One Day University Presents: Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness

by One Day University

What is The Tetris Effect and how does it shape the way you see the world? Are we set up to naturally be sympathetic to our fellow humans? Shaw Achor takes us on a fascinating journey through Positive Psychology and examines the difference between happy students and unhappy students, the key to implementing new habits, the principle of Activation Energy and more so you can start living a happier life in "Positive The Science of Happiness."  Shawn Achor is the winner of more than a dozen distinguished teaching awards at Harvard University. He is also the Head Teaching Fellow for the most popular course at Harvard, “Positive Psychology,” which is taken by more than 1,000 students per semester and led by Professor Tal Ben-Shahar.  Shawn received his B.A. in English from Harvard and a Master’s from Harvard Divinity School in Christian and Buddhist Ethics. Part of his interest in positive psychology stems from a troubling studies have shown that many of Harvard’s undergraduates suffer from depression at some point in their college careers. One Day University is a unique educational experience  that brings intellectuals together to learn from top rated professors at Yale, Harvard, Stanford, Columbia and other prestigious universities. Chosen for their excellent teaching abilities as rated by their students, these great thinkers represent a wide variety of academic disciplines and share their knowledge in 60 minute, highly entertaining lectures. Offering the ability to learn the highlights of academic thought in world affairs, politics, history, science, art, and more; One Day University is a way to truly enjoy the thrill of learning without the pressures of tests and the high price tag of college tuition. Once reserved only for students who could attend the lectures in New York and other major cities, One Day University courses are now available to everyone from the comfort of their own homes in Kindle format.    

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology, Mental Health, Self Help

34 pages, Kindle Edition

First published October 23, 2010

Reviews

[AnaMaria Rivera · Rating 4 out of 5]

Short but great book from the author of "The Happiness Advantage" and "Before Happiness" that pretty much summarizes both books and their findings. Read it if you want to know about both books but are too lazy to pick them up.

"It’s not the reality that shapes us, it’s the lens through which we view the reality that shapes our experience of it. Even our bodies and immune system respond to the lens through which we view the world around us."

[Some Guy · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good introduction to the topic of positive psychology that suffers from some flaws. Mostly, as it appears to be a transcription of a speech, it can be very awkward to read at times. Not much effort was afforded to cleaning up the text, I fear. Additionally, although it certainly contains actionable items, I think they could be emphasized a bit more.

[Pat · Rating 5 out of 5]

Impactful

First heard Achor on TED Talks and wanted to read more after starting his 5-step, 21-day program. For the time being, this synopsis is what I needed to make sure I was on the right path. He should definitely be heard rather than just read, as he is a gifted and entertaining speaker.

[Penelope · Rating 4 out of 5]

Since I found out about Positive Psychology, I am very interested in it, this book is a short guide to what this area of psychology studies, and even gives a very good pointers to work on a personal level.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Enjoyable and interesting set of lecture notes about the psychology of happiness. Some good experiments referred to and some interesting questions transcribed. A short (maybe an hour or so) read.

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Super quick read (maybe 90 minutes), packed with funny stories and fascinating studies about the science of happiness.

[Sheila Altman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Short read that is very thought provoking... A lot of food for thought!!