Book description
From the author of the International Bestseller Authentic
Happiness. In this groundbreaking book, one of the world's foremost
academic psychologists - and founder of the Positive Psychology
movement - offers a new theory on what makes people flourish and how
to truly get the most out of life. Flourish is a fascinating evolution
of Seligman's thinking, and offers inspiring stories of Positive
Psychology in action - innovative schools that add resilience to their
curricula; a new theory of success and intelligence; and evidence on
how positive physical health can turn medicine on its head. Building
on his game-changing work on optimism, motivation and character,
Seligman shows us how to flourish and bring well-being into both our
personal lives and society as a whole. Wellbeing is a way of thinking
that the new coalition government is taking very seriously indeed.
"Since Martin Seligman launched the positive psychology movement
more than a decade ago, his methods have attracted a global following,
including David Cameron... The rise of 'positive psychology' has been
all but unstoppable, with Seligman's book Authentic Happiness its key
text... Now, in his book Flourish, happiness is out and well-being, or
'flourishing', is in." - Psychologies "His most personal and
boldest book so far... Seligman's book is a paean to applied science, a
blue-print for how to translate empirical evidence from the laboratory
to the real world... Unlike many authors, he offers detailed and tested
solutions as well as compelling arguments for how societies can aim to
raise the amount of positive emotion, meaning, good relationships and
accomplishment in their citizens... Everyone stands to benefit from his
initiatives. If they are happy, flourishing or enjoying well-being,
people won't care about the labels that researchers attach to those good
feelings." - Nature "Seligman describes several exercises that
are easy to do and result in a significant and lasting effect on
people's self-reported sense of well-being. (For example, each night,
write down three things that went well that day and why.) Coming up with
these exercises is high art - the description of their effect is
compelling and left me promising myself to do them... readers who
persevere will remember many of the points that Seligman made in this
book - and will act on at least some of them... Some of his insights
could really lead to greater well-being for society as a whole." -
Huffington Post Martin Seligman PhD, Professor of Psychology at the
University of Pennsylvania and Director of the Positive Psychology
Network, gave the Centennial address to the British Psychological
Society in 2002 and is an Honorary Professor at the University of
Cardiff. A former President of the American Psychological Association,
he has written 20 books including the bestselling Learned Optimism and
Authentic Happiness and in 2009 was awarded the British Academy's Wiley
Prize in Psychology. He is widely considered the pre-eminent expert on
applied psychology in the world.
