• 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
  • 4.6 out of 5 stars (9,809 ratings)

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The Happiness Advantage

By: Shawn Achor
Narrated by: Shawn Achor
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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)

Featured Article: Change Your Thinking, Change Your Life? The Best Audiobooks for Positive Thinking


Thinking positively in order to become more successful? It may sound like little more than wishful advice to some, but recent advances in psychology have shown real-world benefits to seeing the glass half full. Below you’ll find our top audiobooks for understanding and benefiting from a more positive mindset at home and at work. These are some of our favorite audiobooks that will encourage you to change your life for the better.

What listeners say about The Happiness Advantage

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Everyone needs to listen to this

Shawn Anchor was a keynote speaker at our annual conference. He was captivating, funny, and spot on. This book is something everyone needs in their lives. There are too many negative people out there. Thank you Shawn!

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Love This Book!!

Easy listen that can help us have a more optimistic and positive outlook!! Life changing!!!

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good content but regular reading

quite monotonous reading. but content is good and worth the book . I do recommend.

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Great

Great book, and everyone needs to read this. I have hard copy and the audible.

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Great Usable Tips

I liked how Shawn gives tangible advice and tips based on scientific and psychological principles. Would recommend to anyone I know!!

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Power of positivity

Interesting journey through positive psychology.

Contains a number of practical tips on how to improve positivity and performance.

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Love the Scientific View of Happiness

I was skeptical about how much I would like this book. But I decided to read it anyway because my mom is also reading it. This has been life-changing for me! It really changes how you perceive happiness, the control you have over your own happiness, and the way it affects your life. Will definitely be on my reread list!

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EXCELLENT

I LOVED this book! I couldn’t help thinking about what the world would be like if more people really tried these principles. Thank you for all your research. And thank you for sharing it.

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A massive relief

This has become my favorite book I've read this year (as of November), at multiple points in this book I found myself moved to tears because of the personal importance that some of the ideas discuessed in this book were. My perspective on the world and more has been greatly strengthened and using the tools this book shows has proven hugely benefitial to me even before having completed the contents of the book.

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Enjoyable and helpful

The book is well organized and easy to understand. I liked all the practical principles and techniques. I really appreciated all the scientific evidence he presented to support his claims. The book was entertaining and enjoyable too.

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