Hector is an excellent psychiatrist. He's very good at treating patients who are ill, but more and more; his patients are people he can't treat. They have no serious problems -- they're simply deeply dissatisfied with their lives.

Hector can't do much for these people, and it's beginning to depress him. So when a patient tells him he looks in need of a holiday, Hector decides to set off on a trip around the world to try to find the key to happiness. Along the way, Hector keeps a list of observations about the people he meets and learns a great deal about what true contentment is all about.

His journey into the soul is entertaining, empowering and often funny -- as winning in its optimism as it is powerful in its simplicity.