The Happiness Advantage

The Seven Principles of Positive Psychology That Fuel Success and Performance at Work

By: Shawn Achor

Narrated by: Shawn Achor

Length: 7 hrs and 19 mins

Publisher's summary

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.

©2010 Shawn Achor (P)2010 Random House Audio

Critic reviews

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

“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)

Funny, empathic and pretty good

Shawn's humour definitely keeps the book alive. I like that he did not simply preach positivity as a fix to everything, but explained how we can practically bring the happiness advantage into our lives, even when our lives are problematic.

evidence-based

this was a great audiobook that was well read. The way the author presents the book is too in a way that provide supporting research studies, as well as provides self experience, and self conducted mini studies. it really emphasizes how you can incorporate these small principles into daily life to make a big impact.

Love!!!! I feel motivated!

Love the research! Great voice! Motivating! Easy to listen to. I feel empowered to become more positive and make lasting changes in my life!

Awesome

This is a really good book.
Sidenote-- if you want a good laugh, try listening to a clip at 0.5 speed☺

Informative and Engaging

As someone who struggles with executive function, anxiety, and mild imposter syndrome, this book was really helpful to get me out of my head and focus on ways to control that only my own actions but how my actions impact the larger world around me.

A must read and do in these times!

I am a stay at home mom wanting to start a side hustle and as previously in corporate America as a designer and creative. Over the past year and a half, I’ve allowed myself to be sucked into the negative and fearful rhetoric of current events that I’ve allowed to dominate my time. I realized it was crushing my drive and ambition as well as my creativity and problem-solving skills. I’m grateful for this book and the tools it provides to walk me through the process and help me regain my life as a wife, mother and side-hustle starter! 🥰 10/10 Recommend

fantastic read!

This was such a wonderful book. I loved my positive psychology class and wanted to learn more and this book taught me so much.

A definite win for ones success!

I highly recommend reading/listening to this book. It’s principles are so profound and will be life changing as you integrate it into your life!

amazing!

Best book I've read in years. Beautifully narrarated by the author too. Recommending to everyone I know.

Life changing

There is no other way to describe this besides life changing. This book is brilliant, interested, keeps me listening, actually addicting. I have learned so much about myself, others, coworkers, bosses, and the human brain. If you want to learn, grow, and succeed then this book is right for you!