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Aug 25, 2011 YW Low 劉耀詠 rated it really liked it In summary, the book has 7 points: 1. Happy people has advantage; happier at workplace etc. 2. You can't change reality, but you can change how you process the world. 3. If one has a negative outlook on things that is a habit. A pattern that can be broken. 4. When facing crisis, one has to find a path that leads us from failure to a place of strength. 5. Limit your focus to small, manageable goals to gain greater control and power. 6. We can form new habits if we make it easy to do the right thi 1. Happy people has advantage; happier at workplace etc. 2. You can't change reality, but you can change how you process the world. 3. If
one has a negative outlook on things that is a habit. A pattern that can be broken. 4. When facing crisis, one has to find a path that leads us from failure to a place of strength. 5. Limit your focus to small, manageable goals to gain greater control and power. 6. We can form new habits if we make it easy to do the right thing and hard to do the wrong thing. 7. Support of friends and family is important.
There are huge loads of books that tell one how to be happy, mindful, but not why and don´t show in such immense detail the unbelievable impact of becoming the Buddha.
Such a cool God, tells one to search for errors in his ideas he calls not perfect, that´s a rare occasion. Buddhism, neuroscience, psychotherapy,... tell one quite the same as Shawn does, but he does it in such a thrilling, understandable and astonishing way and mixes all approaches together to a laughing amalgam. Positive psycholo Buddhism, neuroscience, psychotherapy,... tell one quite the same as Shawn does, but he does it in such a thrilling, understandable and astonishing way and mixes all approaches together to a laughing amalgam. Positive psychology is the interdisciplinary idea and new science field of not just using the, often criticized,
methods of psychology and psychotherapy, but to substantiate and fuse the good ideas with meditation, mindfulness, introspection, and self(mind)control. Of course there are limits, horrible things that happened to people can´t be laughed or meditated away, in those cases the self-help has to be accompanied and mixed with psychotropic drugs and therapy. But for each lucky person who hasn´t suffered or is suffering from abuse, violence, illness, mobbing, loss of loved ones, poverty, mental
disease,... there is truly no reason to be something else than happy. Not any other person, a memory, the world; the opposite, adversarial political, ideological point of view consensed in annoying humans, other drivers, whining kids, nagging partners, lazy workmates, parents-in-law, newspapers,... make one angry, unmotivated, hateful, misanthropic, disinterested,... Anger breeds hate, violence more violence,... What should a toxic person do it she/he recognized that you never get angry, stay calm and friendly, make them even angrier because you openly show them that you just smile at them, don´t care, ridicule them instead by not reacting in a negative manner to their provocations. Leaving the circle is so easy by first just doing nothing and automatizing and perfecting the
mantras and methods of meditation, mindfulness, autogenic training, laughter yoga,… And because happiness comes with huge health benefits, it´s very possible that the positive grandpa may still be laughing while grumpy old men have already killed themselves a long time ago, by not just opening the doors to their minds for each negative emotion, but their physis for much more illnesses and directly self-induced stress-related health problems. A wiki walk can
be as refreshing to the mind as a walk through nature in this completely overrated real life outside books:
My goodness. What a polarizing experience! Good - The material in The Happiness Advantage is good. I personally believe in most of the stuff the author ascribes. Hey, if you wake up, look yourself in the mirror and smile, then you're probably on your way to a pretty good day. Positivity! Bad - The author's writing style and presentation of this material is brutal, straight out
of an infomercial. Everyone is an "expert". The author has personally advised and guided every leader in the free world. Good - The material in The Happiness Advantage is good. I personally believe in most of the stuff the author ascribes. Hey, if you wake up, look yourself in the mirror and smile, then you're probably on your way to a pretty good day. Positivity! Bad - The
author's writing style and presentation of this material is brutal, straight out of an infomercial. Everyone is an "expert". The author has personally advised and guided every leader in the free world. Everything he's presenting is good because it's science (Science!). This approach is the 180 degree opposite of a book like Freakonomics where the authors are self-deprecating and take great pains to describe the limitations of the stuff they are presenting. In short, Freakonomics is fun to read.
The Happiness Advantage is self-aggrandizing and barely readable. This is a list from one of the author's world-renowned experts. I don't know why this struck me as funny, but it did. The 10 most common positive emotions: joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe, and love. The author's hook: be happy and success will follow. QOTD Of course, if you're happy, then why is it necessary that success follows? Other tidbits I liked: I should have given this book 1 star, but then that wouldn't be
very positive. Ha!
There have, of late, been a spate of "anti-happiness-books books." I thought this was an excellent example of the kind of book that doesn't deserve the attacks. First, he explains why happy people are more successful, giving examples of psychological studies that have been done. Then he lays out his "Seven principles"--for each one he: a) backs it up with empirical evidence and b) gives practical strategies for making use of the principles. He never overstates his case. He is clearly not trying There have, of late, been a spate of "anti-happiness-books books." I thought this was an excellent example of the kind of book that doesn't deserve the attacks. First, he explains why happy people are more successful, giving examples of psychological studies that have been done. Then he lays out his "Seven principles"--for each one he: a) backs it up with empirical evidence and b) gives practical strategies for making use of the principles. He never overstates his case. He is clearly not trying to produce fake-smiling-corporate-zombies. For those out there who think that this kind of book is always "selling out to the corporate man" they should read his examples, like the CEO who kept paying all his employees their salaries after their factory had burned to the ground. You honestly can not lump all happiness books together. I'm a believer in the central role of happiness studies to psychology having discovered Abraham Maslow when I was very young. It is no different from the modern emphasis on "wellness" programs over just treating sicknesses. Overall, this is a good, practical and realistic look at the role of happiness in success which also gives ways of achieving it. ...more
Perhaps the most accurate term for happiness is the one Aristotle used: eudaimonia, which translates not directly to “happiness” but to “human flourishing.” ☁️🦋🌞 In the Happiness Advantage,
Shawn talks about how happiness is the center around which success orbits. We often think happiness will come after success, but in fact, happiness leads to success. Did you know our brains are literally hardwired to preform at their best when they are positive? ✨ This is such a fascinating and uplifting book. In the Happiness Advantage, Shawn talks about how happiness is the center around which success orbits. We often think happiness will come after success, but in fact, happiness leads to success. Did you know our brains are literally hardwired to preform at their best when they are positive? ✨ This is such a fascinating and uplifting book. I would recommend to anyone and everyone.
