Pursuing the Good Life: 100 Reflections in Positive Psychology

Author(s): Christopher Peterson

Popular Psychology | Happiness

What makes life most worth living? And how can we pursue a good life? The new perspective of positive psychology takes these questions seriously and provides some useful answers.


In Pursuing the Good Life, Christopher Peterson, one of the founders and leaders of positive psychology, compiles for the first time a collection of his reflections on what positive psychologists have learned about the good life, with meditations on how to make it part of everyday life. With the humor, warmth, and wisdom that have made him an award-winning teacher, Peterson explores a range of concerns on the groundswell of positive psychology and the lessons it embraces. What are the potential pitfalls and problems of this perspective? What are the roles played by positive emotions and happiness, by strengths of character, by optimism, and by good relationships with others? How can we pursue the good life in families, workplaces, schools, and sports, no matter who we are or where we live? There is no one correct form of the good life, but the masterful insight collected here offers the mindfulness to chase it.


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"Witty, incisive, wise, tear-jerking."  -Martin P Seligman, Director of the Positive Psychology Center at the University of Pennsylvania and author, Flourish

"Peterson is clever, funny, and smart, and his writing reflects his quick brain." --Kim Cameron, Associate Dean, University of Michigan

"An informative review of positive psychology research married with interesting, real-world examples of living the good life." --Psychology Today

Christopher Peterson was Professor of Psychology at the University of Michigan. One of the world's most highly cited research psychologists and a founder of the field of positive psychology, Peterson was best-known for his studies of optimism and character strengths and their relationship to psychological and physical well-being. He was a frequent blogger for Psychology Today, where many of these short essays first appeared.

