本书是林语堂旅美专事创作后的第一部书，也是他继《吾国与吾民》之后再获成功的又一英文作品。该书于1937年在美国出版，次年便居美国畅销书排行榜榜首达52周，且接连再版四十余次，并译成十余种外国文字。

FORWARD

PREFACE

Chapter One THE AWAKENING

 I.APPROACH TO LIFE

II.A PSEUDO-SCIENTIFIC FORMULA

III.THE SCAMP AS IDEAL

Chapter Two VIEWS OF MANKIND

 I.CHRISTIAN, GREEK AND CHINESE

II.EARTH-BOUND

III.A BIOLOGICAL VIEW

IV.HUMAN LIFE A POEM

Chapter Three OUR ANIMAL HERITAGE

 I.THE MONKEY EPIC

II.IN THE IMAGE OF THE MONKEY

III.ON BEING MORTAL

IV.ON HAVING A STOMACH

V.ON HAVING STRONG MUSCLES

VI.ON HAVING A MIND

Chapter Four ON BEING HUMAN

 I.ON HUMAN DIGNITY

II.ON PLAYFUL CURIOSITY: THE RISE OF HUMAN CIVILIZATION

III.ON DREAMS

IV.ON THE SENSE OF HUMOUR

V.ON BEING WAYWARD AND INCALCULABLE

VI.THE DOCTRINE OF THE INDIVIDUAL

Chapter Five WHO CAN BEST ENJOY LIFE？

 I.FIND THYSELF: CHUANGTSE

II.PASSION, WISDOM AND COURAGE: MENCIUS

III.CYNICISM, FOLLY AND CAMOUFLAGE: LAOTSE

IV."PHILOSOPHY OF HALF-AND-HALF": TSESSE

V.A LOVER OF LIFE: T'AO YUANMING

Chapter Six THE FEAST OF LIFE

 I.THE PROBLEM OF HAPPINESS

II.HUMAN HAPPINESS IS SENSUOUS

III.CHIN'S THIRTY-THREE HAPPY MOMENTS

IV.MISUNDERSTANDINGS OF MATERIALISM

V.HOW ABOUT MENTAL PLEASURES?

Chapter Seven THE IMPORTANCE OF LOAFING

 I.MAN THE ONLY WORKING ANIMAL

II.THE CHINESE THEORY OF LEISURE

III.THE CULT OF THE IDLE LIFE

IV.THIS EARTH THE ONLY HEAVEN

V.WHAT IS LUCK?

VI THREE AMERICAN VICES

Chapter Eight THE ENJOYMENT OF THE HOME

 I ON GETTING BIOLOGICAL

II.CELIBACY A FREAK OF CIVILIZATION

III.ON SEX APPEAL

IV.THE CHINESE FAMILY IDEAL

V.ON GROWING OLD GRACEFULLY

Chapter Nine THE ENJOYMENT OF LMNG

 I.ON LYING IN BED

II.ON SITTING IN CHAIRS

IIl.ON CONVERSATION o

IV.ON TEA AND FRIENDSHIP

V.ON SMOKE AND INCENSE

VI.ON DRINK AND WINE GAMES

    VII.ON FOOD AND MEDICINE

   VIII.SOME CURIOUS WESTERN CUSTOMS

    IX.THE INHUMANITY OF WESTERN DRESS

X.ON HOUSE AND iNTERIORS

Chapter Ten THE ENJOYMENT OF NATURE

 I.PARADISE LOST?

II.ON BIGNESS

III.TWO CHINESE LADIES

IV.ON ROCKS AND TREES

V.ON FLOWERS AND FLOWER ARRANGEMENTS

VI.THE "VASE FLOWERS" OF YUAN CHUNGLANG

    VII.THE EPIGRAMS OF CHANG CH'AO

Chapter Eleven THE ENJOYMENT OF TRAVEL

 I.ON GOING ABOUT AND SEEING THINGS

II."THE TRAVELS OF MINGLIAOTSE"

Chapter Twelve THE ENJOYMENT OF CULTURE

 I.GOOD TASTE IN KNOWLEDGE

II.ART AS PLAY AND PERSONALITY

III.THE ART OF READING

IV.THE ART OF WRITING

Chapter Thirteen RELATIONSHIP TO GOD

 I.THE RESTORATION OF RELIGION

II.WHY I AMA PAGAN

Chapter Fourteen THE ART OF THINKING

 I.TIlE NEED OF HUMANIZED THINKING

II.THE RETURN TO COMMON SENSE

III.BE REASONABLE

CERTAIN CHINESE NAMES

A CHINESE CRITICAL VOCABULARY

WADE-GILES TO PINY1N CONVERSION TABLE

WORKS IN ENGLISH BY LIN YUTANG