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Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being Audible Audiobook – Unabridged

Martin Seligman (Author), Jesse Boggs (Narrator), Simon & Schuster Audio (Publisher)
4.4 out of 5 stars 1,736 ratings

This book will help you flourish.

With this unprecedented promise, internationally esteemed psychologist Martin Seligman begins Flourish, his first book in 10 years - and the first to present his dynamic new concept of what well-being really is. Traditionally, the goal of psychology has been to relieve human suffering, but the goal of the Positive Psychology movement, which Dr. Seligman has led for 15 years, is different: it’s about actually raising the bar for the human condition.

Flourish builds on Dr. Seligman’s game-changing work on optimism, motivation, and character to show how to get the most out of life, unveiling an electrifying new theory of what makes a good life - for individuals, for communities, and for nations.

In a fascinating evolution of thought and practice, Flourish refines what Positive Psychology is all about. While certainly a part of well-being, happiness alone doesn’t give life meaning. Seligman now asks, What is it that enables you to cultivate your talents, to build deep, lasting relationships with others, to feel pleasure, and to contribute meaningfully to the world? In a word, what is it that allows you to flourish?

“Well-being” takes the stage front and center, and Happiness (or Positive Emotion) becomes one of the five pillars of Positive Psychology, along with Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment—or PERMA, the permanent building blocks for a life of profound fulfillment. Thought-provoking in its implications for education, economics, therapy, medicine, and public policy - the very fabric of society - Flourish tells inspiring stories of Positive Psychology in action, including how the entire U.S. Army is now trained in emotional resilience; how innovative schools can educate for fulfillment in life and not just for workplace success; and how corporations can improve performance at the same time as they raise employee well-being.

With interactive exercises to help readers explore their own attitudes and aims, Flourish is a watershed in the understanding of happiness as well as a tool for getting the most out of life. On the cutting edge of a science that has changed millions of lives, Dr. Seligman now creates the ultimate extension and capstone of his best-selling classics, Authentic Happiness and Learned Optimism.

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Previous slide of product details
  1. Listening Length
    9 hours and 30 minutes
  2. Author
    Martin Seligman
  3. Narrator
    Jesse Boggs
  4. Audible release date
    April 5, 2011
  5. Language
    English
  6. Publisher
    Simon & Schuster Audio
  7. ASIN
    B004V6AUPE
  8. Version
    Unabridged
  9. Program Type
    Audiobook
Next slide of product details

Product details

Listening Length 9 hours and 30 minutes
Author Martin Seligman
Narrator Jesse Boggs
Audible.com Release Date April 05, 2011
Publisher Simon & Schuster Audio
Program Type Audiobook
Version Unabridged
Language English
ASIN B004V6AUPE
Best Sellers Rank

Customer reviews

4.4 out of 5 stars
1,736 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book thought-provoking and well-written, providing valuable insights into happiness and well-being through positive psychology. They appreciate Seligman's expertise and how the book helps readers take a serious look at their lives, offering practical tips for improvement. The book receives positive feedback for its value, with one customer noting it's a good investment for individuals, and customers value its focus on resilience.

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ReadabilityInsightHappinessValue for moneyAuthorResilience
150 customers mention "Readability"114 positive36 negative

Customers find the book enjoyable to read, describing it as thought-provoking and well-written.

"...can be produced by almost anything: eating a good meal, watching a good movie, having a good conversation with a friend, making love, and so on...." Read more

"...And it is all interesting and clearly written enough that I read this book eagerly in a couple of sittings...." Read more

"...Nevertheless, this is a book that is definitely worth reading. Seligman never disappoints." Read more

"...make life better through deep and insightful evidence-based analysis, clearly and interestingly written...." Read more

148 customers mention "Insight"131 positive17 negative

Customers appreciate the book's insights, finding its content extremely useful and interesting. One customer notes that it brings important concepts to the forefront, while another mentions it serves as an excellent tool for making life choices.

