The Happiness Advantage - by Shawn Achor

About the Book

Recent discoveries in the field of positive psychology have shown that happiness fuels success, not the other way around. Achor isolates seven practical, actionable principles that show how to capitalize on the Happiness Advantage to improve performance and maximize potential.

Book Synopsis

INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER - An engaging, deeply researched guide to flourishing in a world of increasing stress and negativity--the inspiration for one of the most popular TED Talks of all time

"Powerful [and] charming . . . A book for just about anyone . . . The philosophies in this book are easily the best wire frames to build a happy and successful life."--Medium

Happiness is not the belief that we don't need to change; it is the realization that we can.

Our most commonly held formula for success is broken. Conventional wisdom holds that once we succeed, we'll be happy; that once we get that great job, win that next promotion, lose those five pounds, happiness will follow. But the science reveals this formula to be backward: Happiness fuels success, not the other way around.

Research shows that happy employees are more productive, more creative, and better problem solvers than their unhappy peers. And positive people are significantly healthier and less stressed and enjoy deeper social interaction than the less positive people around them.

Drawing on original research--including one of the largest studies of happiness ever conducted--and work in boardrooms and classrooms across forty-two countries, Shawn Achor shows us how to rewire our brains for positivity and optimism to reap the happiness advantage in our lives, our careers, and even our health. His strategies include:

- The Tetris Effect: how to retrain our brains to spot patterns of possibility so we can see and seize opportunities all around us
- Social Investment: how to earn the dividends of a strong social support network
- The Ripple Effect: how to spread positive change within our teams, companies, and families

By turns fascinating, hopeful, and timely, The Happiness Advantage reveals how small shifts in our mind-set and habits can produce big gains at work, at home, and elsewhere.

Review Quotes

Praise for Shawn Achor and The Happiness Advantage

"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

"Thoughtfully lays out the steps to increasing workplace positivity."--Forbes

"Powerful . . . A supremely important book for anyone in management . . . accessible [and] easy to read."--Medium

"A big star . . . a world-famous expert."--New York Times

"Shawn Achor is funny, self-deprecating, and devastating to my notions of what his field is all about. . . . I'm butter to his knife."--Boston Globe

"Achor bases his training on a burgeoning body of research on the positive psychology movement, which emphasizes instilling resiliency and positive attitudes."--The Wall Street Journal

About the Author

Shawn Achor is one of the world's leading experts on happiness, success, and potential. His research has graced the cover of Harvard Business Review, and his TED Talk is one of the most popular of all time, with more than 15 million views. Shawn spent twelve years at Harvard before bringing this research to nearly half the Fortune 100, as well as places like the Pentagon, impoverished schools in Africa, and the White House. His research has also been published in top psychology journals and featured in the New York Times, the Wall Street Journal, Forbes, and Fortune. His interview with Oprah Winfrey and his PBS program have been seen by millions. He now serves on the World Happiness Council and continues his research.