Theory of Happiness by Hyung-Seok Kim

**Over 50,000 copies sold**

What does real happiness look like? How can we find true purpose, meaning and connection in our finite time on Earth?

105-year-old Professor Kim reveals key aspects of ancient Korean philosophy and shares stories from over a century of living to help us live better.
Showing us how to lean into the world with more softness, gratitude, openness and sincerity – especially when confronted with life’s challenges – he invites us to discover the everyday lessons we can take from Korean values, giving invaluable insight into:

how to find the happiness that already exists in our daily lives
how we can cultivate happiness through hard work and personal growth
how to nurture happiness in our closet relationships
how we can enjoy happiness that grows with us as we age and mature.

The answers to finding genuine, long-lasting happiness in life are more straightforward than we think.

This Korean bestseller from a 105-year-old professor – known as the grandfather of Korean philosophy – shows us how we can curate our own happiness from within, sharing his philosophical wisdom from a life long-lived as well as key teachings from ancient Korean philosophy.

About the Author: Professor Hyung-Seok Kim is a 105-year-old first-generation Korean philosopher. A former Harvard research professor, he has found true happiness in life, having overcome adversity from a young age, and is committed to spreading joy and helping others through his work. He was born in and grew up in the North Korean province of South Pyongan before leaving to study philosophy at Choson University in Japan. From 1954, he served as a professor of philosophy at Yonsei University, South Korea, for 31 years, laying the foundations of contemporary Korean philosophy as we know it today. He was a research professor at Harvard University and the University of Chicago and, to this day, remains engaged with lecturing, broadcast and writing.

12 Feb 2026
 

A Theory of Happiness: Lessons from a 100 year old Korean Philosopher THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER by Hyung-Seok Kim ISBN 9781037200434