From the dustjacket: "Everyone wants to be happy. And we do everything we can to achieve that. In spite of all our material prosperity there remains, however, still something gnawing away from within. We see air pollution, insecurity on the street, political powerlessness, terrorism, blurring of standards and values. We see poverty in the third world and feel guilty. We hear fundamentalists warning against the western values and wonder whether or not they might have a point. We are so happy? Are we, as the western world is on the right road? Or we are heading toward our downfall? Author Eric Bartels presents, in this book, a very provocative and optimistic view in response to the above questions."