Flourish : A New Understanding of Happiness, Well-being - and How to Achieve Them by Martin Seligman (2011)

Seligman, Martin E.P.. Flourish : A New Understanding of Happiness, Well-being - and How to Achieve Them, Nicholas Brealey Publishing, 2011.

”Flourish builds on Dr. Seligman’s game-changing work on optimism, motivation, and character to show how to get the most out of life, unveiling an electrifying new theory of what makes a good life—for individuals, for communities, and for nations. In a fascinating evolution of thought and practice, Flourish refines what Positive Psychology is all about.

While certainly a part of well-being, happiness alone doesn’t give life meaning. Seligman now asks, What is it that enables you to cultivate your talents, to build deep, lasting relationships with others, to feel pleasure, and to contribute meaningfully to the world? In a word, what is it that allows you to flourish? “Well-being” takes the stage front and center, and Happiness (or Positive Emotion) becomes one of the five pillars of Positive Psychology, along with Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment—or PERMA, the permanent building blocks for a life of profound fulfillment.”

Authentic Happiness by Martin Seligman (2004)

Martin, Seligman. Authentic Happiness. Simon & Schuster, 2004.

“According to esteemed psychologist and bestselling author Martin Seligman, happiness is not the result of good genes or luck. Real, lasting happiness comes from focusing on one’s personal strengths rather than weaknesses—and working with them to improve all aspects of one’s life. Using practical exercises, brief tests, and a dynamic website program, Seligman shows readers how to identify their highest virtues and use them in ways they haven’t yet considered. Accessible and proven, Authentic Happiness is the most powerful work of popular psychology in years.”

Positive Psychology : Theory, Research and Applications by Ilona Boniwell & Aneta Tunariu (2019)

Boniwell, Ilona, and Aneta D. Tunariu. Positive Psychology : Theory, Research and Applications, McGraw-Hill Education, 2019.

“The second edition of Positive Psychology features ground-breaking evidence and thinking on the topics of happiness, flow, optimism, motivation and more. Discover how to increase happiness levels, what obstacles to flourishing affect our day-to-day lives and how to apply positive psychology to diverse professional disciplines. The authors map the key positive psychology interventions available and discuss their merits with an emphasis on practice and evaluation.”

Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (2008)

Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2008). Flow: the psychology of optimal experience. 1st Harper Perennial Modern Classics ed. Harper Perennial.

“Csikszentmihalyi arrives at an insight that many of us can intuitively grasp, despite our insistent (and culturally supported) denial of this truth. That is, it is not what happens to us that determines our happiness, but the manner in which we make sense of that reality. . . . The manner in which Csikszentmihalyi integrates research on consciousness, personal psychology and spirituality is illuminating.'” —Los Angeles Times Book Review

This bestselling classic holds the key to unlocking meaning, creativity, peak performance, and true happiness.

“Legendary psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's famous investigations of ‘optimal experience’ have revealed that what makes an experience genuinely satisfying is a state of consciousness called flow. During flow, people typically experience deep enjoyment, creativity, and a total involvement with life. In this new edition of his groundbreaking classic work, Csikszentmihalyi ("the leading researcher into ‘flow states’" —Newsweek) demonstrates the ways this positive state can be controlled, not just left to chance. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience teaches how, by ordering the information that enters our consciousness, we can discover true happiness, unlock our potential, and greatly improve the quality of our lives.”