"The Two Most Important Days" by Sanjiv Chopra and Gina Wild

265 pages; Published by Thomas Dunne Books, ©2017

Everyone is chasing happiness. People are looking everywhere for something to lift their spirits. In today's world, people seem to have access to more, more possessions, more gadgets to make life easier, more toys that allow them to become oblivious to what is happening around them. But are all of these things making their life better or their moods happier? Sanjiv Chopra and Gina Vild don't seem to think so, and they want to help people do something about that.

Chopra and Vild have collaborated on a book that seeks to help people on their journey to happiness. Their book, "The Two Most Important Days", combines empirical and anecdotal evidence to support methods you can use to feel happier and navigate your way through bad days and life's setbacks. Some of these methods are ages old and time-tested. Some of these methods are new and may seem a little odd at first.

TTMID looks at the most common ways people try to cheer themselves up. Some of these ways won't work, and some of these ways will only work for a short time. The authors explain why some ways commonly sought to attain happiness might be fruitless and how people can find "the pathway to well-being." Chopra and Vild look at what residents of various countries have done throughout the years. These practices have different names depending on the land and the language, and there are specific words in languages (like the Danish "hygge" and the Spanish "Tranquillo") that quantifies happiness and contentment can prove to be elusive in a fast-paced world.

But are these countries happier? Do residents of Denmark have more happiness because they seem to able to identify it more deeply than America or Japan? TTMID offers statistics and dives into those numbers to explain to you what the results mean. In addition to where the most happy people are, the book also looks at the happiest age ranges and why. For instance, studies show that the happiest people in the world are the elderly, but why? And could the same be said 20 years ago?

What is it that contributes to happiness? Chopra and Vild offer a number of components, some on their own and some combined with other elements, that can help a person in their seemingly fruitless quest. Sometimes it can be something as simple as a cup of good coffee or a yoga session. However simple or however nearby, there are 265 pages of reading, including poetry, and exercises that you can do if you feel you haven't yet found your purpose. Your happiness could be in a new project or hobby. It could be in art. Must an artist suffer to compete a work? Chopra and Vild have something to say about that.

Whether it's in a poem, a story, or in a blank space for you to jot down answers to a question, "The Two Most Important Days" offers something for everyone. It's a work that people should pick up and devote some time to. It just may be the thing to help them on their search for happiness and could help them make others happy.