A review by alexmsevans
The Conquest of Happiness by Bertrand Russell
3.0
3.5/5 Despite my fairly average rating, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants to pick it up. I personally love Bertrand Russell and his witty style of writing. Many, if not most, of the points made resonated with me, and his advice is something I will look towards implementing in my life.
Where the book went wrong is simply due to its age. Yes, there were many prejudices held in the '30s that the modern reader has to grit through, but perhaps even more damning is the change in modern social dynamics. While the points of race and gender felt uncomfortable at best, these anecdotes did not necessarily change Russell's overall point. However, when it came to talking about the social expectations of women, marriage, and work, our current political climate has changed so much that at times the entire point becomes irrelevant. Still, there wasn't a single idea that was too seriously impacted by these faults, and Russell provides enough examples outside of these to get the argument across.
Where the book went wrong is simply due to its age. Yes, there were many prejudices held in the '30s that the modern reader has to grit through, but perhaps even more damning is the change in modern social dynamics. While the points of race and gender felt uncomfortable at best, these anecdotes did not necessarily change Russell's overall point. However, when it came to talking about the social expectations of women, marriage, and work, our current political climate has changed so much that at times the entire point becomes irrelevant. Still, there wasn't a single idea that was too seriously impacted by these faults, and Russell provides enough examples outside of these to get the argument across.