I listened to this audio book after seeing the author's TED talk online. I enjoyed the book so much that I've bought my own copy. There are some really great ideas in this book about simple, concrete things you can do to make yourself a happier person. And who doesn't want that? I listened to this audio book after seeing the author's TED talk online. I enjoyed the book so much that I've bought my own copy. There are some really great ideas in this book about simple, concrete things you can do to make yourself a happier person. And who doesn't want that? ...more
I don’t usually give five star ratings but this is an exception. This book had a profound impact on me and is the reason why I have become so ambitious with my life goals. After listening to Shawn Achor’s Ted Talk on YouTube I decided to pick up this book from the library since I knew I would get a lot out of it. I wasn’t wrong. Shawn shows the reader how happiness produces success and not the other way around. Later, in chapters 5-11, Shawn shows the reader how to increase happiness and therefo I don’t usually give five star ratings but this is an exception. This book had a profound impact on me and is the reason why I have become so ambitious with my life goals. After listening to Shawn Achor’s Ted Talk on YouTube I decided to pick up this book from the library since I knew I would get a lot out of it. I wasn’t wrong. Shawn shows the reader how happiness produces success and not the other way around. Later, in chapters 5-11, Shawn shows the reader how to increase happiness and therefor increase success using several options. It’s worth mentioning that most of the research included in this book was conducted by Shawn and his colleagues at Harvard. ...more
Mar 06, 2021 Hamad rated it really liked it
This Review ✍️ Blog 📖 Twitter 🐦
Instagram 📷 Support me ☕ The full name of this book along with the subtitle is The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel
Success and Performance at Work. And I think it is self explanatory with a title like that what the book is about. I am always on the fence when I read non-fiction books, specially wh The full name of this book along with
the subtitle is The Happiness Advantage: The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work. And I think it is self explanatory with a title like that what the book is about. I am always on the fence when I read non-fiction books, specially when it is self help ones and I am not of positivity to the degree that it becomes toxic but I think I was overall satisfied with this one. The author tries to discuss how happiness leads to success and prosperity and
not the other way around. There are seven principles that he goes to discuss in depth after that to make it easier for the reader to achieve this happiness and therefore the improvement in the quality of life. The writing is good and engaging, I am a fan of psychology and all those neuroscience experiments make me so excited. This had a lot of psychology in it because the author mentions that he is a fan of the subject too. When it comes to science however, it should be backed by evidence
to convince me as a reader that it is significant and most of the time the author left references or even mentioned books so that the reader can expand later after finishing the book which I appreciate as a reader! I am saying most of the time because there were a few examples where the author would mention something personal and obviously not backed by science which decreased the scientific value behind the book. For example, when he is explaining the effect of environment on us, he
mentions that he was addicted to playing Vice City that after a few days, he was gonna rob a police car because it was as easy as pressing X. That really made me roll my eyes because -excuse me- it is a very stupid example. Also he mentions two students in the chapter highlighting the importance of social connections, one who would be isolated in the library and one who did study sections with friends and they had fun while doing it. The library student did not do as good as the other one
according to him. Now, I can buy that story but not as a general rule, in the pyramid of scientific evidence this comes at the bottom because it is just an opinion. And in medicine school, the class valedictorian was the student who was always isolated and the rest of us social ones got good grades but not as much as she did because in both my example and the author’s example we are not taking into account the confounders into account. Like the IQ, the socioeconomic status…etc. And one thing I also noticed is how non fiction books are starting to use the same examples and points the more I read of them. I felt I know most of those principles from other books but it was not bad being reminded of them. Summary: I enjoyed this book and I am happy that it was not written in a toxic-positivity kind of way. It had scientific evidence most of
the time and when it didn’t, it made me roll my eyes. I highlighted some things and I enjoyed the psychological theories discussed so overall a positive read!
You can skip reading this book for a number of reasons. His references are a mix of well-documented studies, random articles that themselves have no references, and dated psychology. For example; he
gives the example of people who are "highly allergic" to poisoned ivy being rubbed with the plant but being told it is not the plant and then not having a reaction to it. For this claim 4 references are provided, all of which link to a New York Times article from 1998 without references. I even found His references are a mix of well-documented studies, random articles that themselves have
no references, and dated psychology. For example; he gives the example of people who are "highly allergic" to poisoned ivy being rubbed with the plant but being told it is not the plant and then not having a reaction to it. For this claim 4 references are provided, all of which link to a New York Times article from 1998 without references. I even found a reddit post where someone wrote to the paper in 2003 asking for the science behind the claims and has yet to receive a reply. The sad thing is
he is only trying to say "mind over matter", yet the best support he can gather for this is shoddy to say the least. I also had problems with his stories. During the economic crisis a manager travelled to each branch to boost morale and later reaped the rewards. In turn the company came out of the crisis successfully... However, Coca Cola was the company he was talking about. Probably the world's leading softdrink, hardly a company that is likely to fall apart during an economic crisis. To
me it simply said, don't worry if you're a multinational corporation with a monstrous hold on the market place, you'll be fine. Again, a weak argument for a simple statement. The ideas are far from new or innovative. In 1999 I discovered Denis Waitley's Psychology of Winning, who compiled these ideas in a much more concise and believable fashion. Not to mention the work of Robert Sapolsky or Daniel Kehnemann who explain the studies in far more detail and provide credible scientific
references. I can see the reviews generally like his style of writing. I personally found it to be poor. Often dragging out a simple point with stories that sometimes don't do the point justice. And he uses a humorous edge that (though I'm sure it gives off a sense of how jolly he is) is infantile and seems to do little more than bulk out the word count. In the first 60 pages he makes one point that could be condensed into a short paragraph. In fact, I urge you to search the net for a
summary of this book, you will save time and realise a lot of what he has to say is commonsense.
