The Happiness Industry
Exploring the rise of happiness as a dominant cultural concept, the book traces its origins from Bentham’s 18th‑century philosophy to contemporary policy debates and corporate practices. It examines how businesses use employee‑well‑being programs and surveillance to boost productivity, and how scientific studies increasingly focus on brain chemistry rather than self‑reported feelings. The work argues that the field of happiness research functions more as an extension of extreme capitalism than a true science.