Wednesday, April 30, 2008

The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want by Sonja Lyubomirsky

I've read several positive psychology and other books related to the science and economics of happiness:

Continuing my study of this topic, I've been reading Sonja Lyubomirsky's The How of Happiness: A Scientific Approach to Getting the Life You Want. And then I'll still have three other books on this subject to read:

(I may read The Paradox of Choice in May 2008 and put off reading the other two for a few months.)

Lyubomirsky is a professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside and has been working on groundbreaking scientific research in the study of happiness.

As evident on the cover, Lyubomirsky's research shows that 40% of happiness is within our control. Of the remaining 60%, 50% is determined by "set points" (genetics) and 10% by circumstances.

Further, this book also discusses concepts of positive psychology learned in other books, such as :
  • External circumstances (wealth, beauty, etc) does not create to lasting happiness.
  • The secret of happiness is that it lies within ourselves.
  • Happiness can boost energy, creativity, the immune system, productivity, and longevity.
  • Happy people tend to be committed to lifelong goals and ambitions, have enduring and deep social networks, live in the present moment, are comfortable expressing gratitude, are likely to be spiritual or religious.
  • Even happy people face stress, crises and even tragedies.

Out of the books I've read related to positive psychology and the study of happiness, The How of Happiness is the most comprehensive guide to happiness. I'm sure you'll agree after reading just the Table of Contents:
Foreward 1

Part One: How to Attain Real and Lasting Happiness

1. Is It Possible to Become Happier? 13
A Program for Lasting Happiness 14
Do You Know What Makes You Happy? 16
Discovering the Real Keys to Happiness 19
The Most Rewarding "Work" You'll Ever Do 24
Why Be Happy? 24

2. How Happy Are You and Why? 27
Where Do You Fit In? 30
Happiness Myths 38
The Limits of Life Circumstances 41
The Happiness Set Point 52
The Promise of Intentional Activity 63
Conclusion 67

3. How to Find Happiness Activities That Fit Your Interests, Your Values, and Your Needs 69
Three Ways That Strategies Can Fit 70
Corniness, Again 72
Person-Activity Fit Diagnostic 73
P.S. More Options 78
Final Words 79

Part Two: Happiness Activities

Foreword to Part Two: Before You Begin 83

4. Practicing Gratitude and Positive Thinking 88
Happiness Activity No. 1: Expressing Gratitude 89
Happiness Activity No. 2: Cultivating Optimism 101
Happiness Activity No. 3: Avoiding Overthinking and Social Comparison 112

5. Investing in Social Connections 125
Happiness Activity No. 4: Practicing Acts of Kindness 125
Happiness Activity No. 5: Nurturing Social Relationships 138

6. Managing Stress, Hardship, and Trauma 150
Happiness Activity No. 6: Developing Strategies for Coping 151
Happiness Activity No. 7: Learning to Forgive 169

7. Living in the Present 180
Happiness Activity No. 8: Increasing Flow Experiences 181
Happiness Activity No. 9: Savoring Life's Joys 190
Final Words 204

8. Happiness Activity No.10: Committing to Your Goals 205
Six Benefits of Committed Goal Pursuit 206
What Kind of Goals Should You Pursue? 208
Recommendations for Committed Goal Pursuit 214

9. Taking Care of Your Body and Your Soul 227
Happiness Activity No. 11: Practicing Religion and Spirituality 228
Happiness Activity No. 12: Taking Care of Your Body (Meditation) 240
Happiness Activity No. 12: Taking Care of Your Body (Physical Activity) 244
Happiness Activity No. 12: Taking Care of Your Body (Acting Like a Happy Person) 250

Part Three: Secrets to Abiding Happiness

10. The Five Hows Behind Sustainable Happiness 257
The First How: Positive Emotion 258
The Second How: Optimal Timing and Variety 266
The Third How: Social Support 270
The Fourth How: Motivation, Effort, and Commitment 273
The Fifth How: Habit 277
Conclusion 280