May 08, 2012 Rory rated it it was amazing I feel I should preface this 5-star review by saying that you will only get out of it what you put in. While it's not a workbook per se, this is definitely a manual. I picked up the book after I saw Shawn Achor's TED
Talk on positive psychology. It rang true on a lot of elements, most of all the idea that success does not lead to happiness, because the next success is always on the horizon. So, what if happiness is the first step, and not the goal? I think I found this book at exactly the right t I think I found this book at exactly the right time. Investing socially at work, finding the positive aspects of setbacks and challenges, and viewing tedious tasks as contributing to the greater good
don't come naturally to me. With the right set of mind hacks and simple alterations to my day, I'm already beginning to see the benefits of Achor's advice. That said, this isn't just a program for people who are unhappy. The science behind Achor's advice, and the field of positive psychology, is fascinating. A healthy bibliography at the end of the work will keep me busy for a while. Also, just having the knowledge of these different elements makes me more aware of what I'm doing, and how
it affects my work mood, and helps me to look back as what I've been doing, and understand where things may have gone awry.
This book is one of a growing library of research that supports what I've believed for the past few years: that happiness is a skill you can develop. What's great about this book is that it doesn't make the assumption that something is inherently wrong with the reader, and gives readers practical advice on small things they can do to get their brains more tuned in to being happy. It's a state of mind—one that does come more naturally to some than others—but it's also a muscle that can be exercis This book is one of a growing library of research that supports what I've believed for the past few years: that happiness is a skill you can develop. What's great about this book is that it doesn't make the assumption that something is inherently wrong with the reader, and gives readers practical advice on small things they can do to get their brains more tuned in to being happy. It's a state of mind—one that does come more naturally to some than others—but it's also a muscle that can be exercised. And there's no "secret" to it, as many so-called self-help books suggest. It's just doing small things, such as writing three good things down every night, whether it's three good things that happened over the course of a day (no matter how small) or three things you're grateful for. Doing this can help rewire your brain to see more possibilities, more insights, and help you see and seize upon opportunity when it arises. It's a book that's geared more toward helping leaders and business people make their workplaces happier, but I think anyone could benefit from reading this. Also, he's funny. ...more
Self-help books have a stigma to them, to be sure. And there's plenty of reasons to be bitter about how happiness has become a corporate commodity. Meaning that high-level executives will pay big dollars to have people with findings ranging from half-baked to mildly sophisticated tell them exactly what they want to hear. This practice of giving a "empowering" (read: complacency-inspiring) talk to these
executives is known around the world as TED talks. High-profile academics, scientists, and ent Self-help books have a stigma to them, to be sure. And there's plenty of reasons to be bitter about how happiness has become a corporate commodity. Meaning that high-level executives will pay big dollars to have people with findings ranging from half-baked to mildly sophisticated tell them exactly what they want to hear. This practice of giving a
"empowering" (read: complacency-inspiring) talk to these executives is known around the world as TED talks. High-profile academics, scientists, and entertainers act as "suit whisperers," and we are all there to watch. But remember: it is "Ideas worth spreading," not "Facts worth knowing." That all being said, I understand that Shawn Achor is presenting this information from a business and management standpoint, because that is the only platform anymore by which positive psychology and the
social sciences can really get due attention or make money for its practitioners. In order for it to somehow get attention or reach the masses, it has to mean something to the corporation as well. So Achor manages to do the following in a scant two-hundred pages: (1) Give as clear-cut, brief, and yet thorough a survey on research and findings in positive psychology I have ever seen; Remember: if the audience of your book is an office manager, it will get a TED talk. Quiet did something similar in that it imbued office solutions for productivity-enhancement into its narrative while maintaining a core value system that is important for all to know and understand. I see that not as a demerit of the book so much as Achor's savvy in marketing himself. There's still a faint glimmer of stigma,
I guess, in approaching anything that looks like a self-help book. They are smut compared to that artistically infallible mainstay called fiction. But the fact of the matter is: this book will take a couple hours of your time and gives you the tools ready at your disposal to parse down the anxieties around success and to train an untrained mind to think positively. Much like training an untrained voice to sing, I suppose. A mind untrained is not one that will function well. That the book gives
its fair share of -gasp- notes and the like is also a delight. I didn't see any of those in David Brooks's disaster The Social Animal. I see them here, though, and Brooks's points are explained with more brevity and credibility. For the time investment, the return is mighty great. Prose style being what it is (and it will be off-putting to some), you get a nice survey of positive psychology. You even get a nice survey on contemporary developments in neuroscience. You get some
backdrop on the problems facing some of our biggest businesses. And you get some nice working tools to develop a positive mindset. You learn a lot about your brain and the ethos behind the choice of happiness. You hear about some pretty crazy studies. The solutions are small, actionable, tangible, and helpful. While the book is structurally repetitive and repeatedly uses the ol' intro-to-writing formula, note this: if you go through with a pen and underline the gold, an occasional skim of the
book can 're-boost' all the information in no time. In this sense, it's a re-usable, re-readable, gift-that-can-keep-on-giving book. A re-read seems so quick and useful already. This book's a quick and very valuable investment, for knowledge sake AND for wisdom's sake. Nice work, Achor. One question, though: what about the cultures that see eye contact as being more of a threat or more impolite? Just wondering.
