This book weaves together the worlds of psychology, philosophy, myths, the fine arts, and contemporary entrepreneurship into a refreshing and entertaining narrative answering five questions, questions that most of us would like answered:
What is the roadmap to happiness?
Is the roadmap reliable, can it be trusted?
If I reach happiness, what can I expect when I get there?
What is the vehicle for traveling along the road following the map?
With so much attention on achieving happiness, how does society flourish?
Psychologists and philosophers tell us that we all seek happiness or well-being in our lives, and the sooner the better. Unfortunately, they are unclear how to actually go about finding this happiness. They tell us where not to look – fame, power, beauty, riches. They give us platitudes – “think positive,” “be kind to others,” “work hard,” “follow your bliss,” etc. But they don’t disclose the specific steps to move forward in life.
Oliver’s book is an essential tool for everyone. It gives each of us three vantage points for reaching happiness: 1) intellectual ideas from great thinkers laying out the roadmap for us to follow (“Prose”), 2) works from the masters of the fine arts that validate the roadmap of the thinkers and inspire all us forward in life (“Art”), and 3) the vehicle within each of us needed to travel the road with map in hand and inspiration by our side.
Oliver is introducing an innovative literary format, the Prose/Art Exposition, which is a dynamic synthesis of the intellectual theories of human motivation with inspiring validation by the works of great artists from the fine arts. This exposition presents the specific steps to move forward that have been elusive so far. In addition, the exposition presents an objective view of the state of happiness and, surprisingly, this view is shared by the great thinkers as well as the masters of the fine arts.
The vehicle to move forward on the road of life is the gift of the entrepreneur within each of us. For some of us, this gift is difficult to keep under control; for others, it is buried deep inside and requires coaxing to bring it out. The great thinkers and artists all agree about the vital role of this gift: happiness cannot be achieved without it.
And, the most challenging question of all is answered: How does the intense focus on achieving one’s own happiness help society to flourish? That is the Holy Grail: the answer to which only great thinkers, ancient and modern, and great masters of the fine arts can provide.
Oliver has the academic training (BA in Physics, Vanderbilt University and MBA in Finance, The Wharton School) and 35 years work experience in entrepreneurship: 1) 20 years as “intrapreneur” with three large Wall Street firms, 2) 13 years as small business owner, and 3) recently founder of Internet start-up providing affordable and unbiased retirement planning for US workers. Oliver also has college teaching experience, having taught upper-level courses in Finance and Statistics as well as his breakout course, Entrepreneurship and the Arts, which is the genesis of his book.
We are all very busy and we don’t have the time to stop and analyze how best to reach our own happiness and flourish in life. Life is very difficult and complex with many traps along the way. It is comforting to have someone collect the teachings of great thinkers and curate works from the masters of the fine arts and arrange them in an innovative reading experience that is informative, entertaining, and inspiring.
Hopefully, as you are finishing the book, out will pop the roadmap to happiness and it will tap you on the shoulder and say, “Where have you been? Life is waiting. We have many IOUs to collect. Follow me!”