Rating: 
Summary: Powerful book
Review: This outstanding book Mihaly Csikszentmihayli is a tuly the best book of it's kind on the market. It is not a motivational, "pump-up" book. Rather it is based on true psychology and on what works. Not just a "feel good" book.Highly recommended.
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Summary: Great book - highly recommended
Review: This book is outstanding for anyone who wants to get the most out of life. Highly recommended.
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Summary: Get into Flow
Review: I'm in sales and this book helped me tremendously to "flow" with my sales presentations and on a personal development level. My sales more than doubled in 4 months. Absolutely great book. Highly receommended.
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Summary: It made a big difference for me
Review: This seems to be the kind of book that either you love or you hate. I loved it. This is why: It made sense to me. It helped me understand things about myself that I didn't realize, and it made a difference. Why do I sit and watch TV when I hate TV and there are a thousand better things to do? Why do I choose an activity knowing at the time I will regret it later (such as reading a not-great book I've already read, instead of going for a walk or reading one of the great, challenging books on my shelf I haven't read)? Why do I have so much trouble starting a project I'm really excited about? Why when I'm doing a routine task like laundry do I start obsessing about past conversations and what I should have said? I thought it was a character issue - I just don't have enough willpower. What I understood from this book, the mind needs structure for keeping pyschic order (This is the interepretation that made a difference to me - it may not be a scientifically rigorous representation of his work). There are two kinds of structure - low level, meaning low challenge and low use of skills. It doesn't take any psychic energy to get there, but it doesn't provide much growth either. Examples are watching TV, reading predictable, unchallenging books, redundant social chatter, etc. Higher level structure means higher challenges and higher use of skills. Examples playing tennis, brain surgery, model building, drag racing, challenging, thinking conversations or books, basketball, pretty much any work or hobby you enjoy. It takes some energy or effort to get started, but you get so much more out of it, and generally feel better afterward. With no structure, the mind tends to wander and get caught by problems or concerns. In moments throughout the day, having this distinction had made a difference. Knowing that the pull to do something mindless and easy is not a character issue, but the mind's need for order, I find myself choosing more challenging activities sometimes. I'm not sure I've experienced what he calls flow, but I know I feel better if I put forth the energy to do a jigsaw puzzle rather than watch TV, or take a walk rather than eat a pint of ice cream, or work on my writing instead of reading a book. I found the follow-up book, "Finding Flow", less satisfying because it was less dense and more chatty, and it was mostly a repeat of "Flow". If you are interested in the ideas but want something less scientific and easier to read, you might start with that.
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Summary: Don't waste so many precious moments!
Review: Flow (optimal experience) is something we all strive for and this book provides many chapters designed to help us recognize it. The key to this excellent self-help book is that it helps us understand our inner self first prior to providing cheesy solutions. Just like the 12 step AA program you first have to admit something and recognize it, only then are you ready for change. After reading this book, it was easy to admit that I am not in an optimal state all the time, when perhaps I could have been. "Hello, my name is Loopy and I'm not experiencing life in an optimal manner" Ok, let's get serious. In this time of hostilities it is more important than ever to recognize why humans try so hard to conquer the outer world. Mihaly concentrates entirely on how to achieve flow, therefore prescribing proven techniqes to control your state of mind (inner world) and improving the quality of your life. Flow is simply immersing yourself in an activity to the point of losing sense of time. That activity can't be too hard or too easy, just enough so that you instinctively know that you are learning and expanding. Learning to effortlessly drive a golf ball, play guitar, converse, dance and work can all provide the state of Flow. Mihaly starts the book off with an interesting general visit to the happiness subject and asks all the right questions. He presents a strong argument focusing on how humans throughout history have focused on how health, beauty, money and power will be our shining knights, yet we only have to look inside ourselves and stretch ourselves to experience precious moments. That perfect golf swing. Writing a great review. Cooking a great meal. It's just too easy in our society to flick channels and grab a greasy burger. You have to create optimal moments. In the chapter discussing consciousness he tackles a tricky subject by first admitting it is a complex subject, but offers some interesting explanations. Consciousness can be "intentionally ordered information". Our conscious actively shapes events for us providing a sum of all we have heard, seen, felt, hope and suffered. He is one of the only authors that I stuck with, on this complex subject. I have a clearer understanding as to why I do things. This is an important step to changing my ways. Mihaly also looks at optimal experiences in our culture, thus looking at the bigger picture. His insight in how the industrial Revolution actually shortened some lifespans and put children at work very early is a great example how our behavior evolved innocently until it was too late. Even today we are working longer hours with modern technology. Is our present culture in the optimal state? I don't think so. The book also looks at developing Flow through the body (yoga) and senses, with examples of the joy of seeing and hearing (music). The subject of Flow and work is well presented as he provides examples of how people have found optimal experiences in mundane jobs. The family is also discussed and it is easy to understand how we become dull with our family, neglecting to input energy and time. Mihaly is one of those authors that truly cares for the human race and makes an effort to solve some very complex questions with a common sense approach. Now I want get out there and seize the day.
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Summary: EXCELLENT Presentation of Flow. Among the BEST!
Review: One of the best books on FLOW, that state of pure focus where deep satisfaction and power are found. It was great to read this book and logically helpful. The only drawback is not enough information about how to make it happen more in my life. The book "EFFORTLESS WELLBEING" by Evan Finer will take you there. Exceptional books. HIGHLY RECOMMENDED, Very HELPFUL, LIFE CHANGING!!
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Summary: Excellent Intro to Flow
Review: With the concept of happiness being a distraction from Flow Csikszentimihalyi sets up a myriad of powerful arguments all revealing his more philosophical side towards the end. 80% of adults say they would work if they had enough money not to. The problem that exists is these same people can't wait to get home from their jobs.. even though they said they would work if money weren't an issue..? It's not supposed to make sense because it doesn't, these people are working for far off rewards and not enjoying their task at hand. By age 12 the American child associates only negative things with anything labeled as work. The view of work needs to be changed. This book does just that. Working only for distant rewards will lead to regret and eventual disappointment. It is by learning how to enjoy any task can one get the most enjoyment out of life. Concepts are introduced that are really cool, and I'm not just talking about the "oh that's cool" cool I'm talking about the "holy sh*t, are you serious?" cool. A lot of wisdom in the book, give it a shot.
Rating: 
Summary: Misses the point
Review: He recommends that rather than finding happiness through the perspective of a worldview, religion, or philosophy, its better to immerse yourself in activity. This seems like the worst possible advise to someone who's truly seeking happiness. What happens when something causes someone to temporarily or permanently stop their "flow" activity? Say an athlete has a paralyzing car accident. He then has no hope of happiness? The author glosses over the influence of religion and worldview much too quickly. At the very least these things give a sense of perspective and clarity. At the most they give an overwhelming source of joy and purpose, and the prospect of eternal hope. Immersing ones self in activity, no matter how temporarily rewarding, is only delaying the inevitable unhappiness, if that's the state of your soul. I don't deny the benefit of having a job or career you love, and finding "flow" activities that give you a temporary sense of achievement, but I would argue that "optimal experience" comes from a having a purpose far beyond the work environment.
Rating: 
Summary: Not bad
Review: Interesting reading if you have ever been totally taken up by some activity.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting
Review: I got this book on a recommendation from a neurosurgeon. Got about a third of the way through it and then realized what it was talking about and did not feel the need to read the rest, but I will likely finish it at a later date. Very interesting book if you are one of those people who gets totally taken up by some work activity.
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