Aleksandr Michelson, PhD, is the Founder and Research Director of Happy by Science OÜ in Tallinn, Estonia. He also works in public policy, contributing to applied analysis and policy development. Trained as an economist (PhD in Economics with a specialization in Business, Tallinn University of Technology), he works at the intersection of research and practice, with a focus on happiness and well-being.Over the past decade, Michelson has led and contributed to more than 40 applied research projects for public institutions and partners. His projects examine how everyday systems people rely on, including work, social protection, education, culture, and health-related policy, shape quality of life. Earlier in his career, he worked in people operations, an experience that continues to inform his interest in workplace realities and well-being in practice. He has also taught as a visiting lecturer at Tallinn University of Technology and has published peer-reviewed research, book chapters, and applied policy reports. His writing aims to make complex evidence usable in real settings without promising one-size-fits-all answers.

• Introduction.- The Long History of Happiness: From Antiquity to World War II.-  Postwar Turns in Happiness Science: From Positive Psychology to Policy.- Contemporary Understandings of Happiness: Concepts, Timescales, and Cultures.- The Evidence Base for Happiness: Scales, Self-Reports, and Their Limits.- Happiness and Its Conceptual Neighbors: Well-Being, Flourishing, Meaning, Fulfillment, and Quality of Life.- The Four Circles: Me, My Days, My Ties, My World.- Designing a Personal Pathway to Happiness.- The Map, Not the Destination.

Aleksandr Michelson, PhD, is the Founder and Research Director of Happy by Science OÜ in Tallinn, Estonia. He also works in public policy, contributing to applied analysis and policy development. Trained as an economist (PhD in Economics with a specialization in Business, Tallinn University of Technology), he works at the intersection of research and practice, with a focus on happiness and well-being.Over the past decade, Michelson has led and contributed to more than 40 applied research projects for public institutions and partners. His projects examine how everyday systems people rely on, including work, social protection, education, culture, and health-related policy, shape quality of life. Earlier in his career, he worked in people operations, an experience that continues to inform his interest in workplace realities and well-being in practice. He has also taught as a visiting lecturer at Tallinn University of Technology and has published peer-reviewed research, book chapters, and applied policy reports. His writing aims to make complex evidence usable in real settings without promising one-size-fits-all answers.

• Introduction.- The Long History of Happiness: From Antiquity to World War II.-  Postwar Turns in Happiness Science: From Positive Psychology to Policy.- Contemporary Understandings of Happiness: Concepts, Timescales, and Cultures.- The Evidence Base for Happiness: Scales, Self-Reports, and Their Limits.- Happiness and Its Conceptual Neighbors: Well-Being, Flourishing, Meaning, Fulfillment, and Quality of Life.- The Four Circles: Me, My Days, My Ties, My World.- Designing a Personal Pathway to Happiness.- The Map, Not the Destination.

Aleksandr Michelson, PhD, is the Founder and Research Director of Happy by Science OÜ in Tallinn, Estonia. He also works in public policy, contributing to applied analysis and policy development. Trained as an economist (PhD in Economics with a specialization in Business, Tallinn University of Technology), he works at the intersection of research and practice, with a focus on happiness and well-being.Over the past decade, Michelson has led and contributed to more than 40 applied research projects for public institutions and partners. His projects examine how everyday systems people rely on, including work, social protection, education, culture, and health-related policy, shape quality of life. Earlier in his career, he worked in people operations, an experience that continues to inform his interest in workplace realities and well-being in practice. He has also taught as a visiting lecturer at Tallinn University of Technology and has published peer-reviewed research, book chapters, and applied policy reports. His writing aims to make complex evidence usable in real settings without promising one-size-fits-all answers.

• Introduction.- The Long History of Happiness: From Antiquity to World War II.-  Postwar Turns in Happiness Science: From Positive Psychology to Policy.- Contemporary Understandings of Happiness: Concepts, Timescales, and Cultures.- The Evidence Base for Happiness: Scales, Self-Reports, and Their Limits.- Happiness and Its Conceptual Neighbors: Well-Being, Flourishing, Meaning, Fulfillment, and Quality of Life.- The Four Circles: Me, My Days, My Ties, My World.- Designing a Personal Pathway to Happiness.- The Map, Not the Destination.