Still haven’t decided which book to pick for this year’s summer holidays?
Here is a list of some of the intro Positive Psychology books that we can highly recommend!
This list is focused on simple, practical books that are perfect to start off your journey and curiosity in exploring more about positive psychology.
If you are looking for a book that will give you a broader perspective on what Positive Psychology is and what it entails then make sure you choose one of the books listed below:
Happiness Advantage by Shawn Achor
Simple, practical, rich with tools and catchy yet research-based ideas, this book will give you new motivation and insights into why working on our happiness and wellbeing should come as a first step in building a fulfilling life – yes, even before focusing on success and goals.
P.S. Have you seen Shawn Achor’s hilarious and insightful TED talk?
Positive Psychology in a Nutshell by Ilona Boniwell
If you are looking for a “theoretical” guide into positive psychology, this is the book to grab! It is a simple and easy read, yet offers a comprehensive overview of all the diverse aspects, branches, and topics that we can find within the field of positive psychology. It will give you a clear idea of what positive psychology is all about – as well as ideas of literature to explore each of the topics deeper.
Happier by Tal Ben Shahar
You can consider this book a practical guide for work on your own happiness and wellbeing. It is rich with powerful, diverse, practical, and insightful exercises that will lead you to more positive emotions, a new sense of meaning, and in many ways open your eyes to what “life of wellbeing” truly means.
If on the other hand, you are searching for a more deep dive into some of the most fundamental pillars of Positive Psychology then the following books might be what you are looking for:
Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
In this beautifully written book, Csikszentmihalyi (one of the fathers of positive psychology) explores the elusive and enchanting state of flow. It is that amazing state of blissful immersion into a difficult yet worthwhile activity – we also call it “the optimal experience”, being “in the zone”, or “getting lost” in something we are doing. Building more flow into our life leads to a deeper sense of meaning, more joy and creativity, faster learning, and overall more wellbeing – and this book dissects the state of flow and gives you first steps into how to create more of it.
It is also a very special book for Happiness Academy – it is the one that by strange coincidence fell into my hands while sailing on Whitsundays in Australia in 2009 and led me to fall in love with positive psychology… and eventually, start up Happiness Academy.
Mindset by Carol Dweck
The book through which the term “growth mindset” was created and that forever changed the way we look at education, parenting, and learning. Through this book, you will discover what it means (and how to build) a learners’ mindset, a perspective that makes you open and flexible in your learning in any of the life aspects. Game changer and an eye-opener.
The Power of Full Engagement by Jim Loehr and Tony Schwartz
Probably the best book out there if you would like to get more skilled in managing your own levels of physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual energy. And what does energy mean? It is not just the quantity of energy we have, but also the quality of life, the strength of our focus, and the power with which we engage in life. This book offers the best “recipe” to bring your energy management to a whole new level – as well as many examples and ideas on how to put that recipe into practice.
We really hope that after reading some of those books you also become more excited and curious to dive deeper into the magic world of Positive Psychology with us!
Curious how to? Keep reading!
Connect with like-minded people - Positive Psychology Tribe Online Community
Do you already have your go-to book for Positive Psychology?
Did you already check out any of those 6 books and what did you think of them?
Are you reading something else these days?
Which books inspire you, surprise you, give you new insights?
There are plenty of books out there and we are curious to hear what are your favourites and your recommendations – so why not sharing them in Positive Psychology Tribe, Happiness Academy online community for meaningful conversations
If after that you decide to dig deeper into any of the areas of positive psychology and any of the “12 pillars of happiness” download our booklist where you can find many more great ideas.
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