Sep 01, 2015 Mario Tomic rated it it was amazing I'm so glad I've picked up this book the other day, for a very long time I was trapped in the mindset of "if you just work hard, you'll be happy" and even made a video about being happy with what you have vs. continually bettering yourself. This book gave me a new, much
clearer perspective on happiness. One of the things that really hit hard was the fact when author point out when you don't schedule your "play" time deliberately and precisely you will most likely waste that time without getting I'm so glad I've picked up this book the other day, for a very long time I was trapped in the mindset of "if you just work hard, you'll be happy" and even made a video about being happy with what you have vs. continually
bettering yourself. This book gave me a new, much clearer perspective on happiness. One of the things that really hit hard was the fact when author point out when you don't schedule your "play" time deliberately and precisely you will most likely waste that time without getting any relief from stress. And what happens eventually instead of "work hard, play hard" it just becomes work 98% of the time and at some point the diminishing returns from stress start kicking in. When you overwork
yourself you trigger your primal stress response which kills your creativity, makes you more tunnel visioned and everything in your life starts looking like an immediate problem you have to solve. The happiness advantage give me a clear idea on how to balance happiness and work, I'm grateful to the author for writing such a great piece of material. As an entrepreneur my life can rapidly turn into pure hustle mode and that's not always bad but there has to be a balance. The actionable item
I got out of it was to start scheduling 2 hours every weekend to do something that has no purpose except fun. It's gonna be a hobby that I find very enjoyable. There's really a lot more to be learned from this book, all 7 principles are amazing findings and I got most out of the positivity and play time sections. Definitely grab a copy, you won't regret it. Straight 5 stars!
Jun 10, 2019 Abbie rated it it was amazing THIS BOOK. IS SO GOOD. Ever since I first saw Shawn Achor's unforgettable TED talk, I was obsessed with this message of positive psychology. This book has been on my TBR for a long time and finally I decided to get the audiobook and listen to the author read it himself
(10/10 recommend btw!) I loved every insightful, entertaining, and inspiring page of this book. As a creative entrepreneur, I found the lessons and principles in this book especially helpful for application to my business and life Ever since I first saw Shawn Achor's unforgettable TED talk, I was obsessed with this message of positive psychology. This book has been on my TBR for a long time and finally I decided
to get the audiobook and listen to the author read it himself (10/10 recommend btw!) I loved every insightful, entertaining, and inspiring page of this book. As a creative entrepreneur, I found the lessons and principles in this book especially helpful for application to my business and life — but honestly EVERYONE can benefit from reading this book! I mean, it has a freaking smiley face on the front cover. How can you not want to read it?? Please do. It is a gift to humanity.
A couple things. First, has the author heard of this thing called a sub-editor? As with most business-cod-psychology-self-help books, the meaningful content here is padded with tons of extraneous filler. Achor can't get halfway to making one point in a chapter without running off the horizon in 8 other directions with 12 other anecdotes. Read Wittgenstein's Tractatus to learn how to make a sustained
statement succinctly, jeez. Second, I curse the day Malcom Gladwell became famous for creating mea Second, I curse the day Malcom Gladwell became famous for creating meaningless neologisms to trademark an idea. Here we've got "The 20 Second Rule", "The Zorro Circle" - shit like this. Come on! The first few chapters remind me of the fatuous motivational speech from the dad in Little Miss Sunshine; glib exegesis on CBT-style Fake It To Make It, offensive bullcrap. However, the last few chapters are
worthwhile - on forming habits, taking change slow, and the importance of what he calls 'social investment' from workplace leaders (basically, caring about coworkers ethically). That's all that affords this two stars.
