The Happiness Advantage - Shawn Achor

The Happiness Advantage

By Shawn Achor

  • Release Date: 2010-09-14
  • Genre: Self-Improvement
Score: 4.5
4.5
From 544 Ratings

Description

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER An engaging, deeply researched guide to flourishing in a world of increasing stress and negativity—the inspiration for one of the most popular TED Talks of all time

“Powerful [and] charming . . . A book for just about anyone . . . The philosophies in this book are easily the best wire frames to build a happy and successful life.”—Medium

Happiness is not the belief that we don’t need to change; it is the realization that we can.

Our most commonly held formula for success is broken. Conventional wisdom holds that once we succeed, we’ll be happy; that once we get that great job, win that next promotion, lose those five pounds, happiness will follow. But the science reveals this formula to be backward: Happiness fuels success, not the other way around.
 
Research shows that happy employees are more productive, more creative, and better problem solvers than their unhappy peers. And positive people are significantly healthier and less stressed and enjoy deeper social interaction than the less positive people around them.
 
Drawing on original research—including one of the largest studies of happiness ever conducted—and work in boardrooms and classrooms across forty-two countries, Shawn Achor shows us how to rewire our brains for positivity and optimism to reap the happiness advantage in our lives, our careers, and even our health. His strategies include:
 
The Tetris Effect: how to retrain our brains to spot patterns of possibility so we can see and seize opportunities all around us
Social Investment: how to earn the dividends of a strong social support network
The Ripple Effect: how to spread positive change within our teams, companies, and families
 
By turns fascinating, hopeful, and timely, The Happiness Advantage reveals how small shifts in our mind-set and habits can produce big gains at work, at home, and elsewhere.

Reviews

  • Insightful

    5
    By basket_weaver
    This is an incredible book! It was very insightful, and made studying about different physiological studies entertaining and interesting.
  • Excellent book!

    5
    By Streisky
    I loved this book, it is based on research and written by a professor, but still has a fun and easy tone for all readers to understand and enjoy it!
  • Fantastic read

    5
    By musicalgeniusyahear
    Learned so much from this book that I want to start it all over again! This book has principles that apply to both your personal and professional life, and I will 100% recommend to everyone!
  • The Happiness Advantage

    5
    By rdbett
    I love loved this book. It’s nice to know that life really is that simple, baby steps. I have been on point with my weight for a week , I woud only make it 3-4 days then give up.
  • Step by step

    5
    By yonny85
    Shawn Achor does a great job explaining "Positive Psychology" and teaching the "Happiness Advantage" step by step... A must read for anyone wanting to live life to its fullest potential!
  • Great book

    5
    By Tyler @ Kingdom Success
    Highly recommend this book. It did confirm for me that my happiness precedes my success.
  • Interesting

    5
    By RhythmPro
    Not only a very interesting book but it is very influential on my life which is really cool.
  • Powerful and practical

    5
    By PDXJavaJunkie
    I've read many books on personal and professional development, and many of them were great, but the Happiness Advantage has directly impacted my life and career in a major and positive way. As Achor breaks down his findings on positive psychology into seven core principles, he doesn't just give you useful tips and ideas -- he gives you a complete framework for looking at your job, your personal relationships, your life and yourself. This book has literally helped to shift my perspective on many areas of life, reshaping notions I'd assumed to be givens. He backs up this big picture perspective with real world studies and data, and every chapter provides practical exercises to help you implement and master the principles. I supervise a team of inbound sales representatives in a call center environment, and I'm already seeing improvement in team morale and daily production since I've been utilizing the concepts in this book. If you want to help bring a team together and weed out negativity, as well as enhance your own life, this book definitely offers a path to get there.
  • A Must Read

    5
    By jeffreyasmith
    Despite the concern that this book is focused on corporate America, I could not believe how incredibly transferable the principles are to every arena of life. I've known Shawn for many years and this is stellar work! Thanks, Shawn, for this great contribution.
  • Wonderful book

    5
    By Jermaine Showtime Stone
    This is possibly the most inspirational book I've ever read.

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