Lok Sang Ho – författare

This book applies the analytical framework used by economists to investigate how one can make the most out of one’s life, thus achieving happiness and fulfilment.

Building upon the author’s earlier work, this book blends the classic theories and empirical evidence of positive psychology with economic concepts of choice, capital, information costs, and household production. It includes topics including happiness at work, corporate culture, and sustainable development, which are at the forefront of this interdisciplinary field. Every chapter is accompanied by a summary of key points, as well as reflective questions for students.

This book will interest researchers and students in happiness economics and positive psychology, and anyone keen to learn more about living fuller, happier lives.

This book applies the analytical framework used by economists to investigate how one can make the most out of one’s life, thus achieving happiness and fulfilment.

Building upon the author’s earlier work, this book blends the classic theories and empirical evidence of positive psychology with economic concepts of choice, capital, information costs, and household production. It includes topics including happiness at work, corporate culture, and sustainable development, which are at the forefront of this interdisciplinary field. Every chapter is accompanied by a summary of key points, as well as reflective questions for students.

This book will interest researchers and students in happiness economics and positive psychology, and anyone keen to learn more about living fuller, happier lives.

Much attention has been given to the economics of everyday life, which typically applies economic principles to the analysis of the different choices that people face under different situations. Yet there are hardly any books on the economics of life—an economics that takes the finite lifespan as the starting point and that looks at how one can maximize the subjective value from life given the constraint of the limited lifespan.

In this volume, Lok Sang Ho suggests that the lack of progress in happiness among developed countries despite significant economic growth is due to a deficit of "mental goods", rather than a lack of material goods. The author stresses the role of culture and mental habits in determining the efficacy of gaining mental goods which includes love, a sense of security and autonomy, contentment, self-esteem, self-acceptance, and freedom from anxiety. Drawing on empirical research, the book explores how to invest, work, and consume from a whole life perspective, arguing that every action - consumption, investment, or work - should enhance the total quality of life. This overriding concern about life itself is known as love.

The Psychology and Economics of Happiness uses the analytical framework of economists on a subject studied by positive psychologists, drawing both from empirical evidence and from psychological literature. It will be of interest to researchers and academics interested in economic and positive psychology, as well as those from related fields keen to learn more about living fuller, happier lives.

Much attention has been given to the economics of everyday life, which typically applies economic principles to the analysis of the different choices that people face under different situations. Yet there are hardly any books on the economics of life—an economics that takes the finite lifespan as the starting point and that looks at how one can maximize the subjective value from life given the constraint of the limited lifespan.

In this volume, Lok Sang Ho suggests that the lack of progress in happiness among developed countries despite significant economic growth is due to a deficit of "mental goods", rather than a lack of material goods. The author stresses the role of culture and mental habits in determining the efficacy of gaining mental goods which includes love, a sense of security and autonomy, contentment, self-esteem, self-acceptance, and freedom from anxiety. Drawing on empirical research, the book explores how to invest, work, and consume from a whole life perspective, arguing that every action - consumption, investment, or work - should enhance the total quality of life. This overriding concern about life itself is known as love.

The Psychology and Economics of Happiness uses the analytical framework of economists on a subject studied by positive psychologists, drawing both from empirical evidence and from psychological literature. It will be of interest to researchers and academics interested in economic and positive psychology, as well as those from related fields keen to learn more about living fuller, happier lives.

This book is written with an acute awareness of the need for new insight to ensure (1) universal protection in basic healthcare; (2) providing choice; (3) efficient production and consumption of healthcare services; (4) financial sustainability of the healthcare system. Defining the public interest as the welfare of the "representative individual" with no vested interest who imagines himself to have equal chance of being anyone in society, this book explores alternative ways of finance and delivery, the optimal interface between the public healthcare sector and the private healthcare sector, and that between public insurance and private insurance.

The book includes a theoretical but non-technical section that distinguishes between the stock of health and functional health, proposes a utility maximizing/behavioural framework to explain behaviour and the role of health policy and investigates the nature of risk and alternative insurance mechanisms. The book illustrates with a number of country studies, covering a large range of healthcare systems from the American and the European systems to various Asian systems as well as those of Australia and New Zealand. The survey of country experiences reinforces the theoretical conclusions about the role of the public healthcare sector and social insurance and that of the private market.