Feb 21, 2012 Rana DiOrio rated it it was amazing The Précis. This book debunks the commonly held belief that success breeds happiness. The reality is the inverse, that
happiness breeds success. Shawn Achor draws upon not only his own extensive research at Harvard University but also other compelling empirical evidence and case studies to demonstrate the point. Reading this important book will change the lens through which you view life and will put you on the path to happiness . . . and success. The Seven Principals. Achor succinctly promul The Seven Principals. Achor succinctly promulgates all seven principles, which are conclusions drawn
from his own extensive longitudinal studies, at the beginning of the book. He then elaborates on them in great detail in Part II of the book. To pique your interest (and by no means to spoil this book for you), here are my four favorites: 1. The Happiness Advantage–-Positive brains have an advantage over neutral or negative brains; this principal teaches us how to leverage the positivity to improve outcomes. 2. The Folcrum and the Lever–How we perceive and experience life is
determined by our mindset. This principle teaches us that by adjusting our mindset (the fulcrum) we can gain the power (the lever) to be more fulfilled and successful. [NOTE: Achor references the work of Carol Dweck, Ph.D. and her book, Mindset, which I've reviewed previously: http://bit.ly/b78OaN] 3. The Tetris Effect–If our brains are accustomed to stress and negativity, then we set ourselves up for failure. This
principle teaches us how to retrain our brains to identify patterns of possibility so we can see and capitalize upon opportunities wherever we look. 4. Falling Up–When we experience stress, anxiety, and failure, our brains form different neurological pathways to enable us to cope with these negative conditions. This principle teaches us to not only forge the pathways to overcome the negativity but also to be happier and more successful as a result, or stated differently, how to learn from
our mistakes and setbacks and to be happier for it. Passages I Underlined. If you own your copy of the book, I recommend reading it with a pen or a highlighter as there are many sections you will want to re-read and share with others. Some of the standout concepts for me included: • Happiness is more aptly described as positive emotions. Barbara Fredrickson, a leading expert on this topic, has identified the ten most positive emotions as: “joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope,
pride, amusement, inspiration, awe, and love.” pp. 38-40 • The Locinda Line: extensive mathematical modeling has demonstrated that 2.9013 is the ratio of positive to negative interactions necessary to make a corporate team successful. “This means that it takes about three positive comments, experiences, or expressions to fend off the languishing effects of one negative.” What’s amazing is the research shows that if you rise above The Locinda Line, to a ratio of 6:1, teams produce their
very best work! In your role as parent, manager, educator, coach, or friend, let that sink in . . . and adjust your behavior accordingly. pp. 60-61 • The Pygmalion Effect: belief in another person’s potential brings that person’s potential to life. Thanks to the extensive research of Robert Rosenthal and his team we now know that if teachers believe in their students’ potential, the students will perceive this (even though the teachers have never voiced this) and they will not only strive
to do better but also they will achieve superior results. The implications are, of course, much broader. As Achor states, “The expectations we have about our children, co-workers, and spouses––whether or not they are ever voiced–can make that expectation a reality.” pp. 83-85 • Post-Traumatic Growth: there is now a significant body of evidence to support the adage “what doesn’t kill us makes us stronger.” Thanks to the work of Robert Tedeschi and his colleagues we now know that great
suffering or trauma can lead to material positive change across a broad range of experiences. 109-111 • The Importance of Control: Achor explains that “the most successful people, in work and in life, are those who have what psychologists call an ‘internal locus of control,’ the belief that their actions have a direct effect on their outcomes.” In one amazing study, researchers discovered that when they gave a group of nursing home residents more control over simple tasks in their daily
lives (e.g., putting them in charge of their own house plants), not only did their levels of happiness improve, but also their mortality rate dropped in half! pp. 130-132 The Conclusion. If you have not already done so, do yourself, your significant other, your children, your colleagues, and your friends a great big favor and read The Happiness Advantage. It will forever change you for the better.
Dec 20, 2016 Donna rated it really liked it This was a re-read again....my third time actually. And I enjoy this book. It is so positive and worth the time to re-read. ------------------------------------ UPDATE: I liked this book even more than I did the first time I read it. I'm glad this book made my re-read
list. It was the perfect book for my day. ---------------------------------- ------------------------------------ UPDATE: I liked this book even more
than I did the first time I read it. I'm glad this book made my re-read list. It was the perfect book for my day. ---------------------------------- If you like
scientific explanations and are easily dazzled by such things (as I am), then this might be a book for you. I read some of the other reviews and apparently the author rubbed some readers the wrong way by coming off as 'superb human being', but I didn't get that vibe....not even once, but I can understand why they say what they said as an afterthought. I did the audio so maybe that made all the difference...I don't know. But I liked this book. So 4 stars.
I think the timing for reading any book is just as important as the context of the book. I am happy that I haven't gotten to this book earlier and just ignored it as I was ignorant to "self-help" books few years ago(although this is a psychology book!). I would gladly recommend this book to anyone (who is ready) to explore more about positive psychology. I think the timing for reading any book is just as important as the context of the book. I am happy that I haven't gotten to this book earlier and just ignored it as I was ignorant to "self-help" books few years ago(although this is a psychology book!). I would gladly recommend this book to anyone (who is ready) to explore more about positive psychology. ...more
Oct 28, 2019 Leah rated it liked it This book was good but not ground breaking to me. Shawn Achor mostly takes studies he's found among some of his own studies he's personally done personally and at Harvard. He also often takes excerpts from Malcolm Gladwell and other authors and just skims the surface. It's almost strange to quote another author while that other author is references other studies. It's like a reference to a
reference lol This book is amazing if you're new to psychology and just getting into it because it summariz Shawn Achor mostly takes studies he's found among some of his own studies he's personally done personally and at Harvard. He also often takes excerpts from Malcolm Gladwell and other authors and just skims the surface. It's almost strange to quote another author while that other
author is references other studies. It's like a reference to a reference lol This book is amazing if you're new to psychology and just getting into it because it summarizes many interesting topics. But if you're like me and like to dive into the details behind it all this book isn't for you. Notes:
Two or three stars seems appropriate for this one, and here’s why. On the one hand, the book
does present a fairly decent overview of the findings of positive psychology, and, in particular, on how to apply those findings to your life and career. At the same time, I can’t imagine that the studies cited in this book have aged well. Keep in mind that the book was released in 2010, which happens to coincide with the beginnings of the “replication crisis” in the behavioral sciences. This crisis, of At the same time, I can’t imagine that the studies cited in this book have aged well. Keep in mind that the book was released in 2010, which happens to coincide with the beginnings of the “replication crisis” in the behavioral sciences. This crisis, of course, found that several
previously released studies could not be replicated upon further testing. So in addition to the fact that some of the studies referenced in this book seem far-fetched, Shawn Achor basically begs us to assume they’re part of the replication crisis when he writes, on page 75, in reference to one of his examples, that “while this was only one study and its effects were probably temporary, it illustrates how strongly our beliefs can affect our abilities.” In other words, he might as
