Scott Galloway
I’m familiar with Scott Galloway thanks to his various talks on YouTube. Funnily enough, I haven’t read his other book – The Four – which is related to the YouTube videos. But given the logical nature of his talks, and the reasoning behind the conclusions and predictions he makes, I was curious to find out how he approached happiness as a concept. Apparently, this is also the subject of the last session of his Brand Strategy Course at the Stern School of Business, NYU.
If you’re not familiar with his work, it might be a good idea to watch one of his videos. For nothing else but to prepare you for his tone. It’s blunt towards abrasive, but laced with humour, and since it’s usually about brands worth billions, a roast is probably fine. I mention this because the book, despite being about happiness, follows the same style and tonality. I enjoyed it, but if you’re expecting a serious book that delves deep into the theoretical construct of happiness, this might not be the one.
The author begins by admitting that his life is not exactly the perfect framework of happiness. Perhaps that’s what places him in a perfect spot to deconstruct happiness. Multiple entrepreneurship experiences, failed marriage, complicated relationships with parents and friends, all tend to give you perspectives of what happiness actually means.
The book is divided into four section – basics, a deeper look at success, career, ambition, money and the professional life in general, love and relationships, and finally introspection. The age arc of happiness, the importance of having a right partner, alignment on money, not keeping score, being accountable to those who you care for and being present in their last days, understanding your own values, not being an a****ole – the lessons are delivered pretty much staccato outside of the broad sections. Profoundness and profanity coexist, and adds a lot of texture to the narrative.
At the risk of repeating myself, this is quite unlike the standard “happiness” book you will read, but it delivers a bunch of insights that I found valuable. There is bluntness, but there is also humour and empathy, and together it ensures the book gives you some happiness.
