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A review by libellum_aphrodite
Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
4.0
Don't drop this book upon reading the "this is more than a self-help book" speech that comes at the beginning of all self-helps books. Occasionally, Csikszentmihalyi could get a little preachy and start to approach the realm of the self-help lecture; however, the majority of the book is full of interesting insights, studies to back them, and a variety of good examples of real life applicability.
I've been a fan of the "flow" concept since learning about it in an intro occupational therapy class in college. I think many readers will find they have experienced the phenomenon and called it something like "being in the zone." The book is useful for understanding what engenders flow, recognizing where flow is present where you might not have thought of it (for example, a conversation with friends is a less flashy manifestation of flow than supreme focus in playing a soccer game), and creating more occasions for flow in your life.
I could have done without the scattered diatribes about people who choose to squander real enjoyment for the anesthetizing conveniences of modern life. Not everyone in the US is wallowing away in front of their TV for every hour of their spare time, and those who are probably aren't reading this book, so no need to lecture at length here. I don't give much credence to panic about the world is going to hell one piece at a time because modern technology has changed the way we interact with the environment. Every generation has new challenges to face in reconciling itself with its surroundings and change does not equate to doom, in this case, lives with only shallow enjoyment and no real meaning. It is one thing to note how technology has changed human life and introduced new trends and another to sermonize on them.
I've been a fan of the "flow" concept since learning about it in an intro occupational therapy class in college. I think many readers will find they have experienced the phenomenon and called it something like "being in the zone." The book is useful for understanding what engenders flow, recognizing where flow is present where you might not have thought of it (for example, a conversation with friends is a less flashy manifestation of flow than supreme focus in playing a soccer game), and creating more occasions for flow in your life.
I could have done without the scattered diatribes about people who choose to squander real enjoyment for the anesthetizing conveniences of modern life. Not everyone in the US is wallowing away in front of their TV for every hour of their spare time, and those who are probably aren't reading this book, so no need to lecture at length here. I don't give much credence to panic about the world is going to hell one piece at a time because modern technology has changed the way we interact with the environment. Every generation has new challenges to face in reconciling itself with its surroundings and change does not equate to doom, in this case, lives with only shallow enjoyment and no real meaning. It is one thing to note how technology has changed human life and introduced new trends and another to sermonize on them.