Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Oct 2009 · Sold by Harper Collins

About this ebook

“Csikszentmihalyi arrives at an insight that many of us can intuitively grasp, despite our insistent (and culturally supported) denial of this truth. That is, it is not what happens to us that determines our happiness, but the manner in which we make sense of that reality. . . . The manner in which Csikszentmihalyi integrates research on consciousness, personal psychology and spirituality is illuminating.” —Los Angeles Times Book Review

The bestselling classic that holds the key to unlocking meaning, creativity, peak performance, and true happiness.

Legendary psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's famous investigations of "optimal experience" have revealed that what makes an experience genuinely satisfying is a state of consciousness called flow. During flow, people typically experience deep enjoyment, creativity, and a total involvement with life. In this new edition of his groundbreaking classic work, Csikszentmihalyi ("the leading researcher into ‘flow states’" —Newsweek) demonstrates the ways this positive state can be controlled, not just left to chance. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience teaches how, by ordering the information that enters our consciousness, we can discover true happiness, unlock our potential, and greatly improve the quality of our lives.

Ratings and reviews

This book had very little evidence to back up it's assertions and has not been updated for well over 25 years. I like the idea of flow, and I have a gut feeling that what the author says about it is correct, but I feel the book is seriously dated.

If you're reading for the sake of studying I suggest reading the Wikipedia article and then improvising from there. This book is slow and not concise and is not written for studying. Lots of knowledge, but the knowledge is available elsewhere and is often better explained.

Forse dopo l'ennesimo libro ripetitivo la smetterò col self-help. È abbastanza noioso, con esempi banali. Se è la prima volta che guardi il mondo lo puoi leggere, altrimenti piuttosto ascolta i tuoi nonni e i tuoi zii più anziani.

About the author

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (1934-2021) was a professor at Claremont Graduate University and former chair of the Department of Psychology at the University of Chicago. His books include Creativity, The Evolving Self and the national bestseller Flow.