When he set out to visit all of the planet’s countries by age thirty-five, compulsive goal seeker Chris Guillebeau never imagined that his journey’s biggest revelation would be how many people like himself exist – each pursuing a challenging quest. And, interestingly, these quests aren’t just travel-oriented. On the contrary, they’re as diverse as humanity itself. Some involve exploration; others the pursuit of athletic or artistic excellence; still others a battle against injustice or poverty or threats to the environment. Everywhere that Chris visited he found ordinary people working toward extraordinary goals, making daily down payments on their dream. These “questers” included a suburban mom pursuing a wildly ambitious culinary project, a DJ producing the world’s largest symphony, a young widower completing the tasks his wife would never accomplish, and a teenager crossing an entire ocean alone - as well as a do-it-yourselfer tackling M.I.T.’s computer-science course, a nerd turning himself into real-life James Bond, and scores of others writing themselves into the record books. The more Chris spoke with these strivers, the more he began to appreciate the direct link between questing and long-term happiness -- how going after something in a methodical way enriches our lives -- and he was compelled to complete a comprehensive study of the phenomenon and extract the best advice. In The Happiness of Pursuit he draws on interviews with hundreds of questers, revealing their secret motivations, their selection criteria, the role played by friends and family, their tricks for solving logistics, and the importance of documentation. Equally fascinating is Chris’ examination of questing’s other side, including questers’ acute awareness of mortality, their struggle against monotony, and their wistful feelings once a quest has succeeded. What happens after the summit is climbed, the painting hung, the endurance record broken, the “at risk” community saved? A book that challenges each of us to take control – to make our lives be about something while at the same time remaining clear-eyed about the commitment -- The Happiness of Pursuit will inspire readers of every age and aspiration. It’s a playbook for making your life count.


夢想實踐家古利博決定在 35 歲以前造訪世界上每一個國家時，從沒想過這趟旅程中最大的發現，竟是世界上有許多像他這樣在積極追尋挑戰的人。更有趣的是，這些追尋之旅並不完全是以旅遊為主，而是因人而異、千變萬化，有些跟探險有關，有些是體能或藝術上的突破，還有些是為了正義、貧窮和環境威脅而發聲。古利博造訪的每一個地方，都能發現平凡的人朝不平凡的目標努力不懈，一點一滴實現他們的夢想，這些追尋者包括了：住在郊區的媽媽，滿懷抱負想實現一個烹飪計畫；一個小小的 DJ 想製作出世界上最大規模的交響樂；一位年輕的鰥夫希望能繼續完成妻子未完成的事；一個年輕小夥子獨自橫渡海洋；有人企圖只靠自己一人完成麻省理工學院的計算機科學課程；一個宅男成功將自己轉型成真人版詹姆斯‧龐德；還有其他許多成功創下紀錄的人。古利博跟這些追尋者接觸得越多，越相信追尋之旅和長遠幸福之間確有直接關聯，如果能用正確的方法達成目標，便能使生命更充實。對此，他做了全面性研究並且提出最可行的建議。古利博採訪了好幾百位追尋者，探討他們故事背後的動機、選擇夢想的標準、朋友和家人對他們的影響、過程中後勤支援的策略以及文件紀錄的重要性；他也檢視這些追尋之旅的另一面向，同樣引人入勝，像是追尋者都覺得生命短暫，努力想戰勝一成不變的生活，以及追尋成功時對於追尋過程的留戀。爬到山頂之後，接下來會發生什麼呢？完成的畫作掛上牆壁之後呢？打破耐力賽的紀錄之後呢？危機社區得救之後呢？這是一本讓我們挑戰自我的書，要我們掌控自己的生活，讓生活更加有意義，同時也清楚了解訂下的承諾。不管您現在幾歲、有什麼樣的夢想，本書必能為您帶來激勵，活出精彩人生。