well have written, “the study may be total BS, and it may not at all be replicable, but because it supports my main point, I’ll think I’ll just go ahead and include it.” This is not so much a good sign for the rest of the book. For example, I can’t help but think the study suggesting that people can slow the physical aging process by pretending they’re younger is one such study that would fail the replication process. Of course, the “replication crisis” doesn’t mean that every
psychological study ever conducted is fraudulent or mistaken. But the problem is that Achor does not distinguish between the studies that have more extensive scientific support and those that do not. The reader is simply left guessing. Also, it’s worth noting that the entire premise of the book seems bizarre. It’s a little odd for the author to tell us that success does not create happiness, but that we should pursue happiness FOR success. The whole concept of happiness is a bit cheapened
when it is commodified and presented only as a MEANS to achieve “success and performance” at work, which the author just told us is not an integral part of overall life satisfaction. Happiness should be pursued for its own sake as an ultimate good; productivity or “success” at work may or may not follow, but if you’re already happy, why should you care? Following Aristotle, we know that it would never make sense to pursue a superior end (happiness) for the sake of an inferior one
(productivity), and that claiming otherwise is a bit like telling a doctor that they should heal the sick so that they can practice medicine. Achor even defines happiness as “the joy we feel striving after our potential,” which we do by exercising our signature strengths. The pursuit of meaningful work for its own sake—and not for the sake of being more “productive”—therefore seems to be the better way to present the findings of positive psychology. This is, in fact, how Harvard professor
Tal Ben-Shahar conveys the findings of positive psychology in his book Happier. Nevertheless, it does seem to be true that happiness is largely, as Achor maintains, a subjective phenomenon, and therefore at least somewhat within each person’s control. And certain activities like meditation, keeping a gratitude journal, committing acts of kindness, and exercising signature strengths, among other things, does seem to boost happiness, as the book maintains. It’s just that this advice is
better expressed elsewhere, perhaps from someone with a less corporatized mind. In fact, there are, in my opinion, superior books on the subject, for example The Happiness Hypothesis by Jonathan Haidt, The Conquest of Happiness by Bertrand Russell, Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, and Happier by Tal Ben-Shahar.
Tidbits one would expect to glean from a source like Prevention magazine. Didn't finish. Tidbits one would expect to glean from a source like Prevention magazine. Didn't finish. ...more
Mar 08, 2012 Deb rated it it was amazing *Happily recommended :-)* Oh, this book makes me happy. Over and over again. Not only is it a joy to read (how can reading about happiness not be uplifting?), but the clear and easily executable principles for
achieving happiness are so effective. Think of this book as to how-to of positive psychology. Shawn does an amazing job of distilling the research and findings of positive psychology that predict happiness and success into seven key principles: 1. The happiness advantage--the way we can retr Oh, this book makes me happy. Over and over again. Not only is it a joy to read (how can reading about happiness
not be uplifting?), but the clear and easily executable principles for achieving happiness are so effective. Think of this book as to how-to of positive psychology. Shawn does an amazing job of distilling the research and findings of positive psychology that predict happiness and success into seven key principles: 1. The happiness advantage--the way we can retrain our brains to maximize positivity and provide our the biological advantage needed to optimize our productivity and
performance. 2. The fulcrum and the lever--the way we can adjust our mindset (fulcrum) to be able to have the power (lever) to be more fulfilled and successful. 3. The tetris effect--the principle by which we retrain our brains to spot patterns of possibility and opportunity, instead of getting stuck in spotting patterns that focus on negativity. 4. Falling up--how we can not only get ourselves up after failure or suffering, but also become happier and more successful in
spite--and because--of the fall. 5. The Zorro circle--the principle by which we can regain control when feeling overwhelmed by focusing on small and manageable goals, and gradually expanding the circle to achieve increasingly bigger ones. 6. The 20 second rule--how we can decrease the "activation energy" of forming new (and healthier) habits by rerouting the path of least resistance. 7. Social investment--the principle by which we can invest more in our social networks, which
are one of the greatest predictors of happiness and success. Turning convention beliefs upside down, the book shows how success does not lead to happiness, but happiness leads to success. In other words, the more positive our brains are, the more likely we are to succeed. As the author explains, the Happiness Advantage "asks us to be realistic about the present while maximizing our potential for the future. It is about learning to cultivate the mindset and behaviors that have been
empirically proven to fuel greater success and fulfillment. It is a work ethic." Shawn's poignant quote of: "Happiness is not the belief that we don't need to change; it is the realization that we can" nicely encapsulates the message of this book. Life is not about chasing the happy ending; it's about unblocking our potential by cultivating happiness now. I guess it goes without saying that I happily recommend this book. :)
Jan 20, 2019 Mark Robison rated it it was amazing I'd held off reading this for a long time
because I'd gotten burned by too many positive-thinking books that just regurgitated the same old things. But, wow, this one is fantastic and has literally changed my life habits for the better. I'd rank this among my top 4 favorite business books that are applicable to real life (with "The Power of Habit," "How to Win Friends & Influence People," and "Good to Great"). The book's basic points are that tons of fascinating studies have proven over and over The book's basic points are that tons
of fascinating studies have proven over and over that happiness leads to success rather than success to happiness, happiness benefits nearly every aspect of life, and there are specific activities that can cultivate happiness even in people who are naturally gruff. Consider: "Doctors put in a positive mood before making a diagnosis show almost three times more intelligence and creativity than doctors in a neutral state, and they make accurate diagnoses 19 percent faster." Or "A
recent University of Toronto study found that our mood can actually change how our visual cortex -- the part of the brain responsible for sight -- processes information. In this experiment, people were primed for either positivity or negativity, then asked to look at a series of pictures. Those who were put in a negative mood didn't process all the images in the pictures -- missing substantial parts of the background -- while those in a good mood saw everything." (And, yes, the actual
studies are footnoted.) His tips for priming one's own happiness have worked for me, and I've seen the benefits play out in potentially contentious business meetings. Call me a convert. Grade: A
Apr 01, 2011 Froztwolf rated it really liked it Unlike most books in the genre, this book is deeply
rooted in psychology studies and written by a researcher, rather than a journalist or a professional author. Yet, it never gets dry or pedantic. Fantastic book for anyone interested in being happy. To begin with, it spends a considerable portion of the book explaining what the effects of happiness are on individuals and groups, dispelling any lingering fears that maybe working towards individual happiness is selfish and unproductive. Fantastic book for anyone interested in being happy. To begin with, it spends a considerable portion of the book explaining what the effects of happiness are on individuals and groups, dispelling any lingering fears that maybe working towards individual
happiness is selfish and unproductive. The rest of the book is about the major causes of happiness, backed up with practical advice on how to leverage those causes in our own lives. All statements about
effects and causes of happiness are firmly backed up by psychological papers and articles. That said, the advice all seems sound, and I can't wait to build habits to put it into daily practice. A fun read, a useful read, and backed up by a healthy dose of science. No "feel good" fluff here.