The Promise of Abiding Happiness: An Afterword 282

Postscript: If You Are Depressed 285
What Is Depression? 285
The Causes of Depression 289
The Most Effective Treatments for Depression 293
The Cure for Unhappiness Is Happiness 302
Surmounting Setbacks 304

Appendix: Additional Happiness Activities That May Fit 305
Acknowledgments 309
Notes 3113
Index 359

Click here to read an excerpt of The How of Happiness from the author's website. Lyubomirsky's website also includes a sample syllabus for those interested in learning more about positive psychology and a reading group guide to aid discussion of her book; I think I'll save a copy of that on my hard drive just in case I want to learn even more about this topic.

It seems like way too many books have recently been published about happiness; not just the ones I've read but also:

I am hopeful that the findings of positive psychology will endure, though I wonder if all the buzz about happiness is really just hype.

Renewing America’s Food Traditions: Saving and Savoring the Continent’s Most Endangered Foods by Gary Paul Nabhan

I took a break this morning to read NYTimes.com and just heard about yet another book that I simply must read:

Renewing America’s Food Traditions: Saving and Savoring the Continent’s Most Endangered Foods by Gary Paul Nabhan

The April 30, 2008 NYTimes article featuring this book is "To Save a Species, Serve It for Dinner" by Kim Severson.

Over the past four years, Gary Paul Nabhan has complied a list of 1,080+ endangered plants and animals that were once fairly commonplace in American kitchens but are now threatened, endangered or essentially extinct in the marketplace. To save them, he urges people to eat them and engages nursery owners, farmers, breeders and chefs to grow and use them.

The book tells the stories of 93 ingredients and recipes to cook them. The ingredients are organized into thirteen culinary regions (or "nations") such as:
  • Acorn Nation - the Pacific Coast from California to northern Mexico
  • Chestnut Nation - northern Georgia through West Virginia
  • Chili Pepper Nation - Southern Arizona & New Mexico into northern Mexico
  • Clambake Nation - New England coast
  • Crab Cake Nation - mid-Atlantic down to Florida coast
  • Gumbo Nation - Gulf coast
  • Moose Nation - most of Canada
  • Salmon Nation - Pacific Northwest + Alaska
  • Wild Rice Nation - Great Lakes region

Nabhan worked with seven culinary, environmental and conservation groups to help identify items for the list such as: Slow Food U.S.A., the Seed Savers Exchange, the Cultural Conservancy, and the American Livestock Breeds Conservancy.

In addition, Nabhan is also working with the Chefs Collaborative, a group of more than 1,000 professional cooks and others dedicated to sustainable cuisine.

Unbelievably, one in fifteen wild edible plants and animal species are at risk!

