The Value of Happiness by Richard Layard

Head Talks

Richard Layard is an Emeritus Professor at the London School of Economics where he is also Director of the Wellbeing Programme, as well as a member of the House of Lords and the co-founder of Action for Happiness. His books include Happiness: Lessons from a New Science, and Thrive. Lord Layard began his career as an economist and was one of the first to study the economic and social importance of happiness. Once we measure what makes people happy, he argues, we can develop policies to improve the happiness of our society. Our first priority should be to improve mental health services, particularly those from children. He says he’s seen profound cultural change in recent years as we have learned to talk more about these issues, but warns of the risks that social media can pose to our happiness.