The Quest for Happiness Is a Universal Fact.

It is a scientific fact, which means we can measure happiness, we can assess it, and we can devise strategies to make ourselves happy and fulfilled human beings.

So says Professor Gad Saad, the author of the sensational bestseller The Parasitic Mind and the irrepressible host of The Saad Truth podcast. In this provocative, entertaining, and life-changing new book, he roams through the scientific studies, culls the wisdom of ancient philosophy and religion, and draws on his extraordinary personal experience as a refugee from war-torn Lebanon turned academic celebrity.

In The Saad Truth about Happiness you’ll learn the secrets to living the good life, including:
• How to live the life you want—not necessarily the life expected of you
• Why resilience is a key to happiness
• Why your career needs to have a higher purpose than a paycheck
• Why variety truly can be the spice of life
• Why choosing the right spouse is so important
• Why Aristotle had it right when he preached moderation
• Why you should take a hint from your dog and realize that playfulness equals happiness

The Saad Truth about Happiness is as lively, stimulating, and captivating as its author, who has become a "de facto global therapist" to an ever-growing audience of hundreds of thousands of people. Read this book and you’ll see why so many seek his counsel.

Dr. Gad Saad, the host of the popular YouTube show The Saad Truth and a blogger for Psychology Today, is a professor of marketing at the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University. He held the Concordia University Research Chair in Evolutionary Behavioral Sciences and Darwinian Consumption (2008–2018) and is the author of The Evolutionary Bases of Consumption, The Consuming Instinct, numerous scientific papers, and the national bestseller The Parasitic Mind. He lives with his family in Montreal, Canada.

Gad Saad's profile page

Praise for The Saad Truth About Happiness:

“No one is better at helping us laugh at the madness of today’s modern world than my dear friend, podcaster, and therapist to us all, Dr. Gad Saad. Whether using his acerbic wit to address a public absurdity or broadcasting from under his desk in mock terror as he takes on the latest fear gripping the internet, Gad leads by example in showing us how humor is key to managing stress, upset, anger, and frustration. His new book, The Saad Truth about Happiness, reveals the secrets behind his optimistic approach to life and shows us how we can be happier people too.”—Megyn Kelly, journalist

“There is a virtual epidemic of unnecessary misery in the Western world at the present time. Much of it is the result of ideologies that stress victimization, insist on an external locus of control, and offer a borderless and unconstrained impulsive hedonism as a pathway to the good life. Professor Saad—who is, in truth, an engaging and happy person—offers a wiser alternative. Happiness is to be found, in Dr. Saad’s well-founded estimation, in the spirit of free play; in responsible, altruistic, reciprocal social interactions; in the sense of awe and admiration available to anyone with open eyes. The idea that structureless freedom is anything other
than the desert of the soul is harming people, young and old alike. Dr. Saad offers an alternative vision, laying out a more classic road to the good life, as is generally the case with wise people.”—Dr. Jordan Peterson, bestselling author

“With his characteristic wit, Professor Saad has produced an invaluable guide to the pursuit of happiness. In the glut of mostly worthless self-help books, this valuable gem stands apart. Instead of fly-by-night fads and paper-thin pop psychology, this book’s sage and sane advice draws equally from the springs of ancient wisdom and modern science, grounding us in the eternal truths of human nature. Saad distills these sources into a winsome guide to a more flourishing life.”—Aaron Kheriaty, M.D., psychiatrist and director of the Bioethics and American Democracy Program at the Ethics and Public Policy Institute

“Gad Saad knows that there is no magic formula for achieving happiness. But in this book he distills deep learning and practical wisdom to offer valuable insights grounded in science and experience. Written with warmth and humanity, the Saad Truth, it turns out, is a happy one.”—Dr. Darrin M. McMahon, professor of history at Dartmouth College and author of Happiness: A History

“The Saad Truth about Happiness brims with insight into the journey we all take in life. Its engaging style and personal stories make the abstract principles vibrant. Amidst a flurry of books on happiness, Saad’s evolutionary lens brims with wisdom and novel light on life’s most ancient mystery—how to live an authentic life.” —David M. Buss, author of The Evolution of Desire: Strategies of Human Mating, professor of psychology at the University of Texas at Austin, and founding member of the field of evolutionary psychology

“Embedded in his own lived experiences, his work as an academic, and the occasional advice from the likes of Aristotle and Viktor Frankl, Dr. Saad delivers a tour de force that will increase the likelihood that any of us should find our way to happiness.”—Dr. Drew Pinsky, physician and podcaster

“Evolutionary psychologist and wise man Professor Gad Saad knows how to be happy even amid controversy, turmoil, and danger. He is the epitome of a happy warrior, living up to the meaning
of his last name, Saad, which translates to happiness and prosperity in Arabic. His new book, delightfully written, searches both ancient wisdom and modern social sciences for the answer. It has
practical advice about finding the right life partner, the right job, and how to deal with failure. Ultimately, the answer Professor Saad provides lies more in the variety and depth of a person’s life experiences
than in the heft of a person’s wallet. Read it if you want to learn how to be happy. It is written by someone who knows!” —Jay Bhattacharya, M.D., Ph.D., professor of health policy at Stanford University School of Medicine