PREFACE ; PART I. POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY AND THE GOOD LIFE ; 1. WHAT IS POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY, AND WHAT IS IT NOT? ; 2. PARSING POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY ; 3. HOW DO AMERICANS SPEND THEIR TIME? ; 4. BLAMING THE SCIENCE VERSUS BLAMING THE VICTIM: A THIRD ALTERNATIVE ; 5. PERFECT PEOPLE ; 6. THE FUTURE OF UNHAPPINESS ; 7. POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY AND BULLSHIT ; 8. THE BAD COMPANY OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY ; 9. TAKING ON THE CRITICISMS OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY ; 10. THE FUTURE OF POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY: SCIENCE AND PRACTICE ; PART II. POSITIVE EMOTIONS AND EXPERIENCES ; 11. WHAT DO YOU THINK ABOUT IN THE SHOWER? ; 12. SAVORING AND DAMPENING POSITIVE FEELINGS ; 13. WHO MOST ENJOYS THE SMALL THINGS IN LIFE? ; 14. FAST FOOD AND IMPATIENCE ; 15. PASSION AND POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY ; 16. THE POSITIVE ANALOGUE OF A PHOBIA ; 17. SUNDAY AFTERNOON WITH DANIEL KAHNEMAN ; 18. MONEY AND HAPPINESS ; 19. DOES HAPPINESS HAVE A COST? ; 20. DOES HAPPINESS HAVE A COST? PART TWO ; 22. HERITABILITY AND HAPPINESS ; 22. SMILES AND LONGEVITY: GAME FACES AND LIFE FACES ; 23. HAPPINESS OUTLIERS ; PART III. POSITIVE TRAITS AND TALENTS ; 24. THE LAST LECTURE: A POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY CASE STUDY ; 25. IS OPTIMISM UNDERMINING AMERICA? ; 26. OPTIMISM GOES UNDERGROUND ; 27. GOOD HOPE AND BAD HOPE ; 28. STRENGTHS OR WEAKNESSES? ; 29. CHARACTER IS SEXY ; 30. THERE ARE NO SAINTS ; 31. DOES IT MATTER WHERE WE LIVE? ; 32. RESILIENCE ; 33. GROWING GREATNESS ; 34. DAVID AND GOLIATH AND THE GOOD LIFE ; 35. STEVE JOBS: LESSONS FOR THE GOOD LIFE ; 36. WHAT HAVE YOU DONE FOR YOURSELF LATELY? ; PART IV. POSITIVE RELATIONSHIPS ; 37. OTHER PEOPLE MATTER: TWO EXAMPLES ; 38. GRATITUDE: LETTING OTHER PEOPLE KNOW THEY MATTER BENEFITS US ; 39. GENDER AND FRIENDSHIP ; 40. TEARS AND TESTOSTERONE ; 41. DEALING WITH THE PAIN OF ROMANTIC BREAKUPS ; 42. HAPPINESS, SMALL TALK, AND BIG TALK ; 43. HAVING A FRIEND AND BEING A FRIEND ; 44. INFANTS GET IT RIGHT ; 45. VIRAL HAPPINESS ; PART V. ENABLING INSTITUTIONS: FAMILIES ; 46. BOOKS MATTER ; 47. YOU MAY NOW KISS THE BRIDE -- AND WOULD YOU LIKE FRIES WITH THAT? ; 48. LIVING HAPPILY EVER AFTER ; 49. WHAT GOOD ARE FATHERS? ; PART VI. ENABLING INSTITUTIONS: WORKPLACES ; 50. LEADERSHIP STYLE AND EMPLOYEE WELL-BEING ; 51. DOING THE RIGHT THING ; 52. POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY AND ASSHOLES ; 53. POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY AND UNEMPLOYMENT ; PART VII. ENABLING INSTITUTIONS: SCHOOLS ; 54. DID YOU BRING A STUFFED ANIMAL TO COLLEGE? ; 55. PAYING STUDENTS FOR GOOD GRADES ; 56. TEACHING POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY TO AN ENTIRE UNIVERSITY ; 57. THE 50TH ANNIVERSARY OF THE PEACE CORPS ; 58. DOING THE RIGHT THING EL WITH A BUSINESS PLAN ; 59. SATURDAY AFTERNOON WITH PRESIDENT OBAMA ; PART VIII. ENABLING INSTITUTIONS: SPORTS ; 60. WHEN LOSING ISN'T LOSING ; 61. I LOVE THE NFL, BUT ... ; 62. STREAKS IN SPORTS AND LIFE: NOT FOR MEN ONLY ; 63. BRETT FAVRE VERSUS CAL RIPKEN? ; 64. TEAM SPORTS, HAPPINESS, AND HEALTH ; 65. TEAM CELEBRATION AND PERFORMANCE ; 66. THE NBA FINALS: DOES THE BEST TEAM WIN? ; PART IX. ENABLING INSTITUTIONS: GEOGRAPHICAL PLACES ; 67. GEOGRAPHY AND HAPPINESS: A BOOK REVIEW ; 68. HAPPY PLACES: HAPPY STATES ; 69. ARE HAPPY PLACES ALSO DEADLY ONES? ; 70. GAUGING THE HAPPINESS OF A NATION ; 71. HOW CAN YOU TELL IF SOMEONE FROM FRANCE IS HAPPY? ; 72. GROSS NATIONAL HAPPINESS ; 73. POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY AND CHINA ; 74. GAUGING THE HAPPINESS OF NATIONS: A VIEW FROM NORTH KOREA ; 75. HAPPY PLACES: THIRD PLACES ; PART X. RANTS ; 76. CAN YOU BE TOO CHEERFUL? ; 77. "STRONG" ACCENTS DEFINE AMERICA ; 78. DOES ANYONE WRITE LETTERS ANYMORE? ; 79. YOU CAN'T SAVOR A NUTRIENT ; 80. I HATE E-MAIL ; 81. TECHNOLOGY AND HAPPINESS: A BOOK REVIEW ; 82. DON'T PICK MY BRAIN ; 83. FIRST, THINK INSIDE THE BOX ; 84. IT IS WHAT IT IS ; 85. UPSPEAK ; 86. JOY IN THE MISFORTUNE OF OTHERS: SPORTS AND BEYOND ; 87. BUCKET LISTS AND POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGY ; PART XI. PURSUING THE GOOD LIFE ; 88. DAYS ARE LONG -- LIFE IS SHORT ; 89. I RESOLVE TO TAKE BENJAMIN FRANKLIN SERIOUSLY ; 90. HOW TO SMILE ; 91. HOW TO TALK ; 92. FINDING THE RIGHT BANK TO ROB ; 93. IKIGAI AND MORTALITY ; 94. UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN SQUIRRELS ; 95. A BUT-FREE DAY ; 96. GETTING LOST IN BUILDINGS -- AND LIFE ; 97. GIVING THANKS BY MENTAL SUBTRACTION ; 98. WHAT'S IN YOUR CLOSET? ; 99. THE GOOD LIFE: ENDS AND MEANS ; 100. THERE ARE NO BAD RACKS ; INDEX

General Fields

  • : 9780199916351
  • : Oxford University Press Inc
  • : Oxford University Press Inc
  • : January 2013
  • : United States
  • : books

Special Fields

  • : Christopher Peterson
  • : Hardback
  • : 150.1988
  • : 341
  • : Illustrationsstrations