Happiness is Fleeting by Andrew E. Crowley

The fragile ideal that happiness is the ultimate pursuit of life is forcefully challenged in Happiness is Fleeting: The First Steps To Fulfillment, a quick and motivational read by author Andrew E. Crowley.

There is no denying that our modern society has resulted in widespread addiction to happiness, or at least the idea of it. The things we buy, the way we are told to feel, and our standard metrics for success are largely driven by our hunger for this abstract emotion. As an alternative, Crowley suggests a greater level of personal accountability and focus in order to seize control of our lives, rather than letting external forces dictate your level of satisfaction.

While this is an admirable notion, and one that the author’s terse, matter-of-fact tone suggests to be a logical and simple choice, this book is surprisingly short and the practical steps laid out are limited, given the enormity of this titanic shift in mindset. The author touches on key aspects of life, such as growth, empowerment, and fulfillment, but these sections feel abbreviated.

As a result, the book seems more like an extended outline for a much larger text on this critical and universally relevant topic. Crowley has distilled a good deal of sage knowledge and advice into a quick and accessible read, but the informal style and occasionally tangential flow of ideas would benefit from increasing the book’s length and detail.

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