Best Selling Books by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

“Although the benefits of this study to scholars are obvious, this thought-provoking mixture of scholarly and colloquial will enlighten inquisitive general readers, too.” — Library Journal (starred review) The classic study of the creative process from the bestselling author of Flow. Creativity is about capturing those moments that make life worth living. Legendary psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi (“The leading researcher into ‘flow states.’” — Newsweek) reveals what leads to these moments—be it the excitement of the artist at the easel or the scientist in the lab—so that this knowledge can be used to enrich people''s lives. Drawing on nearly one hundred interviews with exceptional people, from biologists and physicists, to politicians and business leaders, to poets and artists, as well as his thirty years of research on the subject, Csikszentmihalyi uses his famous flow theory to explore the creative process. He discusses such ideas as why creative individuals are often seen as selfish and arrogant, and why the "tortured genius" is largely a myth. Most important, he explains why creativity needs to be cultivated and is necessary for the future of our country, if not the world.

Since Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi published the groundbreaking Flow more than a decade ago, world leaders such as Tony Blair and former President Clinton, and influential sports figures like Super Bowl champion coach Jimmy Johnson have all been inspired by the book. In today''s corporate upheaval, a new business paradigm is evolving. While many CEOs are being exposed for their greed, truly visionary leaders believe in a goal that benefits themselves as well as others. They realize that it is their vision and "soul" that attract loyal employees willing to go above and beyond the call of corporate duty. And their employees are realizing the same thing: while 80 percent of adults claim they''d work even if they didn''t have to, the majority of them can hardly wait to leave their jobs and get home. Good Business starts with the premise that this is an age in which business and work have replaced religion and politics as central forces in contemporary life. The book reveals how business leaders, managers, and even employees can find their "flow" and contribute not only to their own happiness, but also to a just and evolving society. It identifies the factors crucial to the operation of a good business: trust, the commitment to fostering the personal growth of employees, and the dedication to creating a product that helps mankind. Good Business is sure to become a must-read text for anyone who values the positive contributions of individuals in the changing world of business.

The findings in this book are the results of a monumental five-year study of a group of exceptionally talented teenagers, examining the role that personality traits, family interactions, education, and the social environment play in a young person''s motivation to develop his or her talent. Diagrams.

This first volume of the Collected Works of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi represents his work on Art and Creativity. Starting with his seminal 1964 study on creativity up to his 2010 publication in Newsweek, the volume spans over four decades of research and writing and clearly shows Csikszentmihalyi’s own development as an academic, psychologist, researcher and person. Unconventional and unorthodox in his approach, Csikszentmihalyi chose the topic of creativity as a field of study believing it would help him be a better psychologist and advance his understanding of how to live a better life. The chapters in this volume trace the history of the study of creativity back to the days of Guilford and research on IQ and Jacob Getzels’ work on creativity and intelligence. Firmly grounded in that history, yet extending it in new directions, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi started his life-long study on artistic creativity. His first extensive study at the School of the Art Institute of Chicago enabled him to observe, test and interview fine art students drawing in a studio. The study formed the very basis of all his work on the subject and has resulted in several articles, represented in this volume, on such creativity-related concepts as problem solving versus problem finding, the personality of the artist, the influence of the social context, creativity as a social construction, developmental issues and flow. The main contribution to the topic of creativity and also the main concept explored in this volume, is the Systems Model of Creativity. Seven chapters in this volume discuss the development of this conceptual model and theory.

The second volume in the collected works of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi covers about thirty years of Csikszentmihalyi‘s work on three main and interconnected areas of study: attention, flow and positive psychology. Describing attention as psychic energy and in the footsteps of William James, Csikszentmihalyi explores the allocation of attention, the when and where and the amount of attention humans pay to tasks and the role of attention in creating ‘experiences’, or ordered patterns of information. Taking into account information processing theories and attempts at quantifying people’s investment, the chapters deal with such topics as time budgets and the development and use of the Experience Sampling Method of collecting data on attention in everyday life. Following the chapters on attention and reflecting Csikszentmihalyi’s branching out into sociology and anthropology, there are chapters on the topic of adult play and leisure and connected to that, on flow, a concept formulated and developed by Csikszentmihalyi. Flow has become a popular concept in business and management around the world and research on the concept continues to flourish. Finally, this volume contains articles that stem from Csikszentmihalyi’s connection with Martin Seligman; they deal with concepts and theories, as well as with the development and short history, of the field and the “movement” of positive psychology.

The third volume of the collected works of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi covers his work on the application of flow in areas that go beyond the field of leisure where the concept was first applied. Based on his personal experience with schooling and learning, as well as that of many others and contrary to what Cicero claimed, Csikszentmihalyi arrived at the conclusion that instead of taking pride in making the roots of knowledge as bitter as possible, we should try to make them sweeter. Just as flow became a popular and useful concept in voluntary activities, it could likewise be applied in education with the end result of young people being more likely to continue learning not just because they have to but because they want to. This volume brings together a number of articles in which Csikszentmihalyi develops ideas about how to make education and more generally the process of learning to live a good life, more enjoyable. Since theory is the mother of good practice, the first eleven chapters are devoted to theoretical reflections. Some are general and explore what it means to be a human being, what it means to be a person, when we look at life from the perspective of flow. Others are more narrowly focused on such topics as consumption, education, teaching and learning. They help laypeople reflect how they can arrange their lives in such a way as to leave a small ecological footprint while getting the most enjoyment. The second section of the volume contains a dozen empirical articles on similar topics. They deal with the development of identity and self-worth; with the formation of goals and motivation; with loneliness and family life.

