Happier?

December 1, 2017

The development of "positive psychology," the study of happiness and other desirable personal traits, and "happiness studies," its more sociological cousin, is studied in this book by Horowitz (Mary Huggins Gamble Fdn. Chair, Smith Coll.). Beginning with the decline of behaviorism and psychoanalytic attempts to process the traumas of World War II, the work focuses on Martin Seligman, author of the best-selling Learned Optimism, who used his tenure as president of the American Psychological Association to institutionalize positive psychology. Especially compelling is the discussion of the relationship between positive psychology and other contemporary developments, particularly the subtle ways in which American culture shapes the emphasis on personal factors, such as optimism or resilience, while downplaying sociopolitical issues such as racism or poverty. VERDICT Of most interest to cultural historians. Readers in search of self-help material would be better served elsewhere.--Mary Ann Hughes, Shelton, WA

Copyright 2017 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

June 26, 2017
Horowitz (Betty Friedan and the Making of The Feminine Mystique), an emeritus professor of American studies at Smith College, explores the history of the relatively new and surprisingly pervasive discipline of happiness studies and positive psychology. The book uses a 1998 speech by one of positive psychology’s stars, Martin Seligman, as its central axis, but covers the topic from Norman Vincent Peale’s 1952 book The Power of Positive Thinking up to the current day. Horowitz did extensive research for the book, and each chapter concludes with meaty endnotes. The book maintains a tone of academic formality while nevertheless remaining accessible to a general audience. Some knowledge of psychological schools of thought (such as behaviorism and Freudianism) is assumed, but even those unfamiliar with the field will find the book informative. The book’s first half walks the reader through the field’s evolution, from a set of individual researchers working on studies in isolation into a more cohesive discipline, but examines political and cultural contexts only superficially. This section becomes somewhat repetitive, but the research and methods are compelling. Later chapters illustrate how positive psychology has permeated into everyday American life and engage more thoroughly with criticisms of the field, such as its commercialization and connections to neoliberalism. Horowitz provides a thorough and thoughtful introduction to an influential discipline.