Best Books on Happiness: 25 TOP Happiness Books

Looking for the best books on happiness?

You’re in the right place!

Here’s what you’ll find on this page…

Everything You Need to Be Happy

From books on the science of happiness to books about joy, gratitude and positivity to books about how to be happy you’ll find everything you need to find satisfaction, create more contentment and lead a happier, more fulfilled life in the books on this page.

Note: If you know exactly what’s making you unhappy then don’t forget to check out TAoL‘s other book recommendations for top reading lists on topics like health, mindfulness, relationships, learning, productivity, mindset, wealth and more.

The 25 BEST Books on Happiness of All Time

Why these books and not others? The best books on happiness below are the top picks from my master database, ranked by a combination of Goodreads rating, the number of Goodreads reviews and first publication date. The goal is to give a good balance of what’s most loved, what’s most popular and what’s delivered timelessly relevant advice.

Think something’s missing? Email me and I’ll add it to the next round of updates. I honestly love hearing from you so please, do get in touch!

Books 1-10: The Top 10 Best Books on Happiness of All Time

Here are the 10 best books on happiness from my database…

1. The Power of Positive Thinking – Norman Vincent Peale

Published 1952 // 128 pages // Rated 4.1 over 96,300 reviews on Goodreads

2. The Art of Happiness – Dalai Lama XIV

Published 1998 // 336 pages // Rated 4.1 over 105,800 reviews on Goodreads

3. On the Shortness of Life – Seneca

Published -49 // 106 pages // Rated 4.2 over 24,500 reviews on Goodreads

4. The Art of Living – Epictetus

The Classical Manual on Virtue, Happiness and Effectiveness

Published 125 // 128 pages // Rated 4.2 over 17,500 reviews on Goodreads

5. The Happiness Hypothesis – Jonathan Haidt

Finding Modern Truth in Ancient Wisdom

Published 2005 // 297 pages // Rated 4.1 over 33,400 reviews on Goodreads

6. The Conquest of Happiness – Bertrand Russell

Published 1930 // 183 pages // Rated 4.0 over 11,400 reviews on Goodreads

7. A Guide to the Good Life – William B. Irvine

The Ancient Art of Stoic Joy

Published 2008 // 326 pages // Rated 4.2 over 19,800 reviews on Goodreads

8. Learned Optimism – Martin E.P. Seligman

How to Change Your Mind and Your Life

Published 1990 // 319 pages // Rated 4.0 over 18,500 reviews on Goodreads

9. The Happiness Advantage – Shawn Achor

The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work

Published 2010 // 272 pages // Rated 4.1 over 31,500 reviews on Goodreads

10. Lovingkindness – Sharon Salzberg

The Revolutionary Art of Happiness

Published 1995 // 256 pages // Rated 4.1 over 7,400 reviews on Goodreads

Books 11-25: 15 Good Books on Happiness to Read Next

Here are the next 15 best books on happiness my database…

More Book Recommendations

Enjoyed this list of the best books on happiness of all time?

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Arthur Worsley
I founded TAoL to discover and share the best wisdom on how to live long and prosper. Before that I studied Psychology, Philosophy & Physiology at Oxford and consulted at McKinsey. Still curious? Learn more or take my FREE productivity quiz.