Book excerpt: SYNOPSIS The choice of actions and decisions requires skill and wisdom, not just self-interest or just group interest. Containing 21 precepts, The Way to Happiness helps guide one in those choices encountered in life. This might be the first nonreligious moral code based wholly on common sense. FULL DESCRIPTION True joy and happiness are valuable. If one does not survive, no joy and no happiness are obtainable. Trying to survive in a chaotic, dishonest and generally immoral society is difficult. Any individual or group seeks to obtain from life what pleasure and freedom from pain that they can. Your own survival can be threatened by the bad actions of others around you. Your own happiness can be turned to tragedy and sorrow by the dishonesty and misconduct of others. I am sure you can think of instances of this actually happening. Such wrongs reduce one's survival and impair one's happiness. You are important to other people. You are listened to. You can influence others. The happiness or unhappiness of others you could name is important to you. Without too much trouble, using this book, you can help them survive and lead happier lives. While no one can guarantee that anyone else can be happy, their chances of survival and happiness can be improved. And with theirs, yours will be. It is in your power to point the way to a less dangerous and happier life.