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.

"When he set out to visit every country by age thirty-five, Chris Guillebeau never imagined that his journey's biggest revelation would be how many people like himself exist -- each pursuing a challenging quest. Those quests are as diverse as humanity itself, such as a suburban mom pursuing a wildly ambitious culinary project, a DJ producing the world's largest symphony, a teenager crossing an entire ocean alone, someone tackling M.I.T.'s famous free online CS50 computer science course and a nerd turning himself into real-life James Bond. Chris began to appreciate the direct link between questing and long-term happiness -- how going after something in a methodical way enriches our lives. 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 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. This book challenges each of us to take control -- to make our lives be about something, to your life count"--Provided by publisher.