And in case you're curious, here are some of the endangered animals and plants in the book:
  • American Eels of Lake Ontario and St. Lawrence Rivers (Wild-Rice Nation)
  • Arikara yellow bean (Bison Nation)
  • Berry berry American cranberry (Clambake Nation)
  • Black Sphinx date (Chili Pepper Nation)
  • Boston marrow squash (Clambake Nation)
  • Bronx seedless grape (Clambake Nation)
  • Buckeye chicken (Maple Syrup Nation)
  • Cayuga Duck (Maple Syrup Nation)
  • Centennial pecan (Gumbo Nation)
  • Chapalote popcorn (Chili Pepper Nation) - among America's top 10 endangered foods
  • Chicasaw plum (Corn Bread Nation)
  • Choppee okra (Crab Cake Nation)
  • Cotton Patch goose (Gumbo Nation)
  • Death Valley devil claw (unicorn plant) (Pinon Nut Nation)
  • Early Golden persimmon (Corn Bread Nation)
  • Eulachon smelt (Salmon Nation) - among America's top 10 endangered foods
  • Fish pepper (Crab Cake Nation)
  • Gaspe flint corn (Clambake Nation)
  • Gilette Fig (Salmon Nation)
  • Goliath grouper (Gumbo Nation)
  • Guinea Hog (Chestnut Nation)
  • Gulf Coast native sheep (Gumbo Nation) - among America's top 10 endangered foods
  • Hand-harvested wild rice (Manoomin) (Wild Rice Nation)
  • Hidatsa sunflower (Bison Nation) - among America's top 10 endangered foods
  • Jack's copperclad Jerusalem artichokes (Chestnut Nation)
  • Java chicken (Maple Syrup Nation) - among America's top 10 endangered foods
  • Makah Ozette Potato (Salmon Nation)
  • Meech Prolific quince (Clambake Nation)
  • Milking Devon cattle (Clambake Nation)
  • Nevada single-leaf pinon nut (Pinon Nut Nation)
  • Northern Giant (McFayden) cabbage (Moose Nation)
  • Ny’pa, Palmer's salt grass (Chili Pepper Nation)
  • Oldmixon free (clearstone) peach (Maple Syrup Nation)
  • Osage red flint corn (Bison Nation)
  • Ossabaw Island Hog (Crab Cake Nation)
  • Paiute (speckled) tepary bean (Pinon Nut Nation)
  • Pineywoods cattle (Gumbo Nation) - among America's top 10 endangered foods
  • Rubel northern highbush blueberry (Clambake Nation)
  • Quahogs of Great South Bay (Clambake Nation)
  • Santo Domingo casaba melon (Chili Pepper Nation)
  • Sassafrass Leaves (Gumbo Nation)
  • Seminole pumpkin (Gumbo Nation) - among America's top 10 endangered foods
  • Short and Thick parsnip (Moose Nation)
  • Sierra Beauty apples (Acorn Nation)
  • Silver Fox rabbit (Bison Nation)
  • Sonoran white pomegranate (Chili Pepper Nation)
  • Sonoran pronghorn antelope (Chili Pepper Nation)
  • Tennessee Fainting Goat (Corn Bread Nation)
  • White abalone (Acorn Nation) - among America's top 10 endangered foods
  • White maypop passion fruit (Crab Cake Nation)
  • Wild tomatillo of the Continental Divide (Chili Pepper Nation)
  • Zimmerman pawpaw (Crab Cake Nation)

And one last thing, not everything in this book is to be eaten. Some wild-animals (like the Carolina flying squirrel) are too rare and endangered to be eaten these days, even if they were once widely eaten.

Interestingly, Renewing America’s Food Traditions goes along with the other books I'm reading for Baltimore Green Week; all books about living a more sustainable lifestyle, particularly in terms of what we eat.

I love food and trying new foods so I will certainly do my part in helping to preserve these animals and plants by ordering them at restaurants when available. Unfortunately, Baltimore isn't exactly a sophisticated culinary town...

Click here to view several PDF samples and click here to view the Table of Contents, both from the publisher's website.

Tuesday, April 29, 2008

Books to Read – Updated!

I own a lot of books. Probably somewhere around 400 or more books. And like so many other bibliophiles, I buy books at a much faster rate than I read them.

And since I love being organized, I'm compelled to keep a list of books I have not read. So I have just published such a list (I've kept a private list for years).

I'll keep that static page updated but here's what's on it as of today:

Fiction

Non-Fiction

As for other lists I keep, you can always click the Books Read tab to read what I have read, or the Favorite Books tab to read what books I adore!

If you feel strongly about any of the books I own but have not read, let me know! I'd love to hear which of those books whether I absolutely must read now or shouldn't bother with.

The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph From the Frontiers of Brain Science by Norman Doidge

My favorite science book this year (so far) is Norman Doidge's The Brain That Changes Itself: Stories of Personal Triumph From the Frontiers of Brain Science.

If you enjoy reading Oliver Sacks (I've read Awakenings and An Anthropologist on Mars: Seven Paradoxical Tales), you'll probably be fascinated by The Brain That Changes Itself.

Click here to read an excerpt from the author's website.

