Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment

In this national bestseller -- Martin Seligman's most stimulating, persuasive book to date -- the acclaimed author of Learned Optimism introduces yet another revolutionary idea. Drawing on groundbreaking scientific research, Seligman shows how Positive Psychology is shifting the profession's paradigm away from its narrow-minded focus on pathology, victimology, and mental illness to positive emotion and mental health. Happiness, studies show, is not the result of good genes or luck. It can be cultivated by identifying and nurturing traits that we already possess -- including kindness, originality, humor, optimism, and generosity.

Seligman provides the tools you need in order to ascertain your most positive traits or strengths. Then he explains how, by frequently calling upon these "signature strengths" in all the crucial realms of life -- health, relationships, career -- you will not only develop natural buffers against misfortune and negative emotion, but also achieve new and sustainable levels of authentic contentment, gratification, and meaning.

I don't know of anyone with better credentials to guide readers through what psychology has discovered about happiness. Seligman's own research has contributed greatly to our understanding of the entire range of human experience from profound depression to "abundant gratification." His early, groundbreaking studies of learned helplessness provided great insight into inescapable trauma as a major source of helplessness and depression. He went on to study "learned optimism" as a powerful antidote to depression--his earlier book by that name is invaluable.

Now, Seligman sets out to provide readers with the insights and tools from the relatively new field of positive psychology. He does this with a rich mixture of anecdotes, personal revelations and research. In addition, he provides frequent self-assessments and exercises. I think that almost anyone who takes the time to read what Seligman has to say, who takes and thinks about the self assessments, and who does the exercises, will start thinking and acting in ways that lead to lasting happiness.

It's important to realize that Seligman is not a self-help guru by any stretch of the imagination. He is a leading research psychologist who builds on solid experimental findings. (Although the book is vividly written for the most part, at times Seligman's reliance on research findings slows things down.) Still, he is also devoted to the idea of making those often dry experiments as meaningful and useful as possible. He doesn't promise limitless bliss, but what he does offer may actually be reachable by ordinary, unenlightened people like us.

Early in the book Seligman makes the point that pleasure in itself is not the road to happiness. As we all know, pleasure is fleeting, and pursuing it can easily turn into addiction or futility. Instead Seligman identifies and values a set of nearly universal virtues which he believes lead to deep and lasting gratification. These include wisdom and knowledge, courage, love and humanity, justice, temperance, spirituality and transcendance. "The good life," he writes, "is using your signature strengths every day to produce authentic happiness and abundant gratification."

What I liked most about this book is that it made me feel good about myself, other people, and the "simple" virtues that make up much of the fabric of life, but which are often ignored and devalued. Kindness, tolerance, competence, interpersonal skills, a work ethic, and faith emerge as vital ingredients of a good, gratifying, happy life.

Authentic Happiness is not a miracle cure for all unhappiness. It is, however, a wise, well-informed, and extremely valuable guide to a more grounded, heartfelt and gratifying life.

Robert Adler, Author of _Sharing the Children: How to Resolve Custody Problems and Get on With Your Life_(1988, 2nd. Ed. 2001), and _Science Firsts: From the Creation of Science to the Science of Creation_ (2002).


REACHING FOR THE SKY!!!   August 25, 2002
Bill Butler (Tarzana, Ca. USA)
119 out of 162 found this review helpful

This could be the greatest book that I've ever reviewed. Virtually turning psychology
and psychiatry upside-down and starting virtually from scratch. The author first
emphasizes the value of modern day psychotherapy. Out of dozens of mental
diseases, only two are curable. What is the answer? The author is a distinguished
scientist and author of the best-selling book, "Learned Optimism." Also, the
leading researcher of depression. So this is really a book that is going to
create havoc. As did B.F. Skinner's legendary "Beyond Freedom and Dignity."
Skinner's book failed to change the world as predicted. This book might.
The main concept of Positive Psychology (this new science) is quite easy to grasp.
From Freud until now, mental health professionals have been concentrating
on disease or a negative psychology. Finding out what is wrong with you.
And they have, for the most part, failed. But what if we increase positive traits
such as kindness, courage, or humor. Evidence shows that a positive orientation.
is the best way to dissolve mental illness. And this is what Positive Psychology
is all about. The website is not operating yet as of this writing (August 24, 2002).
But please bookmark Seligman's site after you buy the book. In the book, twenty-four strengths are picked out as being most valuable for us at this time. You are
supposed to pick out the strongest five that you have. These are your five
"signature strengths." From these, you will model your work life, love life, and personal life. There is a chapter devoted to an update on increasing the strength.
of Optimism. That chapter is worth the book alone. Finding out our five signature strengths is the core of the book. This can account for tremendous dissatisfaction.
in our jobs and marriages. This is a bold and frightening book. Mainly because
Seligman is so highly respected in the world of psychology and psychiatry. If
Positive Psychology works, Seligman will be bigger than Freud. If it fails, he will
look like a buffoon. Thank you. I hope this review helped.


A Useful and Entertaining Book   June 15, 2003
Michael Gorsline, MA (Portland, OR United States)
5 out of 5 found this review helpful

We are lucky that a heavy weight in experimental psychology has taken an interest in these areas. It took someone of Seligman's stature to marshal the funding and qualified manpower in order to study the areas of positive emotion and strengths of character. I'm not sure I agree that psychology has done enough to study pathology, but I do believe that it is high time that we begin to spend more time and resources in an effort to understand how people who lead highly satisfying lives do so.

His formula describing happiness makes sense. It is interesting that experimental psychology is coming to the same conclusion as so many philosophers have, that in an effort to lead the good life, striving after pleasures along leave us coming up short. Seligman does't deride pursuing pleasure, in fact, he gives us some assistance getting the most from sensory pleasures, but he points toward the matching of signature strengths to opportunities as the primary source of happiness that is under our control. This does not surprise me as it seems to be an example of consiliance among many thinkers from Dewey, to Rogers and Maslow to Csikszentmihalyi not to mention the many philosophers that have reached the conclusion by more absract means.

His website has many useful tests that are scored with lightning speed and that give you comparitive data about thousands of others who have taken the same test. The only question I have about all this data his is compiling and basing his research on is how does he rule out the desire to be socially approved. I found myself struggling with some questions in an effort to distinguish between what I strive to be like, or what I would like to be like and where I actually am at currently.

Therapists, folks in the self-help market and many others will find much that is useful in this book that looks like it will the the first and most general of a field that one hopes is taking its first toddler steps.


Another great book by Dr. Seligman   April 11, 2004
Al Buntler (Decateur, Ga)
18 out of 23 found this review helpful

I have always enjoyed Dr. Seligmans work and am a big fan of Learned Optimism which probably should be read before this one or at least in addition to it.

People are confused and upset today for a lot of different reasons. Are you really happy. Read Dr. Seligmans book and find out what you can do about it.

Great work Dr. Seligman.