Positivity: Groundbreaking Research to Release Your Inner Optimist and Thrive

This book is a very worthwhile read. I would disregard the reviews slamming the author as an over-privileged, white, upper-class yada yada yada etc. You know, some people are a little too attached to their position of coming from the School of Hard Knocks. A bit too proud of their misfortune, which only chains them to it. I have lived through plenty of trial and tribulation - some of it was pretty hellish - and the reserves of positivity I had in me carried me through. I didn't have a high enough + ratio so I was still surviving, but I knew I wanted to thrive and not just survive. I've worked to be cognizant of my thought patterns and change them, and have read much on the brain, the mind, the subconscious mind, etc. I like some of the self-help genre of books, but I deeply value books with scientific and medical background which are credible and provide some backbone to the information presented. I also like that, while the author is an academic and scientist, her writing is very readable, it flows well, and it's not dry. I enjoyed reading it, and eagerly looked forward to absorbing a few more pages on my lunch break every day! This is a valuable work, and it's no wonder it received some fantastic reviews from experts in the field of psychology. This is what we need. I have been using her (free) online tool to track my positivity for some time now, and I love it, do it daily over my coffee. I've raised my ratio by a whole point! And, no she doesn't try to make you join her site and buy things, some people seemed to think she did. I have seen authors do that, it's slimy. She give you the option to use the positivity tracker forms provided in the book, or use her website (without even joining it) or you have the option to create a user log-in and you can choose whether or not to allow her to (anonymously) use your data (if you choose to sign up and provide it) in her research. I chose yes because why not, it will benefit her research, which benefits us all. Anyway, I love the way she explains how positivity and negativity work, I clearly see precisely what she describes when I look at my life, and the lives of those I know - people I love, strangers, coworkers. I can see exactly what she describes. I also saw how positivity & negativity acted in my life. The funny thing is, when you shift your perspective and find your inner wellspring of positivity, and when you do practices to increase your positivity, you truly realize what you thought was bad, really isn't that bad at all! My relationship improved and began to flourish again. Old friendships that had taken a wrong turn a long while back (due to negativity) were rekindled with forgiveness and gladness since reading the book! Work opportunities opened up for me, and when I tried to get those same connections and opportunities a year ago, in a less positive state, I got absolutely nowhere. With my new, higher positivity ratio, I was able to make contacts, doors opened, people began to work with me gladly. It's wonderful. A phrase I commonly heard was "I like your energy!" People really notice your energy - positive or negative. I haven't reached the 3:1 ratio but I will! I'm working on it, and am so excited to get there and maintain it and live a life rich with joy, appreciation, and goodness. I always wished to flourish, I spent a few decades surviving and wanting to thrive, and this book shows the way. Very glad I read it, and it's dog-eared and underlined and I'll be using the material for years to come, and spreading it to others to benefit from, too. I don't know if the author ever reads her reviews here, but if she ever does, I'd like to say "thank you" for your wonderful work and research and thank you for taking time out from your laboratory to share your findings with the rest of us.

This book is an absolute delight and a scientific journal in itself. Barbara follows a very good structure of listing and explaining the theories laid down by her and her team. And then gives the tools to make what she explained work. Loved this structure of hers. The tools are really nice in themselves and can be used almost immediately. And most importantly, scientifically backed. I have great number of exercises to do even after I have finished going through the book. One of the best things coming out of Positive Psychology. Give this a read and she will help you launch yourself in upwards spiral of positivity.

Intéressant, inspirant, c'est l'un de mes rares livres de référence ! Qualité de l'expression : irréprochable, précise, claire. Les anecdotes sont les bienvenues, car elles apportent un côté humain tout à fait pertinent. Qualité du fond : il s'agit à mon avis d'un apport fondamental et très riche. Les outils sont éclairants et opérants. Bref un livre génial ! Un grand merci à Barbara Fredrickson.

Barbara Fredrickson is inspiring, a dynamic force within the field of Positive Psychology. This is the most comprehensive and empirically-grounded account of Positivity that I have ever read to date. Reading this book with it's clearly presenteed scientific evidence for becoming more positive,was totally informative and enjoyable. Her perspective provides guidlines for improving our quality of life and interactions with people.

Dr. Fredrickson provides in a very readable way this masterpiece in two movements: First she provides the evolutive origin of positive and negative emotions, as well as the scientific reasearch made by the author and other prominent psychologists (Daniel Kahnemann, Sonja Lyubomirsky, Ed Diener, etc.) that suppports the benefits of cultivate positive emotions in our daily life. In the second part she give the practical advice on how to cultivate positivity, of course, providing the same rigorous scientific basis as in the first part.