Happiness Theories

A compelling, insightful, and hopeful must-read for making sense of the world we live in. Pandemics, wars, societal inequalities Have humans remained the same for 3,000 years? In this captivating collection of dialogues, renowned manga artist, writer and painter Mari Yamazaki and art historian Nicole Coolidge Rousmaniere–lead curator of the “Art of Manga” exhibition at the de Young Museum and The Brooklyn Museum–explore the patterns of human history to find a roadmap for optimism in the modern world. Drawing from their shared “outsider” experiences while living abroad as teenagers and their lifelong pursuit of art and history across cultures, Yamazaki and Rousmaniere blend personal reflections and a global perspective. Their journey reveals profound truths about karma, the power of isolation and the intellect of humor. Also included is Yamazaki’s manga short story Palmyra at the Museum, originally created for the Louvre No. 9 special exhibition in Japan.