Follow Steven Schwartz Hard yakka: is it good for you?
Written by Steven Schwartz on June 30th, 2009
The narrator in Banjo Paterson’s famous poem Clancy of the Overflow hates his clerical job. He yearns for a taste of Clancy’s life, imagining the drover experiences “pleasures that the townsfolk never know”. And while Clancy can behold “the vision splendid of the sunlit plains extended”, the writer is imprisoned in his dingy little city [...]
Chasing happiness
Written by Steven Schwartz on March 2nd, 2009
According to recent press reports, Commonwealth public servants spent hundreds of thousands of dollars attending a workshop designed to make them happier.
Public servants are not the only ones chasing happiness.
Books on happiness are selling like hotcakes. Even the Dalai Lama has written one.
Happiness books have overtaken cookery and sex books, which are traditionally the best [...]
Laying down the law on happiness
Written by Steven Schwartz on June 5th, 2008
As a vice-chancellor I get many requests to speak at various functions around the country. One that I couldn’t resist dropped onto my desk recently: an invitation to discuss the topic ‘If money can’t make us happy, can government?’
A survey conducted in the UK earlier this year pointed out that although household wealth and expenditure [...]
