FLow : the psychology of optional experience / Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Includes bibliographical references.

Preface -- 1. Happiness revisited -- 2. The anatomy of consciousness -- 3. Enjoyment and the quality of life -- 4. The conditions of flow -- 5. The body in flow -- 6. The flow of thought -- 7. Work as flow -- 8. Enjoying solitude and other people -- 9. Cheating chaos -- 10. The making of meaning -- Notes -- References.

"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."