My freshman year at MIT, I took a few classes within the in Brain and Cognitive Sciences department at MIT (course 9 as we called it) and even considered majoring in BCS. So I have had a very basic education of the brain and have long been interested in brain science.

Anyway, I thought of The Brain That Changes Itself today when I read Nicholas Bakalar's April 29, 2008 New York Times article "Memory Training Shown to Turn Up Brainpower." The research described in Bakalar's article confirms Doidge's book about the brain's plasticity (neuroplasticity) -- the theory that changes in the brain can occur as a result of experience, which challenges the old idea that we can't change our brains (that we are "hard-wired").

"Memory Training Shown to Turn Up Brainpower" discusses a study that improved participants "working memory" ("the kind that allows memorization of a telephone number just long enough to dial it") using various techniques and then tested the participant's "fluid intelligence" ("the kind of mental ability that allows us to solve new problems without having any relevant previous experience," which has been thought to be innate).

I suspect that scientists will continue to learn more about neuroplasticity and that in not so distant future, we'll be able to cure strokes, paralysis and other "incurable" diseases/symptoms that stem from the brain.

By the way, I loved The Brain That Changes Itself and highly recommend it. It was one of those books that I could not put down. The stories of neuroplasticity will shock you, yet the stories are uplifting and inspirational.

What the Best MBAs Know: How to Apply the Greatest Ideas Taught in the Best Business Schools

I've considered many graduate school options...medical school, law school, business school, doctoral programs, masters programs...but more and more I think I will not go to graduate school.

I figure I love to read and learn and if I put my mind to it, I can learn just about anything.

So I think I will finally take a friend's suggestion to read What the Best MBAs Know: How to Apply the Greatest Ideas Taught in the Best Business Schools by Peter Navarro (editor) -- my friend is in business school so I figure she knows what she's talking about.

From what I gather, the contributors are from top-ranked business schools like Sloan (at MIT), Kellogg (at Northwestern), Wharton (at the University of Pennsylvania) and Stanford and feature detailed chapters important MBA topics such as strategy, accounting, managerial economics, marketing and decision analysis.

Here's the table of contents in case you're curious:
Part 1: The big MBA picture
1. Who should read this book? 1
2. The big picture - an overview of the MBA curriculum 6

Part 2: The strategic and tactical MBA
3. Management strategy - five steps to successful strategic analysis 19
4. Macroeconomics and the well-timed business strategy 57

Part 3: The functional MBA
5. Strategic marketing - delivering customer value 87
6. Operations and supply chain management - getting the stuff out the door 119
7. Financial accounting - "doing the numbers" for investors, regulators and other external users 152
8. Managerial accounting - "doing the numbers" for internal decision making and control 171
9. Corporate finance - the big questions and key concepts 194

Part 4: The organizational and leadership MBA
10. Organizational behavior - the power of people and leadership 227

Part 5: The MBA toolbox
11. Statistics, decision analysis, and modeling - how the numbers help us manage 261
12. Managerial economics - microeconomics for managers 287
13. Concluding thoughts 318

Click here for an audio excerpt on the author's website.

What the Best MBAs Know was published in 2005 so I'd guess that the information is still relevant though I may simply borrow a copy from the library and hold off purchasing until McGraw-Hill publishes a second edition.

Monday, April 28, 2008

NYTimes.com Book Review - Kluge by Gary Marcus

Just read this week’s NYTimes.com Book Update and found one more book that I’d like to read:
Kluge: The Haphazard Construction of the Human Mind by Gary Marcus (NYTimes Book Review "Patch Job" by Annie Murphy Paul).

I'm admittedly interested in reading this book largely because Marcus is a fellow MIT alumnus. Marcus, professor of psychology at New York University and director of NYU's Infant Language Learning Center, borrows the engineer's term kluge, used to refer to a clumsily designed solution to a problem, to describe the human mind.

