But they also offer concrete ideas on addressing these problems, on a personal and societal level. Both books level serious criticism against modern Western society, illuminating the under-reported psychological plagues of our time.

And after Paradox, he argued for the importance of remoralizing our lives - both public and private - in the book Practical Wisdom, coauthored with Kenneth Sharpe. Before Paradox he published The Costs of Living, which traces the impact of free-market thinking on the explosion of consumerism - and the effect of the new capitalism on social and cultural institutions that once operated above the market, such as medicine, sports and the law. Schwartz's previous research has addressed morality, decision-making and the varied inter-relationships between science and society. Schwartz examines the overlooked link between luck, merit and success, offering an intriguing solution to equalize opportunity - starting with college admissions. Of course, working hard and following the rules can get you far - but the rest could boil down to simple good fortune.

His relatable examples, from consumer products (jeans, TVs, salad dressings) to lifestyle choices (where to live, what job to take, who and when to marry), underscore his central point that too much choice undermines happiness. Chance plays a far bigger role in life than we're willing to admit, says psychologist Barry Schwartz. It leads us to set unreasonably high expectations, question our choices before we even make them and blame our failures entirely on ourselves. Schwartz believes that infinite choice is paralyzing and exhausting for the human psyche. He makes a compelling case that the abundance of choice in today's western world is actually making us miserable. In his 2004 book The Paradox of Choice, Barry Schwartz tackles one of the great mysteries of modern life: Why is it that societies of great abundance - where individuals are offered more freedom and choice (personal, professional, material) than ever before - are now witnessing a near-epidemic of depression? Conventional wisdom tells us that greater choice is for the greater good, but Schwartz argues the opposite.

Barry schwartz ted 2009