Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being

"This book will help you flourish." andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;With this unprecedented promise, internationally esteemed psychologist Martin Seligman begins andlt;iandgt;Flourish, andlt;/iandgt;his first book in ten years--and the first to present his dynamic new concept of what well-being really is. Traditionally, the goal of psychology has been to relieve human suffering, but the goal of the Positive Psychology movement, which Dr. Seligman has led for fifteen years, is different--it's about actually raising the bar for the human condition. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;andlt;iandgt;Flourish andlt;/iandgt;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, andlt;iandgt;Flourish andlt;/iandgt;refines what Positive Psychology is all about. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;While certainly a andlt;iandgt;part andlt;/iandgt;of well-being, happiness andlt;iandgt;alone andlt;/iandgt;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 andlt;iandgt;flourishandlt;/iandgt;? "Well-being" takes the stage front and center, and Happiness (or andlt;bandgt;Pandlt;/bandgt;ositive Emotion) becomes one of the five pillars of Positive Psychology, along with andlt;bandgt;Eandlt;/bandgt;ngagement, andlt;bandgt;Randlt;/bandgt;elationships, andlt;bandgt;Mandlt;/bandgt;eaning, and andlt;bandgt;Aandlt;/bandgt;ccomplishment--or andlt;bandgt;PERMAandlt;/bandgt;, the permanent building blocks for a life of profound fulfillment. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;Thought-provoking in its implications for education, economics, therapy, medicine, and public policy--the very fabric of society--andlt;iandgt;Flourish andlt;/iandgt;tells inspiring stories of Positive Psychology in action, including how the entire U.S. Army is now trained in emotional resilience; how innovative schools can educate for fulfillment in life and not just for workplace success; and how corporations can improve performance at the same time as they raise employee well-being. andlt;BRandgt;andlt;BRandgt;With interactive exercises to help readers explore their own attitudes and aims, andlt;iandgt;Flourish andlt;/iandgt;is a watershed in the understanding of happiness as well as a tool for getting the most out of life. On the cutting edge of a science that has changed millions of lives, Dr. Seligman now creates the ultimate extension and capstone of his bestselling classics, andlt;iandgt;Authentic Happiness andlt;/iandgt;and andlt;iandgt;Learned Optimism.andlt;/iandgt;

andlt;Bandgt;Martin E.P. Seligman, Ph.D.andlt;/Bandgt;, the Robert A. Fox Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania, works on positive psychology, learned helplessness, depression, ethnopolitical conflict, and optimism. Dr. Seligman's work has been supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Science Foundation, the Guggenheim Foundation, the Mellon Foundation, and the MacArthur Foundation. He is the director of the Positive Psychology Network and scientific director of Foresight, Inc., a testing company that predicts success in various walks of life.andlt;BRandgt;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp;andnbsp; He was for fourteen years the Director of the Clinical Training Program of the University of Pennsylvania and was named a "Distinguished Practitioner" by the National Academies of Practice. In 1995, he received the Pennsylvania Psychological Association's award for "Distinguished Contributions to Science and Practice."