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  • Published: 29 November 2022
  • ISBN: 9781529111064
  • Imprint: Vintage
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 304
  • RRP: $29.99

The Sweet Spot

Suffering, Pleasure and the Key to a Good Life





Revealing the surprising roots of lasting happiness, The Sweet Spot by pre-eminent psychologist Paul Bloom explains why suffering is an essential source of both pleasure and meaning in our lives.

Revealing the surprising roots of lasting happiness, The Sweet Spot by pre-eminent psychologist Paul Bloom explains why suffering is an essential source of both pleasure and meaning in our lives.

'Paul Bloom can always be counted on to take your confident assumptions about humanity and turn them upside down' SUSAN CAIN, author of Quiet
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What if experiencing a good life involves more than just pleasure?

It seems obvious that pleasure leads to happiness - and pain does the opposite. And yet we are irresistibly drawn to a host of experiences that truly hurt, from the exhilarating fear of horror movies or extreme sport to the gruelling challenges of exercise, work, creativity and having a family.

Drawing on groundbreaking findings, pre-eminent psychologist Paul Bloom explores the pleasures of suffering and reveals why the activities that provide the most satisfaction are often the ones that involve the greatest sacrifice. Embracing this truth, he shows, is the key to a life well lived.
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'An exhilarating antidote to toxic positivity, this captivating book will challenge you to rethink your vision of a good life' ADAM GRANT, author of Think Again

'This delightful and wonderfully written book gets to the heart of one of the most important questions in modern thought, illustrating how complex and paradoxical human happiness really is' GREG LUKIANOFF, co-author of The Coddling of the American Mind

  • Published: 29 November 2022
  • ISBN: 9781529111064
  • Imprint: Vintage
  • Format: Paperback
  • Pages: 304
  • RRP: $29.99

About the author

Paul Bloom

Paul Bloom is Professor of Psychology at Yale University. He is an internationally recognised expert on the psychology of language, social reasoning, morality and art. His previous books include Just Babies and How Pleasure Works, and he has written for numerous publications, including the New York Times, New Yorker and the Guardian. Bloom has won several awards for his research, articles and teaching, and his ‘Introduction to Psychology’ class was one of seven selected by Yale to be made available worldwide. His TED talks have been viewed 2.8 million times.

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