A groundbreaking investigation that turns everything we think we know about happiness on its head.

Available now in hardcover, ebook, and audio

Joy is the most basic building block of happiness, and this mesmerizing book reveals where to find it — and how to create it. Ingrid Fetell Lee’s blockbuster debut will open your eyes to all the places where joy is hiding in plain sight.

This book has the power to change everything! Writing with depth, wit, and insight, Ingrid Fetell Lee shares all you need to know in order to create external environments that give rise to inner joy.

A completely original treatment of a completely new and original idea. Joyful is an inexhaustible and exciting guide to what makes life good.

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Have you ever wondered why we stop to watch the orange glow that arrives before sunset? Or why we flock to see cherry blossoms bloom in spring?


Is there a reason that people — regardless of gender, age, culture, or ethnicity — are mesmerized by babies, and can’t help but smile when they see a burst of confetti or a cluster of colorful balloons?

We are often taught that our external environment has little or no impact on our inner joy. Increasingly, experts urge us to find balance and calm by looking inward — through mindfulness or meditation — and muting the outside world. But what if the natural vibrancy of our surroundings is actually our most renewable and easily accessible joy?

In JOYFUL, designer Ingrid Fetell Lee explores how the mundane spaces and objects we interact with every day have surprising and powerful effects on our mood. Drawing on cutting-edge neuroscience and psychology, she explains why one place makes us feel anxious or competitive, while another fosters delight and sharing — and, most importantly, she reveals how we can harness the power of our surroundings to live fuller, healthier, and truly joyful lives.

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