and exercises used in the study to allow readers to examine their own relationships and to develop them further. The book is perfect for readers of Arthur Brooks, Daniel Pink, Angela Duckworth, and other writers who delve into how to fashion prosperous, fulfilling lives. An engrossing look at why relationships matter, featuring an unprecedented abundance of data to back it up.

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