The sad truth about unhappiness is that the more frustrated we gloomy misanthropes become, the more we sink into despair, the less we think about happiness as
achievable, - the less we are able to make a conscious effort to feel better; and this is what this book is basically about - about making a conscious effort to think in a healthier way to feel better. I've been struggling with depressive states since probably the time my mom got pregnant with me, and yet I never think I need help; I starte I've been struggling with depressive states since probably the time my mom got pregnant with me, and yet I never think I need help; I started listening to this audiobook because my daughter was acting - very much like me, one could say,
but since we consulted the psychologist on her account and not mine, it was just - 'depressed'. So, did the book help? Well, you know what they say, that it takes just one psychologist to change the lightbulb, but it has to want to change? Change exacts effort; effort is painful when one is already in pain. (On the other hand, my daughter started feeling better irrespective of the good advice from the book that I've brought her, because an obstacle to her happiness was temporarily
removed). This is certainly a well-meant book; entertaining, too (some of the jokes are not that fresh, but I get it, one has to smile sometimes :)). Then, of course, this is all useful advice. On my better days, I even do strive to implement it.
A solid overview of why there is, indeed, a happiness advantage and an array of practices to help you achieve it. I agree with everything in the book and yet, it often felt like “Happiness Lite”. Most of the research and tips focus on micro practices and small interventions. (Shawn does an exercise with a group in a few hours and...voilá! They are happier even months later.) Several times, he’d
emphasize the point by saying, “All it takes is... “ While these small steps definitely have their plac I agree with everything in the book and yet, it often felt like “Happiness Lite”. Most of the research and tips focus on micro practices and small interventions. (Shawn does an exercise with a group in a few hours
and...voilá! They are happier even months later.) Several times, he’d emphasize the point by saying, “All it takes is... “ While these small steps definitely have their place and are a good way to get started, my own view and experience is that cultivating the habits that lead to happiness take much more practice than a single exercise or technique. I think the book is very useful for anyone who’s unsure of how/if they can be happier. And I’m looking forward to reading “Big
Potential” by the author to see if he goes deeper.
Nov 10, 2020 Macaira Leahy rated it it was amazing Written by a cognitive psychologist, this book is based on research rather than, like many self-help books, written by someone based on their feelings about the world. I plan to buy this one and hopefully reference it regularly. Before reading this book, I'd recommend watching Shawn Anchor's [hilarious] TED talk on this subject that summarizes most of the information in under 15 minutes. But really, watch it; It almost seems more like stand-up comedy than TED talk. Anyway, I don't know anyone wh Written by a cognitive psychologist, this book is based on research rather than, like many self-help books, written by someone based on their feelings about the world. I plan to buy this one and hopefully reference it regularly. Before reading this book, I'd recommend watching Shawn Anchor's [hilarious] TED talk on this subject that summarizes most of the information in under 15 minutes. But really, watch it; It almost seems more like stand-up comedy than TED talk. Anyway, I don't know anyone who wouldn't benefit from reading this book. Unless you don't want to be happy. Then read book 5 of Harry Potter instead. ...more
Mar 22, 2022 Joy Kirr rated it really liked it I liked this one - and I think I liked it because it had a lot of the same ideas I'd read about in other self-help books the last two years (THE BOOK OF JOY, YOU'RE NOT LISTENING, CHATTER, FEWER THINGS BETTER, LEARNED OPTIMISM and TINY HABITS), so many of the ideas are starting to cement in my brain. I love when the science backs up the claims. There were also some new anecdotes that will help me remember the lessons. My lesson from this one: Changing our mindset is WORK and takes a lot of PRACT I liked this one - and I think I liked it because it had a lot of the same ideas I'd read about in other self-help books the last two years (THE BOOK OF JOY, YOU'RE NOT LISTENING, CHATTER, FEWER THINGS BETTER, LEARNED OPTIMISM and TINY HABITS), so many of the ideas are starting to cement in my brain. I love when the science backs up the claims. There were also some new anecdotes that will help me remember the lessons. My lesson from this one: Changing our mindset is WORK and takes a lot of PRACTICE. I'm getting that practice a lot these days. I was able to use some of the ideas he shared while reading the last two weeks - for my first colonoscopy and for a headache (that I THINK I talked my brain out of becoming a migraine). ;) ...more
Over the past couple of years I’ve read near a dozen books about creating the best experiences possible at work and I connected with this one the most so far (I have more in the pipeline). I agreed with the author’s theories, some of which I think stretched a bit into occult science, and being another genre of heavy interest to me, more kool points for him. I also enjoyed his delivery which was occasionally humorous and thus perhaps slyly gets him to achieve his goal of making the reader happy, Over the past couple of years I’ve read near a dozen books about creating the best experiences possible at work and I connected with this one the most so far (I have more in the pipeline). I agreed with the author’s theories, some of which I think stretched a bit into occult science, and being another genre of heavy interest to me, more kool points for him. I also enjoyed his delivery which was occasionally humorous and thus perhaps slyly gets him to achieve his goal of making the reader happy, even if for brief moments. In conjunction I couldn’t avoid being impressed by it all. ...more
Feb 15, 2022 Cav rated it it was amazing "For untold generations, we have been led to believe that happiness orbited around success. That if we work hard enough, we will be successful, and only if we are successful will we become happy. Success was thought to be the fixed point of the work universe, with
