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Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding Of Happiness And Well-Being (2011)

by Martin E.P. Seligman(Favorite Author)

4.17 of 5 Votes: 3

ISBN

1439190755 (ISBN13: 9781439190753)

languge

English

genre

Nonfiction

publisher

Free Press

review 1: Clear advantages to positive psychology - chapter on dealing with adversity resonates with other sources. Not sure I agree with notions of group evolution. I find Richard Dawkin's theory of the selfish gene more compelling. Also, while a focus on failure runs the risk of fostering a negative perspective on life, focusing exclusively on the positive might miss opportunities to learn and improve. As with everything - goal is striking the optimal balance.
review 2: Seligman always frustrates me. On the one hand, his theories of learned optimism are fascinating and truly powerful. In this book he expands on the idea that there are three levels of living (The pleasant life, the engaged life and the meaningful life) to include positive emotional connections and a... more sense of accomplishment. When all five are present, you are flourishing. Thus far, great. But the subtext of his writing is him. So so spend a lot of time listing to him name drop and tell about all the wonderful conferences he has run. It is the intellectual equivalent of wading through pbotos of someone else's vacation and is really boring. If his editor could put the boring parts in italics, warning you to skip them, this would be a great book. less

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