Ivanka Trump, the former First Daughter, shared a glimpse of her recent days on social media, and in the process, we discovered the title that’s been by her side through beach days, travels, and family time.
Summer has a way of slowing us down. Whether stretched out under the sun or enjoying a quiet afternoon at home, the season invites us to finally pick up that book we’ve been meaning to read.
For Ivanka, the past few months have been filled with travel, celebrations, and, perhaps most notably, a thought-provoking read that caught her followers’ attention.
Earlier this week, she posted a 20-photo Instagram carousel capturing her late-summer life. The vibe was noticeably calmer than her early-season calendar, which included high-profile social events like Jeff Bezos and Lauren Sánchez’s lavish wedding and commitments in London.
Now back in Miami, the businesswoman shared snapshots of fishing trips, golden sunsets, and breezy summer looks. But among the lifestyle highlights, one detail stood out: a copy of The Pursuit of Happiness by Jeffrey Rosen.
What’s the book about?
Published in 2024, The Pursuit of Happiness: How Classical Writers on Virtue Inspired the Lives of the Founders and Defined America quickly became a bestseller. Its author, Jeffrey Rosen, is a legal scholar and president of the National Constitution Center in Philadelphia, who was also elected to the American Philosophical Society this year.
The book begins with a big question: What did America’s founders really mean by “happiness” when they drafted the Declaration of Independence? To answer, Rosen turns to the wisdom of classical philosophers, tracing how their ideas on virtue and self-discipline shaped the thinking of George Washington, Thomas Jefferson, and Benjamin Franklin.
Rather than offering quick self-help fixes, Rosen frames happiness as both a personal and collective pursuit. For the founders, it wasn’t about instant gratification or material success; it was about virtue, discipline, and life within a thriving community.
Why this pick makes sense
It’s not hard to see why Ivanka Trump might gravitate toward this book. Choosing it for summer reading suggests a season not just of leisure, but of reflection, a time to look inward as much as outward.
And really, what better way to pair that kind of contemplation than with a seaside view?