Positivity

November 3, 2008
Positive psychology pioneer Fredrickson introduces readers to the power of harnessing happiness to transform their lives, backed up by impressive lab research. The author lays out the “core truths” and 10 forms of positivity—joy, gratitude, serenity, interest, hope, pride, amusement, inspiration, awe and love—in a book that promises to change the way people look at feeling good. Disdainful of Pollyannaism, Fredrickson remains realistic in her treatment and provides scientific evidence to illustrate her findings that maintaining a 3:1 “positivity ratio” of positive thoughts to negative emotions creates a “tipping point” between “languishing and flourishing.” The book includes compelling case studies, concrete tips, a Positivity Self Test and a tool kit for decreasing negativity and raising the positivity ratio. Although many of Fredrickson's methods and theories (notes on meditation and karma) will seem familiar to anyone versed in yoga or eastern religions, the scientific foundation of her arguments and additional online resources ( www.positivityratio.com
) offer readers a chance to experiment with positivity and very possibly lead richer lives.

February 1, 2009
Positive psychology was introduced as a concept about ten years ago by Martin Seligman; the field studies topics like happiness, satisfaction, and hope. Fredrickson (psychology, Univ. of North Carolina), who has spent her career studying positive emotions, has written a self-help book instructing readers how to put positivity into their lives. She describes how this will unlock their creativity, improve their ability to savor the world's pleasures, and increase satisfaction with their lives and relationships. Fredrickson pinpoints a three-to-one ratio of positive to negative emotions as the key to maximum achievement. She lists ten forms of positivity and helps readers calculate and track their positivity ratios. A few strong sections feature useful advice in this rather frothy but entertaining self-help work. Readers looking for a more scholarly but readable book on positive psychology will enjoy Daniel Nettle's "Happiness: The Science Behind Your Smile". Suitable for public libraries with large self-help collections.Fran Mentch, Cleveland State Univ. Lib.

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