The Wild Longing of the Human Heart: The Search for Happiness and Something More

By William Cooney

The search for happiness has been an enduring quest for us all. The greatest minds from history--Plato, Aristotle, Epicurus, Rousseau, Kant, Mill, Gandhi, Einstein and many others—all confirm that happiness is the one thing we all crave after. The Wild Longing of the Human Heart is divided into two parts. Part one examines the brief history of happiness which has not always meant exactly the same thing to all cultures and individuals, and then moves on to summarize the latest information from the areas of brain science as well as the field of positive psychology. Part two proposes that it is not happiness (in the psycho-physiological sense of something like tranquility) which is the true goal of human living. Rather, the true goal of the “wild longing” is a meaningful life, guided by the search for truth, beauty and goodness.

• Language: English
• Publisher: RowmanLittlefield
• Release date: Dec 1, 2015
• ISBN: 9780761866961

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Reviews for The Wild Longing of the Human Heart

[Andrew Ansoleaga · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The Wild Longing of the Human Heart” by William Cooney was an assigned text for a class, and after reading it, I was thoroughly disappointed. Despite its grandiose title and stated purpose, I found the book to be nothing more than a shallow and repetitive collection of personal reflections and oversimplified philosophical musings. Cooney overuses chatty anecdotes, which detract from deeper analytical exploration and dampen the potential scholarly value of the book. The lack of depth and nuance frustrated me, particularly given the numerous motivational and self-help texts on the market today that offer similar themes and perspectives in a more captivating and nuanced manner. All in all, the book was a substantial letdown, and I would not recommend it to anyone who is seriously interested in exploring the philosophical underpinnings of human existence.