Rating: 
Summary: REACHING FOR THE SKY!!!
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: Skilled Academic Author, Great but not for Everyone ...
Review: This is a great book by a great academic researcher. There is a lot of information in here that is great food for thought. But, any time you read an academic researcher/theoretician's work, it is super important to put on your skeptic thinking cap because they are usually coming from a particular perspective and are really good at making you think that their view is it. Nonetheless, the author has some great points about a lot of aspects of life in here. NOW, if you are interested in a book that will be especially devoted to helping you find authentic wellness, and not just be an intellectual exploration, see "Effortless Wellbeing: The Missing Ingredients for Authentic Wellness" by Evan Finer. That book gives you critical ideas and practical how-to practices to activate your true self and create wellness automatically. It will help you experientially get there. Highly recommend both books. Authentic Happiness is very interesting academic reading; Effortless Wellbeing is down-to-earth practical how-to.
Rating: 
Summary: Sorry for spoiling the party
Review: This is not the review I hoped to write. Personally, I am alarmed by the emerging trends in the area of "negative" psychology and it's far from too early to try finding what the positive can offer. Martin Seligman impresses me as a kind, modest, intelligent and educated man, and I also enjoyed his sense of humor. And yet, I think this book is problematic, and here is why. Good things first, though: This book is very interesting in both meanings, enjoyable to read and provides information that can be helpful, if not for making the reader a happier person, then at least for understanding ourselves and others. The author appears as very knowledgeable and a critical thinker. The problem: Frequently he isn't. One very common mistake he does is the mundane one - confusing correlation with cause and effect relation: Examples: Does happiness results longevity, or both are results of a common reason? Do chores make children successful as adults, or are characteristics that make a child likely to help at home also makes her likely to be successful later in life? Other examples of questionable claims: Is depression becoming more prevalent or is it diagnosed more? (Some of his data would point to the later). Is giving a child chores that takes her personal "strengths" is expected to be beneficial for her future, or does it defies the basic idea? One can argue that doing what one is good at is "no biggie", what we really better be prepared to is doing things we are not so good at, things we don't like to do, and the supportive surrounding of our close family is the safest place to start experiencing it. I can imagine this being argued instead, and the same people would wipe the same tears and say the same "This is SO true!" But which one it is? To the best of my knowledge it is not clear at this time, while the best evidence suggest that neither. (However, if I'm wrong and chores are beneficial, I invite the Seligmans - eight of them, to clean my place. I guarantee a tremendous feeling of well-deserved satisfaction upon completion). Indeed, the chapter about parenting is especially perplexing. It is mainly a collection of anecdotes of how the Seligmans handled, successfully according to their own judgment, conflict they had with their children, with the assumption that this will effect their future for the better, and an even broader assumption that this is also true for every child. Not that it wasn't a pleasure to read; witnessing affectionate relations between parents and their children is one of the most charming thing there is. Yet this is unfair for those who worked hard to find what really affect children, and it seems that professor Seligman is not very proficient in this sub-field. Indeed, both assumptions are unsupported by research (if genetic is control for, see The Nurture Assumption by Judith Rich Harris, The Blank Slate by Steven Pinker). Also, one "common sense" advice contradicts the other: His "reciprocity game", of family members mimicking a toddler gesture to give her a feeling she is important and loved - isn't it an example of false reassurance (since regularly adults would not bang a table in the end of a meal), against which he next advises? The book presents very interesting insights into happiness. However, at least for two main themes, "flow" and "strengths", a crucial question is still open: Do those concepts suggest a therapeutic approach, or do they merely a description of enjoying emotional well-being? Especially, consider strengths, which are human traits that are appreciated in many cultures. Yet, this is not because they are happiness initiators; on the contrary, those who exhibit such strengths are admired for enduring the emotional cost associated with being kind, self-controlled, truth seeker, etc. It is with regret that I criticize a book that is written with such a noble and important intention, especially since it seems to contain important grains of truth and interesting leads. Unfortunately, other readers' reviews only confirm my fear, that because of the author credentials and trust-worthy appearance, readers can easily be mislead; it is very difficult to get the substantiated facts from the wishful thinking, even more so for those who are outsiders to social sciences. I really wish a lot of success to the branch of positive psychology, and will certainly look forward for progress in deciphering authentic happiness. There is a little doubt on my mind that we can expect a lot from Martin Seligman's leadership. This book, though, leaves much to desire for.
Rating:
Summary: A Useful and Entertaining Book
Review: 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.
Rating:
Summary: I'M HAPPY ALREADY :)
Review: What I love most about this book is that it advices us to focus on our positive strengths rather than our weaknesses. Spending all day thinking negatively about your faults doesn't help you be happy. But, focusing on the good, then enhancing it, that makes perfect sense. My favorite book on the subject of happiness is "The Little Guide To Happiness".
Rating:
Summary: New-to-me research and perspectives
Review: While I can't say this book has profoundly changed me, it definitely has provided fuel for thought, and one I would recommend, particularly when he shares data about what is (e.g., that about 50% of our emotional 'set point' appears to be genetic) and what could be changed (e.g., some of his exercises that can increase positive feelings). Too many of the other authors that other reviewers have mentioned are touting their own thoughts, not necessarily research based. I liked his distinctions between the various domains of positive emotions (past, present, and future), and how they need to be looked at differently. I didn't care for his agnostic/atheist stance, but I found it easy to ignore. At times I found his habit of alternating between scholary writing and 'dear diary' style irritating; at other times interesting. I certainly would follow his recommendation to take the various tests online, vs on paper. I've found the online email newsletter to be of interest.
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