The Art of the Interesting

Ready to live your best possible life? It's time to make it interesting. Based on the new science of psychological richness, a guide to get beyond happiness and purpose and cultivate what makes our lives truly good.

Do you know anyone who's truly living "The Good Life"? Traditionally, philosophers have seen it as an equation: The Good Life = Happiness + Meaning. But, if it's really that simple, why don't more of us achieve that truly "good" life? Emerging research in psychological and philosophical circles is showing us that there is more to the good life than the current-and even ancient-conversation suggests, and the results are exhilarating.

Researchers have identified the missing constant in this equation as psychological richness. Lorraine Besser, a founding investigator in these studies, calls this "The Interesting."

Put simply, "The Interesting" is an experience that captivates you, engages you, helps you let go of whatever is holding you back from fully engaging in the world around you. It's different for everyone, and everyone can obtain and strengthen the skills necessary to access it. The agency we have in making our lives psychologically rich is both empowering and exciting.

Perfect for devotees of Ryan Holliday, Katherine May, and Gretchen Rubin, Besser's groundbreaking manifesto marries a thoughtful approach with real-world applications. She offers delightful stories, tools, and mindsets we can use to "keep it interesting" as we reach toward fuller, more satisfying lives.

"A profoundly delightful read full of compelling real-life examples. The Art of the Interesting is a fantastic contribution to the literature on well-being and happiness."--Valerie Tiberius, Prof. Philosophy at The University of Minnesota and author of What Do You Want Out of Life?: A philosophical guide to figuring out what matters
"The Art of the Interesting is a readable, thoroughly enjoyable book about a long-overlooked aspect of human happiness."--President Laurie L. Patton, Middlebury College
"The Art of the Interesting will capture your attention and invariably change your approach to your day-to-day life."--Jim Ralph, Dean of Faculty, Rehnquist Professor of American History and Culture at Middlebury College and author of Northern Protest
"In The Art of the Interesting, Lorraine Besser demonstrates that a critical component to a good life is what scientists refer to as the psychologically rich life. This integration of philosophy and psychologic science gives us a new perspective of the importance of 'interestingness' as a critical aspect of human fulfillment."
--James R. Doty, M.D., author of the New York Times bestseller, Into the Magic Shop: A Neurosurgeon's Quest to Discover the Mysteries of the Brain and the Secrets of the Heart and Founder & Director of the Stanford Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education (CCARE)
"It's difficult to imagine a more interesting topic than interestingness itself. Anyone who has a curious mind will be interested in this."--Gwen Bradford, Prof. of Philosophy at The University of Toronto and author of Achievement
"Lorraine Besser has developed a novel and refreshing category for defining and finding our best lives. Seamlessly weaving together scientific research, philosophical theories, and illuminating stories, Besser contends that in addition to happiness and fulfillment, we need to consider the very 'richness' of a life. This interesting book lives up to its title, but more than that, it dispenses wisdom on cultivating the richness of life Besser so eloquently advocates." --Gordon Marino, author of The Existentialist's Survival Guide and Prof. of Philosophy at St. Olaf College
"Lorraine Besser has done a remarkable job of integrating philosophy and psychology to suggest, for the first time, a crucial new element of the good life beyond the traditional philosophical ends of happiness and meaning-- psychological richness."--Alison Gopnik, author of The Scientist in the Crib, columnist WSJ and Prof. of Psychology and Philosophy at the University of California, Berkeley
"Lorraine Besser shines a light on this new and emerging science of psychological richness, what she calls the interesting. To now have this new piece of the puzzle illuminated and unlocked is invigorating and points the way to a lot fresh and energizing insight about how we can create out most successful and fulfilled lives."--Emma Seppälä, Author of Sovereign and The Happiness Track

Lorraine Besser, Ph.D. is Professor of Philosophy at Middlebury College where she teaches popular courses for undergraduates on happiness, well-being, and ethics. She has been part of the research team studying and publishing on psychological richness for several years. She is an internationally recognized scholar and the author of two academic books (The Philosophy of Happiness: An Interdisciplinary Introduction and Eudaimonic Ethics: The Philosophy and Psychology of Living Well) and multiple popular and professional journal articles. She is regularly invited to speak at a variety of venues including conferences and universities.

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