Flourish
by Martin E. P. Seligman
Seligman revises his earlier happiness theory into well-being with five elements, PERMA: positive emotion, engagement, relationships, meaning, accomplishment. The book is part science, part memoir of the positive psychology movement, and includes exercises like the gratitude visit and 'what went well.' Uneven but important.
Read it if…
you want the broader framework beyond happiness and the exercises that come with it.
Skip it if…
you want a tight, practical book; this wanders.
Three things you will actually use
- Build all five elements, not just positive emotion.
- Do the gratitude visit once; it is powerful.
- Use signature strengths in new ways.
Do this first
Write three things that went well today and why, every night for a week.
Our verdict
Important and sprawling; the exercises justify the read.
Compare with other Gratitude books
Authentic Happiness
Martin E. P. Seligman · Gratitude
A readable primer; partly superseded, still useful for strengths.
CLICK TO SEE
Stumbling on Happiness
Daniel Gilbert · Gratitude
Witty and smart; the best book on why we are bad at predicting happiness.
CLICK TO SEE
The How of Happiness
Sonja Lyubomirsky · Gratitude
Practical and grounded; a program, not a pep talk.
CLICK TO SEEBrowse all Gratitude book reviews or get the free Reality Code Cheat Sheet.
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