The Happiness Advantage

The Happiness Advantage

The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology that Fuel Success and Performance at Work

Summary

Most people want to be successful in life. And of course, everyone wants to be happy. When it comes to the pursuit of success and happiness, most people assume the same formula: if you work hard, you will become successful, and once you become successful, then you'll be happy. The only problem is that a decade of cutting-edge research in the field of positive psychology has proven that this formula is backwards. Success does not beget happiness.

Based on the largest study ever conducted on happiness and human potential (a survey conducted by the author of more than 1,600 students), Harvard lecturer Shawn Achor shares seven core principles of positive psychology that each one of us can use to improve our performance, grow our careers, and gain a competitive edge at work. He reveals how happiness actually fuels success and performance, not the other way around. Why? Because when we are happier and more positive we are more engaged, creative, resilient to stress, and productive. The Happiness Advantage will appeal to anyone who wants practical advice on how to become happier and also more successful.

Reviews

  • Achor transports us to his virtual classroom, a journey along which we glean the seven secrets of happiness. "The Happiness Advantage "reveals the most important discoveries coming out of modern psychology.
    Rom Brafman, bestselling co-author of "Sway" and "Click"

About the author

Shawn Achor

Shawn Achor is one of the world’s leading experts on the connection between happiness, success and potential. His research on mindset made the cover of Harvard Business Review, and his TED talk is one of the most popular of all time with 16 million views. He has worked with over a third of the Fortune 100 companies, the Pentagon and the White House, and lectured in more than 50 countries (from CEOs in China to doctors in Dubai and school children in South Africa). His Happiness Advantage training is one of the most successful corporate training programmes in the world. His research has been published in the New York Times, WSJ, Harvard Business Review, Forbes and Fortune. He is the author of The Happiness Advantage and Before Happiness.
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