The book highlights the importance of and the workability of "pricing right" and "capping right": pricing standard or basic healthcare services at the right price can contain both demand-side and supply-side moral hazard and lead to more efficient production and consumption of healthcare services; capping annual eligible healthcare expenses will provide effective protection against financial risks. The proposal of lifetime healthcare supplement offers greater choice. Private caregivers and insurers supplement the public healthcare system by offering more choices and premium services, as well as additional protection.

This book is written with an acute awareness of the need for new insight to ensure (1) universal protection in basic healthcare; (2) providing choice; (3) efficient production and consumption of healthcare services; (4) financial sustainability of the healthcare system. Defining the public interest as the welfare of the "representative individual" with no vested interest who imagines himself to have equal chance of being anyone in society, this book explores alternative ways of finance and delivery, the optimal interface between the public healthcare sector and the private healthcare sector, and that between public insurance and private insurance.

The book includes a theoretical but non-technical section that distinguishes between the stock of health and functional health, proposes a utility maximizing/behavioural framework to explain behaviour and the role of health policy and investigates the nature of risk and alternative insurance mechanisms. The book illustrates with a number of country studies, covering a large range of healthcare systems from the American and the European systems to various Asian systems as well as those of Australia and New Zealand. The survey of country experiences reinforces the theoretical conclusions about the role of the public healthcare sector and social insurance and that of the private market.

The book highlights the importance of and the workability of "pricing right" and "capping right": pricing standard or basic healthcare services at the right price can contain both demand-side and supply-side moral hazard and lead to more efficient production and consumption of healthcare services; capping annual eligible healthcare expenses will provide effective protection against financial risks. The proposal of lifetime healthcare supplement offers greater choice. Private caregivers and insurers supplement the public healthcare system by offering more choices and premium services, as well as additional protection.

This is a collection consisting largely of poems and Lok- Sang''s translation of the Daodejing, the Xin Xin Ming, and the Heart Sutra, plus a number of short passages grouped under the title of The Essence of Spirituality from A to Z. The book brings together the teachings from the west and from the east about how to live a rich, fulfilling life. Carrying the subtitle "a tribute to Life", the author promotes his "happiness formula" LIFE, consisting of Love, Insight, Fortitude, and Engagement, pleading with readers that Life is the only resource we have and that we all need to do the best we can to ensure that its potential can be realized. That is the surest and the only way to gain happiness.

Professor Liah Greenfeld, Boston University:

"Today, when history takes one of its true great turns ....Lok Sang Ho''s book appears particularly timely.... It is a book of poetry not only because it contains masterful original renditions of the Song of the Truthful Mind, the Heart Sutra, and most remarkably, the Daodejing of Laozi, but essentially because it seems to feel its way to enlightenment with words, using words as a search-light, rather than a recording medium of ideas and impressions."

Drew Weiss, Clinical Psychiatrist, Carleton College:

"As I read verse 57(of the Daodejing) again, I am reminded of my culture, the clever gadgets in most people''s hands today afford access to the world''s many great wisdoms and to information essential to becoming a fully engaged member of society. Yet much of what people week and share is rubbish or worse and most seem completely unaware of themselves, the world, or the effects of their clever gadgets. This book is a treasure."

The contributors chart the historical development of democracy (or democratic aspirations) within their respective countries/territories, and analyse both the positive and the negative influences on democratization. They assess whether the particular form of democracy (or lack of, as the case may be) that has developed brings benefit or harm to the people living in the countries and why. The extent to which policy-making has been able to produce benefits for the population, regardless of the degree of democratic development, is then addressed. Finally, the book evaluates whether lessons can be learnt from Asia’s experiences with democracy for other areas of the world.

Concluding that sound governance mechanisms, in particular the rule of law, – is the key to effective democratic systems, this book will strongly appeal to those with an interest in democracy, comparative politics, political economy and Asian studies and will be a timely reference or text in courses related to these areas.