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)

amazing

Absolutely loved this book. it really opened a new perspective. I feel inspired and more driven. A warm thanks to the author for this book. You should read it too! Blessings

Fantastic amazing loved it

Shawn is so relatable I actually enjoy this one a bit more than his latest, simply because he is such a great speaker. This is a must read for anyone looking to add to or start a tool box of positive psychology. Read 3 times before I moved on!

Wonderful!

MUST READ for the entire human race. A b c d e f g h

Great stuff, tangible exercises & inspired content

Would you listen to The Happiness Advantage again? Why?

Yes, it's currently on repeat.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Happiness Advantage?

The applied principles.

What does Shawn Achor bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you just read the book?

His voice personalizes his stories in a way that is very endearing.

What’s an idea from the book that you will remember?

Creating low-energy triggers to create good habit inertia...

Any additional comments?

Lovely book, just great.

Excellent lession we all should start.

Great message that everyone can learn from. The world would be a better place if everyone did.

Interesting research presented

I really liked the stories presented as examples of the happiness advantage. But I sometimes zoned out during the statistical jargon. I enjoy research but I don't love hearing minute details about the statistics. That's a personal preference. I'm sure there are others that love that stuff. Definitely will apply what I learned about the seven principles.

Great

This audiobook had great information and was delivered well. The suggestions are really pretty easy to understand and implement.

Loved this! Informative, fascinating and funny!

What made the experience of listening to The Happiness Advantage the most enjoyable?

Shawn Achor presents positive psychology research in a fascinating and digestible way. His sense of humour peppered throughout the book just makes it that much more enjoyable.

What did you like best about this story?

His examples of what people typically do to themselves and how they can change things for the better for themselves give hope and empowerment.

Incredible book. I was skeptical, but I love it.

I was very skeptical about this book, because of the wealth of horrible advice regarding happiness that is available in our society. I was beyond impressed at the author's ability to combine a massive research project with everyday stories in a way that motivated me to change, and to realize the value of change. This was a fantastic read, and one that I will need to read again.

Powerful to use.

Is one of those books that will help you to move forward. I love it.