Quite a lot of statistics in the book.

I had a hard time finishing The Happiness Equation. The author gets mired down in equations and economic theory early on, then wends his way on tangents that hardly relate to the original topic of happiness. The writing was dense and dry. However, all is not lost. If you're willing to take the time, the book has insightful data that can be used to understand happiness better. For example, one insightful discovery is that we bounce back from negative experiences only when we can "close" on an issue. This means we can be happier even after the death of a loved one by talking about our emotions and finding closure. In contrast, if our mind is continually dwelling on an experience (such as an unpleasant daily commute or being unemployed), then happiness will continue to suffer. In the end I found the book useful in spite of its flaws, but if you're looking for a single book to deal with the topic, this isn't it. Instead I recommend Stumbling On Happiness by Dan Gilbert, Happiness by Matthieu Ricard or even The Pursuit of Perfect by Tal Ben-Shahar.