"...on breakthroughs in teaching well-being to young people, a new theory of intelligence (very similar to the work in emotional intelligence), and the..." Read more

"...You will discover PP is not “self help,” but rather a solid field of psychology with its foundation in empirical study and scientific research...." Read more

"...optimism (in contrast to learned pessimism) and health implications such as cardiovascular disease, infectious illness, cancer, and mortality..." Read more

"...Rather than mere mood enhancement, he sees a different and broader aim--flourishing, which includes having good relationships with others and a..." Read more

90 customers mention "Happiness"86 positive4 negative

Customers appreciate the book's positive psychology approach to happiness and well-being, providing practical tips for improvement and helping readers take a serious look at their lives.

"...Relationships - acts of kindness, connecting with others, and sharing laughter, joy, pride, or purpose provide deep and lasting feelings of well-..." Read more

"...is already there, extends the joy and happiness, as well as solidifies the relationship.] Obviously I am a big fan of Marty Seligman...." Read more

"...1. Positive emotion. Positive emotion is just the set of happy feelings you have in any given day...." Read more

"...different and broader aim--flourishing, which includes having good relationships with others and a generally meaningful life...." Read more

11 customers mention "Value for money"9 positive2 negative

Customers find the book valuable, with one mentioning it offers good value for money.

"...of human flourishing then I think this book would be a valuable addition to your library. I definitely recommend it." Read more

"...In brief this book is good investment for indiviuals who want to enhance their own well-being and the well-being of others in families, schools and..." Read more

"This thoughtful extension and and expansion of Seligman's work on authentic happiness provides a great deal of "food for consideration and..." Read more

"Very inspirational and upbeat; offers some great and practical exercises to increase one's happiness and positive flow of energy; also very easy to..." Read more

7 customers mention "Author"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate Seligman's expertise in the book, with one customer noting it as an important piece of his thinking, while another describes it as an expansion of his work.

"This thoughtful extension and and expansion of Seligman's work on authentic happiness provides a great deal of "food for consideration and..." Read more

"...On the surface, the book is at once an autobiography of Seligman, a biography of positive psychology and the ultimate self-help book; although it..." Read more

"...Nevertheless, it's an important piece on Seligman's thinking and shows his advances on the science of well-being introducing some new and key..." Read more

"An excellent book about an excellent topic, positive psychology. Seligman is a good and thoughtful writer with great clinical experience...." Read more

7 customers mention "Resilience"7 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's focus on resilience, with one mentioning how it helps readers authentically flourish.

"...provides an appendix of twenty-four VIA (Values in Action) Signature Strengths...." Read more

"...Chapter 5 describes how global educators are applying PP to develop resilience, character strengths, academic capacity, and prosperity..." Read more

"...account of Dr. Seligman's pro bono work with the U.S. Army, fostering resilience...." Read more

"...Several things jumped out at me about this man: His dedication and perseverance to a field of endeavor and study that he is passionate about; his..." Read more

Create a Life of Purpose
5 out of 5 stars
Create a Life of Purpose
8 Dimensions of Wellness: Emotional, Spiritual, Social Take-aways: PERMA (Positive Emotions, Engagement, Relationships, Meaning, and Accomplishment) is the updated formula for creating a purposeful, meaningful, happy life. Positive Psychology is proving it You'll LOVE this book if: you're looking for ways to intentionally create more opportunities in your life to be happy, engaged, and find meaning. DON'T read if: you feel you already have a handle on your life, or don't feel that PERMA is important to you. Reasons I love this book: I always appreciate systems and steps to creating a more purposeful, meaningful life. Dr. Seligman shows you the science, and gives you interesting, applicable evidence and stories to help you see how flourishing can make your life better. When reading books, I often take one or two nuggets from them, absorb them into my preconceived knowledge of the world, and attempt to use what it shared with me to expand my horizons. I'm very rare occasions, the book will completely shift my perspective, and set me on a new path. This book has done just that. While you may not completely change the trajectory of your life, this book will likely do two things: 1)give you both a sound understanding of why positivity, engagement, relationships, meaning, and accomplishments can help you build a better life, 2) give you tactical, tangible means to begin creating that life. The world will improve to the use of positive psychology. Because the world is directed by individuals, and the better the individuals, the better the direction. Find it on Amazon. Tell me when you buy it. Share your thoughts with me. If you love it, tell me, and we'll start helping others build a better life, together.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Jim Clemmer
    5.0 out of 5 stars A Science-Based and Broader Approach to Thriving
    Reviewed in the United States on June 25, 2011
    Format: HardcoverVerified Purchase
    Since the mid-eighties I've been an avid follower of Martin Seligman's leading-edge work at the University of Pennsylvania. He began his distinguished psychology career in the late sixties studying pessimism, learned helplessness, and depression. His two previous books, Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life and Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Lasting Fulfillment are loaded with extensive and solid research from the rapidly expanding fields of cognitive therapy and positive psychology. I cited them to reinforce my two books on self/personal leadership; Growing the Distance: Timeless Principles for Personal, Career, and Family Success and Growing @ the Speed of Change: Your Inspir-actional How-To Guide For Leading Yourself and Others through Constant Change.

