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‘A unique insight into wellbeing and happiness … Andy possesses a special awareness of the human condition, stemming from his medical training and a wide range of experiences working with people in his community.’
Professor Adrian Bonner
Honorary Professor in the School of Applied Social Sciences, University of Stirling
We all want to be happy, although ‘happiness’ can mean very different things to different people.
But what if I don’t feel happy? Is my life less worthwhile? And is there such a thing as lasting happiness anyway?
Western society places great emphasis on the pursuit of health, wealth and pleasure, with a general expectation that having these in abundance will lead directly to The Good Life. But anxiety, depression and loneliness are rife in our communities, and it is common for people to struggle with relationships, and to feel they have a low sense of meaning and lasting fulfilment. Is there a better way for us to try to live?
Andrew Parnham believes that there is, but such a way may take us in unexpected directions. In Lasting Happiness he invites us to explore this path in his company, looking beyond our immediate perceptions to consider our universal longings, the extraordinary way in which our brains engage with the world and ourselves, how healthy relationships develop and can be restored, and how meaning and fulfilment may actually be attained.
Andrew Parnham was brought up in the West Country but moved to London to study medicine. After years working as a doctor he turned to community work in inner London, during which time he and his family moved for a while to live in the Middle East. He went on to train as a Life Coach and now works as a wellbeing coach, trainer and advisor in many contexts.
