Happiness Studies: An Introduction

by Tal Ben-Shahar

In this book, Tal Ben-Shahar introduces a new interdisciplinary field of study that is dedicated to exploring happiness. The study of happiness ought not be left to psychologists alone. Philosophers, theologians, biologists, economists, and scholars from other disciplines have explored ways of attaining happiness, and to do justice to this important pursuit, we ought to listen to their words and experiment with their prescriptions. Not only does the field of happiness studies embrace different disciplines, it also approaches happiness as a multifaceted and multidimensional variable that includes five parts which form the acronym



Spiritual wellbeingPhysical wellbeingIntellectual wellbeingRelational wellbeingEmotional wellbeing

This book addresses each of these elements of happiness, explains them, and addresses practical ways for their cultivation.

153 pages, Kindle Edition

Published July 4, 2021

About the author

Tal Ben-Shahar (Hebrew: טל בן-שחר‎, also known as Tal David Ben-Shachar) is an Israeli teacher and writer in the areas of positive psychology and leadership.

Tal Ben-Shahar taught at Harvard, where his classes on Positive Psychology and The Psychology of Leadership were among the most popular courses in the University's history. Today Tal teaches at the Interdisciplinary Center, Herzliya.

Tal received his PhD in Organizational Behavior from Harvard University. His dissertation, completed in 2004, is titled "Restoring Self-Esteem's Self-Esteem: The Constructs of Dependent and Independent Competence and Worth." Additionally, he also holds a Bachelor of Arts (B.A.) from Harvard in Philosophy and Psychology. His undergraduate thesis, completed in 1996, is titled "Honesty Pays: Bridging the Gap Between Moral Theory and Practice."

Tal consults and lectures around the world to executives in multi-national corporations, Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions, and the general public. Topics include leadership, education, ethics, happiness, self-esteem, resilience, goal setting, and mindfulness. He is the author of the international best sellers Happier and Being Happy, which have been translated into 25 languages.

[Sourced from his wikipedia article.]

Reviews

[David Carriere · Rating 5 out of 5]

Happiness Studies: An Introduction by Tal Ben-Shahar is a concise and insightful exploration of a growing interdisciplinary field dedicated to understanding and cultivating human happiness. The book bridges psychology, philosophy, theology, biology, economics, and more, offering readers a multidimensional framework that goes beyond simplistic self-help approaches.

Ben-Shahar organizes happiness into five interconnected domains Spiritual, Physical, Intellectual, Relational, and Emotional well being providing both conceptual understanding and practical strategies for enhancing each. The writing is clear, accessible, and grounded, making complex research approachable for general readers, students, or anyone curious about the science and philosophy of happiness.

This is a thoughtful, compact guide for readers seeking a structured, holistic, and actionable approach to increasing well-being in daily life.

[Rhiannon Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

A clearly written and intriguing argument for a new academic field and approach to life. I found his basic thesis persuasive although I think it could also lead to more radical conclusions (towards the end, some less well supported statements seemed to me to draw on common assumptions rather than evidence about sexuality, fat bodies, and popular culture, for example, and although he talks about ending poverty as this work is developed war, climate crisis, and other issues will need addressing too). I'd absolutely recommend it as a prompt to further reflection and exploration in how to organise society, work and education, and individual lives. I'd also be interested in reading an assessment of how this might be compatible or not with previous ethical approaches to political structure e.g. the Rawls/Nussbaum tradition.

[Valentino Christian · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the book. I found the framework very interesting and appreciate the bibliography at the end of each chapter. The framework is the star of the show. But a lot of the elaborations seem hand-wavy, and I thought this would be written more scientifically based on the book's title. Some interesting suggestions are made for people to increase their happiness in different dimensions -- CBT, meditation -- but a more specific prescription and discussion of effective interventions would benefit the target audience of this book.

[Gary Stroud · Rating 3 out of 5]

“In bad times and good times, in peril and prosperity, happiness is a worthy end!”

Those are the closing words of this thought inspiring book. A useful framework for happiness studies is introduced and elaborated upon. Spiritual, physical, intellectual, relational and emotional wellbeing lie at the heart of happiness, which the author tells us we should not aim for directly but will surely experience when we get the framework in place.

The book discusses these ideas in relation to the personal, in education, in the workplace and in broader society.

I understand that a certificate course is now available online for those who wish to pursue the studies further.