Leave the Lights On: How Joyful Decisions Can Save Our Species

Author:   Elizabeth Dunn ,  Jiaying Zhao
Publisher:   Atlantic Books
Edition:   Export/Airside
ISBN:  

9781805463627


Pages:   288
Publication Date:   11 June 2026
Format:   Paperback
Availability:   Not yet available   Availability explained
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

Our Price $34.99 Quantity:  
Add to Cart

Share |

Leave the Lights On: How Joyful Decisions Can Save Our Species


Overview

'Improve your happiness and wellbeing while also reducing your carbon footprint? Many would argue that this is too good to be true; Dunn and Zhao expertly show us that it is not' Hannah Ritchie, author of Not the End of the World What if the most effective ways to fight climate change made you happy? What if we could make ourselves, and our planet, happier at the same time? Psychologist Elizabeth Dunn and climate behaviour scientist J. Z. Zhao challenge everything we think we know about sustainable living. While most climate advice demands self-denial - eat less, travel less, want less - this ground breaking book offers a counterintuitive truth: you can make your life better while saving our species at the same time. Dunn and Zhao reveal how tweaking everyday decisions around food, travel, housing, and shopping can nudge us toward a tipping point of mass action - without tipping us into burnout. Discover that: * Joy is a powerful climate strategy: When you like the changes you're making, you're more likely to stick with them - and spread them. * You don't have to go vegan or give up flying: Smart substitutions (chicken over beef, carry-on over checked bags) make a real dent in emissions with less personal friction. * Small talk matters: Normalizing climate conversations with friends and family helps shift social norms and catalyses cultural change. * Learn to carbon budget: Approach your emissions like your finances: strategically, thoughtfully, and with long-term impact in mind. With warmth, clarity and a refreshingly optimistic voice, Dunn and Zhao reframe what it means to 'do your part'. Because sustainability doesn't lie in doing everything, it lies in doing something, joyfully. ""Dunn and Zhao combine rigorous research with practical wisdom to show that the most effective climate change actions are also the most personally rewarding ones - and that individual decisions can cascade into systemic change. The result is a remarkable book that is both scientifically sound and genuinely inspiring."" -Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive, When, and The Power of Regret ""Be good to yourself or good to the planet? Give up driving cars and eating bacon, or do both and feel guilty about it? If you think these are your choices, you're in for quite a surprise-and quite a treat. Smart, funny, and truly illuminating, Leave the Lights On is grounded in cutting-edge science and filled with practical advice about how to live more joyfully and more sustainably at precisely the same time. Who knew that saving the world could be so much fun?""-Daniel Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness

Full Product Details

Author:   Elizabeth Dunn ,  Jiaying Zhao
Publisher:   Atlantic Books
Imprint:   Atlantic Books
Edition:   Export/Airside
ISBN:  

9781805463627


ISBN 10:   1805463624
Pages:   288
Publication Date:   11 June 2026
Audience:   General/trade ,  College/higher education ,  Professional and scholarly ,  General ,  Tertiary & Higher Education
Format:   Paperback
Publisher's Status:   Active
Availability:   Not yet available   Availability explained
This item is yet to be released. You can pre-order this item and we will dispatch it to you upon its release.

Table of Contents

CHAPTER 1: Happiness Is Our Best Weapon CHAPTER 2: In Defense of Bacon CHAPTER 3: How to Buy Low-Carbon Happiness CHAPTER 4: The Odyssey of Rush Hour CHAPTER 5: Oh, the Places You'll Go CHAPTER 6: Life's Biggest Decisions CHAPTER 7: Upward Spirals of Joy

Reviews

Improve your happiness and wellbeing while also reducing your carbon footprint? Many would argue that this is too good to be true; Dunn and Zhao expertly show us that it is not. * Hannah Ritchie, author of Not the End of the World * Combines rigorous research with practical wisdom to show that the most effective climate change actions are also the most personally rewarding ones - and that individual decisions can cascade into systemic change... Remarkable, scientifically sound, and genuinely inspiring. * Daniel H. Pink, author of Drive, When, and The Power of Regret * With crisp science, witty stories, and actionable tips, they offer a brilliant playbook for making small choices that add up to a big impact. I loved it! * Sonja Lyubomirsky, author of The How of Happiness * Smart, funny, and truly illuminating, Leave the Lights On is grounded in cutting-edge science and filled with practical advice about how to live more joyfully and more sustainably at precisely the same time. * Daniel Gilbert, author of Stumbling on Happiness * Leave the Lights On is a must read. This book will help people make smarter, happier choices-and stick with them. * Annie Duke, author of Thinking in Bets *


Author Information

Elizabeth Dunn is Professor of Psychology at the University of British Columbia and directs UBC's Happy Lab. Her TED talk has had nearly 5 million views.J. Z. Zhao is Associate Professor of Psychology and Sustainability and founded the Behavioral Sustainability Lab at the University of British Columbia; her TED talk was selected as one of the top TED Talks to be a better you in 2024.

Tab Content 6

Author Website:  

Countries Available

All regions
Latest Reading Guide

RGJ26

 

Shopping Cart
Your cart is empty
Shopping cart
Mailing List