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The Progressive Policy Think Tank

The happiness industry: How the government and big business sold us wellbeing

Join Will Davies for a discussion of his latest book, The Happiness Industry: How the Government and Big Business Sold us Well-Being.

In this podcast, Will Davies talks about
The Happiness Industry

Will Davies on how the government and big business sold us wellbeing  View audio page

In the past decade, governments and corporations have become increasingly interested in measuring the way people feel: 'the Happiness index', 'Gross National Happiness', wellbeing and positive psychology have come to dominate the way we live our lives. As a result, our emotions have become a new resource to be bought and sold. 

Will Davies explores what this means for how we work, the power of the 'nudge', the ever-expanding definitions of depression, the commercialisation of your most private feelings, and more. He explores the arguments of his latest book, The Happiness Industry: How the Government and Big Business Sold us Well-Being.

Read more: The corruption of happiness

The event was chaired by Zoe Williams of the Guardian, with a response from Juliet Michaelson, acting head of the Centre for Wellbeing at the New Economics Foundation.


Watch a video of the event