Enduring Happiness: Huston Smith & Phil Cousineau March 5, 2009

Pleasure is transitory-a hot bath before going to bed on a cold evening is delicious, but who would want to sleep in a bathtub? Happiness has a longer lifespan, and the question for this evening is how we can lengthen that span. Or simply, how can we maximize happiness in our lives?
Professor Smith hopes that those who come to this talk will give some thought to these questions before we assemble, for we will not be playing games--we will be dealing with one of life's most important questions. There will be a lot of life-experiences within the four walls of or meeting room, and we need to help one another as much as we can as we pool our resources on the evening's question.

Huston Smith is internationally renowned as one of the most eloquent and accessible contemporary authorities on the world's religions. He is Thomas J. Watson Professor of Religion and Distinguished Adjunct Professor of Philosophy, Emeritus, Syracuse University. For fifteen years he wasProfessor of Philosophy at M.I.T. and for a decade before that he taught at Washington University in St. Louis. Most recently he has served as Visiting Professor of Religious Studies, University of California, Berkeley.

Holder of twelve honorary degrees, Smith's fourteen books include The World's Religions, a classic in the field which has sold over 2 1/2 million copies.

Phil Cousineau is a writer, teacher, editor, independent scholar, documentary filmmaker, travel leader, and storyteller. His life-long fascination with the art, literature, and history of culture has taken him on many journeys around the world. He lectures frequently on a wide range of topics--from mythology, film, and writing, to beauty, travel, sports, and creativity. He has published more than 20 non-fiction books and has more than 15 scriptwriting credits to his name. Cousineau's long-awaited book on creativity, Stoking the Creative Fire: Nine Ways to Rekindle Passion and Imagination, was released in May 2008.

$18 General / $12 CIIS student/faculty/staff/alumni.

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