And the other interesting article from the April 25, 2008 NYTimes.com Book Update was an essay by Rachel Donadio titled "You’re an Author? Me Too!." This essay discusses how despite the "well established [fact] that Americans are reading fewer books than they used to" (check out the June 2004 article "Fewer Noses Stuck in Books In America, Survey Finds" by Bruce Weber), more and more people are becoming authors by writing blogs and self-publishing. I think I am unlikely to purchase a self-published book by an author whose books I haven't read.

I don't have aspirations to become a published author, though I am fascinated by this self-publishing phenomenon. I've only purchased one self-published books, and that is Strategy and the Fat Smoker: doing what’s obvious but not easy by David H Maister. And that was only because I had read two of his other books (The Trusted Advisor and Managing The Professional Service Firm) and found them both educational and straightforward.

Still, I am skeptical about the survey data that says that Americans don't read anymore (I tend to agree with this WSJ.com blog that questions the methods used in the famous 2004 National Endowment for the Arts survey). Statistics and studies can be manipulated so easily to confirm anticipated results.

I think the 2007 Associated Press-Ipsos poll that showed that only 25% of Americans had not read a book in the past year may be more accurate, though who knows?

Sunday, April 27, 2008

Baltimore Green Week Books

You already know that I don't consider myself an environmentalist (I mentioned that when I recommended two books in honor of Earth Day - April 22).

I do love fresh air, fresh fruits and vegetables, rock climbing, water bottles, and other things that an eco-friendly person would like...and I must confess that I was a vegetarian several years ago.

I eat organic fruits and vegetables when the price difference is reasonable though I refuse to buy "cage free" or "free range" eggs. I am quite interested in the Certified Humane Raised & Handled label for meats and would probably buy such meat if it was more readily available in grocery stores.

I do make an effort to recycle and I prefer to re-use if possible. I also prefer to walk (rather than drive) and I car-pool as often as possible. And I've replaced most of the bulbs in my house with CFLs (compact fluorescent lightbulbs).

So am much I deny being an environmentalist, I suppose I do try to live a "sustainable" and "green" lifestyle.

So to celebrate Baltimore Green Week (April 28 - May 2) and Baltimore's April 25 EcoFestival, I am reading these green-themed books:

The Omnivore’s Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan - Published in 2006 and named one of the best ten books of 2006 by the New York Times Book Review, this book explores the question "What should we have for dinner?" by following four meals, each derived through a different food-production system, from their origins to the plate. Along the way, Pollan examines the ethical, political, and ecological factors that are intertwined in the industrial, large-scale organic, small-scale organic, and personal (hunted-gathered) food chains, while describing the environmental, economic, health, and moral consequences that result from our food choices within these chains.

I've heard so much about this book and am excited to read it, though I think I am more excited to read Pollan's In Defense of Food: An Eater’s Manifesto (also reviewed by the NYTimes Book Review). I expect both books espouse the "you are what you eat" philosophy. I've enjoyed hearing Pollan speak on NPR and watching him on C-SPAN and I hope his books live up to my expectations.

Click here to read the introduction and first chapter of The Omnivore’s Dilemma on the author's website. And click here to read the introduction of In Defense of Food on the author's website or here to read the first chapter on the NYTimes Book Review website.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle: A Year of Food Life by Barbara Kingsolver with Steven L. Hopp and Camille Kingsolver - Kingsolver is the much praised author of Prodigal Summer (which I bought at a Library Book Sale recently), The Poisonwood Bible, Animal Dreams, Small Wonder, among other best-sellers.

Animal, Vegetable, Miracle (published in May 2007) is Kingsolver's first non-fiction book and it is a memoir of how Kingsolver's family was changed by one year of deliberately eating food produced in the place where we live. Barbara wrote the central narrative; Steven's sidebars dig deeper into various aspects of food-production science and industry; Camille's brief essays offer a nineteen-year-old's perspective on the local-food project, plus nutritional information, meal plans and recipes.

I haven't gotten into the whole locally grown food thing though I have been meaning to join a Community Supported Agriculture for years now (since 2004). I don't know why I haven't done it yet, there are so many CSAs in Maryland. Maybe reading this book will finally give me the initiative to join a CSA and/or to plant a fruit and vegetable garden!