    His latest book lives up to its title. Seligman continues to build and expand on his life work. He starts with a radical rethinking of his own studies and results from the flood of new happiness research of the past decade. In Flourish, he writes, "I actually detest the word happiness, which is so overused that it has become meaningless." Seligman goes on to outline what he sees beyond good feelings and smiley faces, "I now think that the topic of positive psychology is well-being, that the gold standard for measuring well-being is flourishing, and that the goal of positive psychology is to increase flourishing. This theory, which I call well-being theory, is very different from authentic happiness theory..."

    Seligman centers well-being theory on a "PERMA" framework:

    Positive Emotion - happiness and life satisfaction are moved from being the end goals to factors of well-being.

    Engagement - when we're in this state of "flow," time flies by as thoughts and feelings are often absent. We then look back later at just how fun or rewarding the activity was.

    Relationships - acts of kindness, connecting with others, and sharing laughter, joy, pride, or purpose provide deep and lasting feelings of well-being.

    Meaning - feeling we're part of something much bigger or serving a greater purpose that ourselves.

    Accomplishment - goals such as money, fame, winning, or mastery that we pursue for their own sake
    whether or not they bring positive emotion, stronger relationships, or meaning.

    The PERMA elements of our well-being are maximized when they align with our highest strengths. Flourish provides an appendix of twenty-four VIA (Values in Action) Signature Strengths. Seligman and his colleagues developed these as the foundation for positive psychology to counterbalance the decades old mental illness or "sickness model." Minimizing misery is the path of psychiatry that traces back to Freud and is still deeply entrenched in many psycho therapy disciplines and treatments. Go to [...] to take the Signature Strengths questionnaire -- among many other excellent personal assessment and development tools provided there free with registration.

    Seligman's work is deeply grounded in extensive research and science. This is especially evident in Flourish with 50 pages of fine print footnotes. His evidence-based approach clearly sets Flourish apart from most personal growth books puffed up with fluffy theories and wild claims. However, it will make harder reading for some readers, having to sift through the academic approaches and citations for many of the practical nuggets, application exercises, and personal growth insights buried throughout the book.

    Flourish covers a lot of ground in the rapidly expanding field of positive psychology. Seligman reports on the development of the new Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP) degree program that he leads at the University of Pennsylvania. The program's mission is to "combine cutting-edge scholarship with the application of knowledge to the real world." He also provides chapters on breakthroughs in teaching well-being to young people, a new theory of intelligence (very similar to the work in emotional intelligence), and the biology of optimism.

    Flourish has two chapters dealing with a huge project Seligman and his colleagues have with the U.S. Army to provide Comprehensive Soldier Fitness and Master Resilience Training to hundreds of thousands. One goal is converting Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) into Post-Traumatic Growth (PTG).

    Seligman concludes Flourish with his "moon shot objective" (inspired by President JF Kennedy's audacious goal declared in 1961 to land on the moon by the end of the decade) of PERMA 51. This chapter proposes a new approach to the politics and economics of well-being with new measures of a country's prosperity based on the PERMA indicators. PERMA 51 is "the long mission for positive psychology. By the year 2051, 51 percent of the people of the world will be flourishing."

    By applying PERMA to our own lives -- and using these concepts in our parenting, coaching, leading, and developing others -- we can all benefit from "shooting for the moon."
    22 people found this helpful
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  • Gary Shunk
    5.0 out of 5 stars My take on FLOURISH
    Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2013
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    As legend has it, Martin E. P. Seligman coined the term “Positive Psychology,” (PP) in 1998, as incoming president of the American Psychological Association. He wanted to challenged the field to consider the positive side of psychology: happiness, joy, well-being, love, awe, etc. Since WWII most psychological research focused on what he consider “pain and human misery.” Psychology has primarily addresed depression, anxiety, negative manifestations of the psyche. He invited psychologists to include psychological strengths, as well as psychological weaknesses in their studies. Seligman’s challenge was met with great passion. Since then PP has flourished.

