A Life Worth Living brings together the latest thought on Positive Psychology from an international cast of scholars. It includes historical, philosophical, and empirical reviews of what psychologists have found to matter for personal happiness and well-being. The contributions to this volume agree on priciples of optimal development that start from purely material and selfish concerns, but then lead to ever broader circles of responsibility embracing the goals of others and the well-being of the environment; on the importance of spirituality; on the development of strengths specific to the individual. Rather than material success, popularity, or power, the investigations reported in this volume suggest that personally constructed goals, intrinsic motivation, and a sense of autonomy are much more important. The chapters indicate that hardship and suffering do not necessarily make us unhappy, and they suggest therapeutical implications for improving the quality of life. Specific topics covered include the formation of optimal childhood values and habits as well as a new perspective on aging. This volume provides a powerful counterpoint to a mistakenly reductionist psychology. They show that subjective experience can be studied scientifically and measured accurately. They highlight the potentiality for autonomy and freedom that is among the most precious elements of the human condition. MOreover, they make a convincing case for the importance of subjective phenomena, which often affect happiness more than external, material conditions. After long decades during which psychologists seemed to have forgotten that misery is not the only option, the blossoming of Positive Psychology promises a better understanding of what a vigorous, meaningful life may consist of.

Part 1. Historical and Theoretical Perspectives 1. Positive Traditions in Western Psychology, Csaba Pleh 2. The VIA Classification of Strengths, Christopher Peterson 3. Positive Personality Development: Approaching Personal Autonomy, Dmitry Leontiev 4. Spirituality: Recent Progress, Robert A. Emmons Part II. Positive Experiences 5. The Broaden-and-Build Theory of Positive Emotions, Barbara L. Frederickson 6. Benefits of Emotional Intelligence, Daisy D. Grewal and Peter Salovey 7. Strategies for Achieving Well-Being, Jane Henry Part III. Life-Long Positive Development 8. Adaptive Resources in Later Life, Jochen Brandstadter 9. The Impact of Subjective Experience on the Quality of Life, Antonella Delle Fave 10. What Works Makes You Happy, Jari-Erik Numi and Katarina Salmela-Aro 11. Materialism and its Alternatives, Tim Kasser 12. Getting Older, Getting Better, Kennon Sheldon 13. Afterword: Breaking the 65% Barrier, Martin E.P. Seligman

"This is a unique book, as the field itself is rather new. It would be a great textbook for a graduate course and is highly interesting reading that is recommended for those in the provision of mental health services."--Doody's |k No