Géraud Guillet leads us step by step toward seven universal pillars of happiness we can rely on to help us approach life with joy: Meaning, Truth, Strategy, Love, Body and Mind, Trust, and Giving. Guillet had the idea for the book after taking part in a humanitarian mission in the Philippines, when he asked himself how it was possible that the people he encountered there faced every day full of joy, despite the most adverse circumstances.

With accounts of extraordinary destinies and through striking statements and numerous references to literature, philosophy, and film, Guillet offers readers a unique experience, immersing them in a process that, page after page, shows them how to distinguish between the things that cause personal unhappiness and those that are crucial for happiness instead. Simple but effective tasks embedded between the chapters challenge readers to grapple with their own happiness directly. The goal is a deep engagement with the self and the design of a valuable life strategy that allows nothing to stand in the way of personal happiness. ‘Everyone is the architect of their own happiness’, is the old adage; and Géraud Gillet manages to support us in our search for our happiness in an encouraging and inspiring way.