    “Flourish,” is both accessible theory and practical practice. PP is not “positive thinking.” Its not about changing your mind or thinking. It encompasses thinking, for sure, but it is extremely practical, empirically studied and supported by research. “Flourish,” provides a comprehensive overview of PP’s research on “Post-Traumatic Growth,” “Positive Education,” and “GRIT,” to name a few. And, “Flourish,” provides methods to develop well-being and happiness.

    In particular Seligman provides a useful acronynm to help the reader develop a practical sense of PP. PERMA: P = Positive Emotion, E = Engagement, R = Positive Relationships / Relating, M = Meaning, and A = Accomplishment / Achievement.

    Some time ago I wrote the following for my PP blog (garyshunk.com) to illustrante the “R” in PERMA:

    [So…Erica arrives home from work and excitedly tells her husband, Jeff, “I got the promotion!” Jeff turns to Erica smiles and says, “WOW, that’s great! Tell me ALL about it.” He takes Erica by the hand and leads her to a chair and sits her down. Jeff places himself directly across from her, leans forward, gazes into his wife’s smiling face, and says, “OK, tell me.”

    In that moment Jeff enters Erica’s world of joy with genuine, intentional and devoted interest. At points in her story, he asks, “What were you feeling when your boss told you?” “Tell me verbatim what you and your boss said to one another.” “What was your drive home like?” After an hour of wrapped attention, Jeff says, “Let’s celebrate,” and asks Erica where she’d like to go for dinner that evening.

    The above is an illustration of Positive Relating, This is a Positive Psychology intervention. Imagine yourself on the receiving end. Erica is happy because of the good thing that happened to her today. When she arrives home, Jeff “actively,” and “constructively,” responds to Erica’s good news and her happiness. He puts his needs and agenda to the side and is 100% present, and curious about the good thing that happened to his wife. The outcome of Jeff’s investment is a gift for Erica, their marriage, their children and extended family, as well as their community because it magnifies happiness.

    This illustration may seem cliche. But, it really takes intention and effort to be present for someone’s joy. When the investment happens, it deepens what is already there, extends the joy and happiness, as well as solidifies the relationship.]

    Obviously I am a big fan of Marty Seligman. Nevertheless, I believe “Flourish,” is a great introduction to PP. You will discover PP is not “self help,” but rather a solid field of psychology with its foundation in empirical study and scientific research. As I like to say: there is no where PP is not applicable.
    15 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Maria
    1.0 out of 5 stars Aburrido y sin evidencia
    Reviewed in Mexico on April 10, 2023
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Basado en puras opiniones, nada de evidencia. Su teoría bastante simplista. No recomiendo para nada, aburrido
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  • Julie
    5.0 out of 5 stars Amazing book
    Reviewed in Belgium on January 27, 2025
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Amazing book. A bit hard to read at the beginning if you don’t have a scientific background, but as you progress through the book it gets easier. And it’s worth it. The topic of this book and all of the tips & explanations stated in this book are amazing. Would definitely recommend!
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  • joy winchell
    5.0 out of 5 stars WOW!!!
    Reviewed in Canada on September 10, 2013
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Seligman has an easy conversational style of writing. He doesn't shy away from reporting on research, but does so in an engaging way. Many surprises in this book...you can decide to be happy & really achieve that state of mind & habit. This is a good, informative read...I highly recommend this book.
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  • Benoit Besson
    5.0 out of 5 stars A lire absolument
    Reviewed in France on April 8, 2013
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    "Flourish" n'est pas un livre facile de prime abord. Dense, volumineux, il peut impressionner. Cependant, il reflète et condense pratiquement tout le travail de Martin Seligman depuis 30 ans. A lire sans hésitation. A quand une version française?
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  • mohammed
    5.0 out of 5 stars Good
    Reviewed in the United Arab Emirates on March 11, 2022
    Format: PaperbackVerified Purchase
    Good
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