Introduction

Extract Background There has always been interest in understanding what constitutes the good life. Starting with early philosophical writings, sustainable wellbeing at multiple scales—from physical and psychological health, through to the societal and environmental—has been a fundamental goal. Much has been written at each of these scales from the perspectives of psychology, medicine, economics, social science, ecology, and political science. However, their interconnections have received far less attention even though the identification of these interdependencies is critical to the comprehensive understanding and advancement of wellbeing. In this book, we aim toward creating an integrated science of wellbeing that connects these scales and perspectives to better guide research and public policy. We have done this by engaging leading and emerging experts in wellbeing science from diverse fields, studying various scales and perspectives. They have all attempted to link their areas with the rest of the system. This integrated approach offers a first step toward a more complete understanding of wellbeing that we hope can propel wellbeing research and initiatives in novel and fruitful directions.