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32 reviews for:
Before Happiness: The 5 Hidden Keys to Achieving Success, Spreading Happiness, and Sustaining Positive Change
Shawn Achor
3.85 AVERAGE
32 reviews for:
Before Happiness: The 5 Hidden Keys to Achieving Success, Spreading Happiness, and Sustaining Positive Change
Shawn Achor
3.85 AVERAGE
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Overall, I liked the book. I appreciated the easy to follow writing style, the summaries in the beginning of each section, and then the cliff notes at the end of each. I appreciated the examples, research, and anecdotes explaining his points. This book is an easy to follow guide on how to apply positive psychology in one's own life.
I do feel like it's important to mention that it was preaching to the choir because I like positive psychology. So maybe I'm biased? It has resonated with my mindset ever since I first learned about it. I'd be interested in hearing from someone who's new to positive psychology, for example.
I didn't give it five stars because of a few reasons. Maybe because I've read other books and taken some classes on positive psychology (and the book was from 2013), so some concepts seemed like common knowledge. Not that it wasn't good, or the points weren't valid. They were, just not revelatory for me. The other concern I had about this book was that, while Achor does switch between pronouns to be a bit more inclusive (instead of just using "he" all the time - yay!), I wonder if the research that was cited was also inclusive? There were a couple examples that made me wonder about it, but I will be honest, I haven't had enough time to review every citation to its fullest.
But again, I liked the book overall. I'm glad I read it. I'm looking forward to putting more of the strategies into practice.
I do feel like it's important to mention that it was preaching to the choir because I like positive psychology. So maybe I'm biased? It has resonated with my mindset ever since I first learned about it. I'd be interested in hearing from someone who's new to positive psychology, for example.
I didn't give it five stars because of a few reasons. Maybe because I've read other books and taken some classes on positive psychology (and the book was from 2013), so some concepts seemed like common knowledge. Not that it wasn't good, or the points weren't valid. They were, just not revelatory for me. The other concern I had about this book was that, while Achor does switch between pronouns to be a bit more inclusive (instead of just using "he" all the time - yay!), I wonder if the research that was cited was also inclusive? There were a couple examples that made me wonder about it, but I will be honest, I haven't had enough time to review every citation to its fullest.
But again, I liked the book overall. I'm glad I read it. I'm looking forward to putting more of the strategies into practice.
I know what you're thinking: "A book about happiness written by a POSITIVE PSYCHOLOGIST?" Yeah, I rolled my eyes just as hard. Even so, my career coach is a big fan and recommended this and his first book "The Happiness Advantage," as a great primer in channeling success and happiness at work. And it did not disappoint. If you're looking for some practical advice and quick exercises on how to motivate and create change, this is definitely the book for you.
We have more choices regarding our approach to life than many think.
Extremely readable and intriguing. It discusses how to apply principles of positive psychology to find success in your career and also allows the reader the room to extrapolate these principles to his or her life as a whole. I highly recommend this book to anyone looking for a new perspective.
You will be told a dozen times that the author has been to 51 countries.
Again and again.
Seriously annoying.
Again and again.
Seriously annoying.
There are some great tips in here. I was inspired to think more about how my interactions at work create and sustain a positive environment.
I mostly liked Before Happiness. For the most part, Achor addresses different clinically-strategies for leaders as they attempt to create positive organizations and teams that are likely to succeed. Most of this is extremely useful and applicable to many different types of groups.
I am a little creeped out by the "inception" portion, in which we can supposedly manipulate people to be more productive and happy. That feels a little icky to me--especially when one of his main examples are low-wage WalMart employees. Apparently, WalMart hired Dr. Achor to help with the intractable problem of their impoverished employees who are, for SOME reason, not as happy as they ought to be. Meanwhile, the Waltons sit on their stacks of billions, and it doesn't occur to them that maybe a decent living wage is a contributor to happiness . . . But, anyway, aside from that chapter, the rest of the book? Really, really helpful.
I am a little creeped out by the "inception" portion, in which we can supposedly manipulate people to be more productive and happy. That feels a little icky to me--especially when one of his main examples are low-wage WalMart employees. Apparently, WalMart hired Dr. Achor to help with the intractable problem of their impoverished employees who are, for SOME reason, not as happy as they ought to be. Meanwhile, the Waltons sit on their stacks of billions, and it doesn't occur to them that maybe a decent living wage is a contributor to happiness . . . But, anyway, aside from that chapter, the rest of the book? Really, really helpful.
I felt this book was better than the first although I think you can benefit from reading both books.