happiness revolving around it. Now, thanks to breakthroughs in the burgeoning field of positive psychology, we are learning that the opposite is true. When we are happy —when our mindset and mood are positive—we are smarter, more motiv "For untold generations, we have been led to believe that happiness orbited around success. That if we work hard enough, we will be successful, and only if we are successful will we become happy. Success was
thought to be the fixed point of the work universe, with happiness revolving around it. Now, thanks to breakthroughs in the burgeoning field of positive psychology, we are learning that the opposite is true. When we are happy —when our mindset and mood are positive—we are smarter, more motivated, and thus more successful. Happiness is the center, and success revolves around it..." The Happiness Advantage was an excellent book. It's on the reading list of sports performance
psychologist Dr. Michael Gervais' "Finding Your Best" course (which was also superb, for anyone interested). After spending twelve years at Harvard University, author Shawn Achor has
become one of the world’s leading experts on the connection between happiness and success. His research on mindset made the cover of Harvard Business Review, his TED talk is one of the most popular of all time with over 13 million views, and his lecture airing on PBS has been seen by millions. Shawn has lectured or worked with over a third of the Fortune 100 companies, as well as the NFL, the NBA, the Pentagon and the White House. Shawn Achor:
Achor gets the writing here off on a good foot, with a great intro. He has a great writing style. He writes in an easy and engaging manner that's peppered with small bits of tongue-in-cheek humour throughout. So, this one should have
no trouble holding the reader's attention. The book is a largely science-driven look into the topic. Achor mentions that ~1,600 Harvard students were researched for this book: "By my calculation, I have sat for more than a half hour individually with over 1,100 Harvard students—enough caffeine to get an entire Olympic team disqualified for decades. Positive psychology is a central theme of the book. Achor mentions the pioneer of this field, Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman. He says: "Extraordinarily, as late as 1998, there was a 17-to-1 negative-to-positive ratio of research in the field of psychology. In other words, for every one study about happiness and thriving there were 17 studies on depression and disorder. This is very telling. As a society, we know very well how to be unwell and miserable and so little about how to thrive..." The book is broken into 7 broad chapters, each covering a specific theme: THE SEVEN PRINCIPLES Some more of what is covered here includes: • Ellen Langer's "Counterclockwise" Experiment. • The placebo effect • An individual's explanatory style. • The brain's mirror circuitry. "Studies show that simply believing we can bring about positive change in our lives increases motivation and job performance; that success, in essence, becomes a selffulfilling prophesy. One study of 112 entry-level accountants found that those who believed they could accomplish what they set out to do were the ones who ten months later scored the best job performance ratings from their supervisors. Amazingly, their belief in their own ability was an even stronger predictor of job performance than the actual level of skill or training they had." ***************************** I really
enjoyed The Happiness Advantage. It was a very well-researched, edited, written, and delivered book. Shawn Achor is an American educator, author, and speaker known for his advocacy of positive psychology. He is best known for his research reversing the formula of success leading to happiness—his research shows that happiness in fact leads to success. Achor spent 12 years studying what makes people happy at Harvard University. He later authored The Happiness Advantage and founded the Institute of Shawn Achor is an American educator, author, and speaker known for his advocacy of positive psychology. He is best known for his research reversing the formula of success leading to happiness—his research shows that happiness in fact leads to success. Achor spent 12 years studying what makes people happy at Harvard University. He later authored The Happiness Advantage and founded the Institute of Positive Research and GoodThinkInc. His TEDx talk "The Happy Secret to Better Work" is one of the 20-most viewed TED talks. ...more News & InterviewsNeed another excuse to treat yourself to a new book this week? We've got you covered with the buzziest new releases of the day. To create our... “Habits are like financial capital – forming one today is an investment that will automatically give out returns for years to come.” — 53 likes “..the more you believe in your own ability to success the more likely it is that you will.” — 32 likes More quotes…Welcome back. Just a moment while we sign you in to your Goodreads account. How could you best describe the relationship between neuroticism and emotion?Which statement best describes the relationship between neuroticism and emotion? Neuroticism is related to feeling more negative emotion.
What presents individuals with an ambiguous stimulus and asks them to describe it or to tell a story about it to launch their own meaning onto the stimulus?The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)
In the TAT test, people are asked to look at a series of ambiguous scenes and then to tell a story describing the scene.
Which of the following perspectives emphasizes that personality is primarily unconscious?Originating in the work of Sigmund Freud, the psychodynamic perspective emphasizes unconscious psychological processes (for example, wishes and fears of which we're not fully aware), and contends that childhood experiences are crucial in shaping adult personality.
Which of the following neurotransmitters is associated with neuroticism?Neuroticism is a major risk factor for affective disorders. This personality trait has been hypothesized to associate with synaptic availability of the serotonin transporter, which critically controls serotonergic tone in the brain.
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Shawn approaches most aspects of life with the expectation that he will be successful
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