Book Review: 2 Treasure Boxes
Publisher: Recorded Books, Listening Length: 12 hours and 2 minutes (320 pages), ASIN: B00286JVY0

Imagine a self help book that actually worked resulting in an end to all of humanities problems. What would happen to our world if everyone’s woes were immediately resolved and there was no longer any conflict of any kind for 97% of the population?

Will Ferguson is the author of 12 books, written in a number of different genres, which include literary fiction, satire, and travel adventure. Happiness is a satire and has received several literary awards. The story is told in a third person narrative from the point of view of Edwin de Valu, a rather unpleasant protagonist who enjoys kicking the cat.

This is an interesting concept that looks at the world of publishing as well as the world of self-help. Edwin was the unlucky editor who finds and publishes the self help book “What I Learned on the Mountain.” Edwin was one of the 3% of the population who was unaffected by this self-help book. In many ways this self-help book becomes the main character in the story and has an arc, whereas the main protagonist, Edwin de Valu does not grow or change in any way as the story progresses. The main protagonist is a jerk. The overall message is that mankind needs adversary to help us to grow and improve and that if everyone was content then we would eventually die out as a species.

This book brings up several questions and it is an enjoyable read.  Happiness is a standalone story and I recommend it as a good read. Following are a few questions to ponder. Please feel free to share your thoughts.

Questions to ponder:

Do human beings need adversary to grown and improve?

Is the old adage, what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger”, true? 

Did you feel that Edwin grew or changed as the story progressed? If so, how?

To Purchase: “Happiness” from Amazon, click here or on picture above