Oh, and by the way, click here to read a few excepts on the author's website for Animal, Vegetable, Miracle.

Deep Economy: The Wealth of Communities and the Durable Future by Bill McKibben - Bill McKibben is a self-proclaimed environmentalist. McKibben believes that that we need to move beyond "growth" as the paramount economic ideal -- makes me think of Burlingham's Small Giants: Companies that Choose to be Great Instead of Big (which I wrote about here) --and pursue prosperity locally, with cities, suburbs, and regions producing more of their own food (like joining a CSA), generating more of their own energy, and even creating more of their own culture and entertainment.

As McKibben's website says of Deep Economy (published in 2007), "He shows this concept blossoming around the world with striking results, from the burgeoning economies of India and China to the more mature societies of Europe and New England. For those who worry about environmental threats, he offers a route out of the worst of those problems; for those who wonder if there isn't something more to life than buying, he provides the insight to think about one's life as an individual and as a member of a larger community."

I don't know what to expect of this book; I'm a little afraid that it'll be too environmentalist-preachy for me but I'm still looking forward to reading McKibben's ideas for improving our future.

Click here to read an excerpt on the author's website and click her to read a review of Deep Economy on the NYTimes Book Review.

Here's to Baltimore Green Week - helping to make the Baltimore region cleaner and environmentally safer by living a sustainable lifestyle!

Fish! books

Before I forget, a few weeks ago I spent the afternoon with a friend who knows I love to read and that I've been reading lots of business books recently and she recommended the Fish! series of books by Stephen C. Lundin, Harry Paul, John Christensen and Philip Strand.

Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results - this is a management parable that draws its lesson from the fun-loving fishmongers at Seattle's Pike Place Market. It's supposed to be like Who Moved My Cheese? An Amazing Way to Deal with Change in Your Work and in Your Life by Spencer Johnson and Kenneth Blanchard. The Fish! philosophy is based on these four principles: Choose Your Attitude, Play, Make Their Day, and Be Present.

Fish! Tales: Real-Life Stories to Help You Transform Your Workplace and Your Life - stories of how real life people and companies have applied the Fish! philosophy to improve their workplaces

Fish! for Life: A Remarkable Way to Achieve Your Dreams - Using the Fish! philosophy this book has advice on life issues such as weight loss, personal finance, and relationships and promises to be a road map for achieving personal happiness and well-being in all areas of life.

Fish! Sticks: A Remarkable Way to Adapt to Changing Times and Keep Your Work Fresh - this is another management parable, this time with a fictional sushi bar that is always two steps ahead of the competition

Schools of Fish! - this one is for educators and recommends using the Fish! four simple principles -- Be There, Play, Make Their Day, and Choose Your Attitude -- to build more effective, fulfilling relationships that lead to better learning.

I usually don't like these management parable books so I'm skeptical of these books. Still I'm sure they'll be easy reads so I'll at least give the original Fish! A Remarkable Way to Boost Morale and Improve Results a shot.

PINK magazine Recommends

PINK magazine is my new favorite magazine. PINK exists to promote a new generation of ambitious, compassionate, resilient, powerful and passionate women who are making a significant impact on the world through their work and their lives-while being true to themselves. Each issue has great articles about work-life balance, finance, career development, networking, and issues facing women in business.

They often have good business book suggestions and this is the one from the current issue (May/June 2008) that looks the best to me:

Through the Labyrinth: The Truth About How Women Become Leaders by Alice H. Eagly and Linda L. Carli - Eagly and Carli are professors at Harvard Business School and wrote an article in this issue of PINK magazine titled "Welcome to the Labyrinth." The HBS Press online store lists this description of this book:
Despite real progress, women remain rare enough in elite positions of power that their presence still evokes a sense of wonder. In "Through the Labyrinth," Alice Eagly and Linda Carli examine why women's paths to power remain difficult to traverse. First, Eagly and Carli prove that the glass ceiling is no longer a useful metaphor and offer seven reasons why. They propose the labyrinth as a better image and explain how to navigate through it. This important and practical book addresses such critical questions as: How far have women actually come as leaders? Do stereotypes and prejudices still limit women's opportunities? Do people resist women's leadership more than men's? And, do organizations create obstacles to women who would be leaders? This book's rich analysis is founded on scientific research from psychology, economics, sociology, political science, and management. The authors ground their conclusions in that research and invoke a wealth of engaging anecdotes and personal accounts to illustrate the practical principles that emerge. With excellent leadership in short supply, no group, organization, or nation can afford to restrict women's access to leadership roles. This book evaluates whether such restrictions are present and, when they are, what we can do to eliminate them.

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Authentic Happiness and finding Meaning in Life

I finished reading Martin E. P. Seligman's Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment a few days ago and have written about positive psychology, the main concepts of this book, how authentic happiness and positive psychology can help you have a better marriage, and how to apply positive psychology to childrearing.

But I also want to share with you Seligman's discussion of finding meaning and purpose in life.

First, Seligman mentions receiving an advance copy of Robert Wright's Nonzero: The Logic Of Human Destiny.

Click here to view the table of contents and to read excerpts on the author's website and click here to read a review of Nonzero in the NYTimes Book Review.

Nonzero uses game theory to develop a philosophy of history answering the question, what is the purpose in evolution? Wright believes as Seligman writes, "We are, at this moment, living through the end of the storm before the calm. The Internet, globalization, and the absence of nuclear war are not happenstance. They are almost inevitable products of a species selected for more win-win scenarios. The species stands at an inflection point after which the human future will be much be much happier than the human past."

Nonzero a follow-up to Wright's The Moral Animal: Why We Are, the Way We Are: The New Science of Evolutionary Psychology (named one of the 12 best books of 1994 by NYTimes Book Review), which I bought recently at a local library book sale.

But back to Authentic Happiness. Seligman proposes that negative emotion evolved to help us in win-loss situations and that positive emotions have evolved to motivate and guide us through win-win situations. Of negative emotion, Seligman writes,
When we are in deadly competition, when it is eat or be eaten, fear or anxiety are our motivators and our guides. When we are struggling to avoid loss or to repel trespass, sadness and anger are our motivators and our guides. When we feel a negative emotion, it is a signal that we are in a win-loss game. Such emotions set up an action repertoire that fights, flees, or gives up. These emotions also activate a mindset that is analytical and narrows our focus so nothing but the problem at hand is present.

I don't know if I agree with the analytical part but the rest makes sense to me. Of positive emotion, Seligman writes,
When we are in a situation in which everyone might benefit - courting, hunting together, raising children, cooperating, planting seeds, teaching and learning - joy, good cheer, contentment, and happiness motivate us and guide our actions. Positive emotions are part of a sensory system that alerts to us the presence of a potential win-win. They also set up an action repertoire and a mindset that broadens and builds abiding intellectual and social resources. Positive emotions, in short, build the cathedrals of our lives.

Seligman concludes Authentic Happiness with his belief that evolution may be bringing us to God who is not supernatural or the creator of the universe, but one who acquires omnipotence, omniscience, and goodness through the natural progression of win-win. It is our responsibility to further this progress.
You are vouchsafes the choice of what course to take in life. You can choose a life that forwards these aims, to a greater or lesser degree. Or you can, quite easily, choose a life that has nothing to do with these aims. You can even choose a life that actively impedes them. You can choose a life built around increasing knowledge: learning, teaching, educating children, science, literature, journalism, and so many more opportunities. You can choose a life built around increasing power through technology, engineering, construction, health services, or manufacturing. Or you can choose a life built around increasing goodness through the law, policing, firefighting, religion, ethics, politics, national service, or charity.

But ultimately finding meaning in life means to find happiness by using your signature strengths everyday in the main realms of living and to forward knowledge, power, or goodness.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who wants a better life. Can't wait to learn more about positive psychology!