Positive Psychology Book Review

Carr, Alan. "1 Happiness." Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness and Human Strengths. 2nd ed. Hove: Brunner-Routledge, 2004. 2-47. Print. In his book, “Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness and Human Strengths,” Carr teaches a number of ways for readers to understand the state of happiness, the genetic factors that contribute to it, the effects of happiness, and the positive and negative experiences that influence it. His book is an overview of the science behind positive psychology and contains a number of studies that are conducted by universities, scholars, and professors like Martin Seligman, the founder of modern positive psychology. The chapter I primarily focused on for this bibliography was the information and readings …show more content…
She speaks of how the parody emphasized the benefits that one experiences through nature and the effects it has on their overall happiness and well-being. She then goes on to explain the numerous studies done on the positive attributes provided to the soul through exposure to outdoor greenery. Firestone explains that nature not only has the ability to incite awe, serenity, and inspiration but it also has the ability to improve people’s mood and self-esteem. Nature has ways of helping both physically and mentally and allows people to often feel more present in their own bodies. This article gives another method of achieving personal happiness and helps readers and myself attain an understanding of the emotional contribution a little bit of nature can have on an individual’s well-being and …show more content…
She argues that distressing thoughts often get the upper hand for evolutionary reasons; those that our ancestors used to distinguish between threats. She speaks of how they used distressing thoughts to stay safe but in modern minds these thoughts only cause more stress. She says that the tendency to repeat concerning thoughts often makes the situation worse and therefore, people need to find ways to release themselves of negative thinking. She then offers the best way to do this is through staying in the present. By practicing methods like mindfulness and meditation. Harteneck bases her argument on practices done through these methods and offers ways to help people master them as well. This article will be used as a form of informational engagement, it offers a way to involve readers with the study of happiness by giving examples of how to calm the mind. It also keeps a perspective on the little things people can do in their everyday lives to keep stressors as low as