The renowned author of Flow shares a “wise, humane inquiry” into the evolution of consciousness—and how we can rewire our minds for contemporary life (Publishers Weekly). In Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s bestselling Flow, he introduced readers to a radical new theory of happiness. Now in The Evolving Self—his breakthrough sequel—he demonstrates how we can understand and overcome our evolutionary shortcomings in order to build a stable, meaningful future for ourselves and each other. The Evolving Self covers the challenges associated with our cognitive evolutionary history; the distortions of reality we experience due to genes, culture, and our sense of self; and the central importance of “flow” from an evolutionary perspective. Erudite, insightful, and practical, The Evolving Self is a timely resource for anyone looking to improve our world for ourselves and for generations to come. “A book of singular importance and timeliness, one with momentous implications for the future.” —Howard Gardner

This study provides an analysis of the concept of ''flow'' - the state of peak enjoyment experienced by rock climbers, dancers, basketball players, surgeons. The presentation shows how to achieve the state in everyday work and play activities.

From one of the pioneers of the scientific study of happiness, an indispensable guide to living your best life. What makes a good life? Is it money? An important job? Leisure time? Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi believes our obsessive focus on such measures has led us astray. Work fills our days with anxiety and pressure, so that during our free time, we tend to live in boredom, watching TV or absorbed by our phones. What are we missing? To answer this question, Csikszentmihalyi studied thousands of people, and he found the key. People are happiest when they challenge themselves with tasks that demand a high degree of skill and commitment, and which are undertaken for their own sake. Instead of watching television, play the piano. Take a routine chore and figure out how to do it better, faster, more efficiently. In short, learn the hidden power of complete engagement, a psychological state the author calls flow. Though they appear simple, the lessons in Finding Flow are life-changing.

An account of what is is to be a teenager in our modern world.

The meaning of things is a study of the significance of material possessions in contemporary urban life, and of the ways people carve meaning out of their domestic environment. Drawing on a survey of eighty families in Chicago who were interviewed on the subject of their feelings about common household objects, Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Eugene Rochberg-Halton provide a unique perspective on materialism, American culture, and the self. They begin by reviewing what social scientists and philosophers have said about the transactions between people and things. In the model of ''personhood'' that the authors develop, goal-directed action and the cultivation of meaning through signs assume central importance. They then relate theoretical issues to the results of their survey. An important finding is the distinction between objects valued for action and those valued for contemplation. The authors compare families who have warm emotional attachments to their homes with those in which a common set of positive meanings is lacking, and interpret the different patterns of involvement. They then trace the cultivation of meaning in case studies of four families. Finally, the authors address what they describe as the current crisis of environmental and material exploitation, and suggest that human capacities for the creation and redirection of meaning offer the only hope for survival. A wide range of scholars - urban and family sociologists, clinical, developmental and environmental psychologists, cultural anthropologists and philosophers, and many general readers - will find this book stimulating and compelling.

Gives a complete overview of the foundations for Experience Sampling Method (ESM) and provides a step-by-step guide for researchers designing and implementing an ESM study. This work also offers useful tips to consider before implementing a study, based on real-life examples.

First Published in 1990. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

Suggests ways to raise levels of visual literacy and enhance artistic enjoyment.

What is creativity, and where does it come from? Creativity and Development explores the fascinating connections and tensions between creativity research and developmental psychology, two fields that have largely progressed independently of each other-until now. In this book, scholars influential in both fields explore the emergence of new ideas, and the development of the people and situations that bring them to fruition. The uniquely collaborative nature of Oxford''s Counterpoints series allows them to engage in a dialogue, addressing the key issues and potential benefits of exploring the connections between creativity and development. Creativity and Development is based on the observation that both creativity and development are processes that occur in complex systems, in which later stages or changes emerge from the prior state of the system. In the 1970s and 1980s, creativity researchers shifted their focus from personality traits to cognitive and social processes, and the co-authors of this volume are some of the most influential figures in this shift. The central focus on system processes results in three related volume themes: how the outcomes of creativity and development emerge from dynamical processes, the interrelation between individual processes and social processes, and the role of mediating artifacts and domains in developmental and creative processes. The chapters touch on a wide range of important topics, with the authors drawing on their decades of research into creativity and development. Readers will learn about the creativity of children''s play, the creative aspects of children''s thinking, the creative processes of scientists, the role of education and teaching in creative development, and the role of multiple intelligences in both creativity and development. The final chapter is an important dialogue between the authors, who engage in a roundtable discussion and explore key questions facing contemporary researchers, such as: Does society suppress children''s creativity? Are creativity and development specific to an intelligence or a domain? What role do social and cultural contexts play in creativity and development? Creativity and Development presents a powerful argument that both creativity scholars and developmental psychologists will benefit by becoming more familiar with each other''s work.

The detailed results provide a window of society''s future through which we can glimpse how adolescents are preparing themselves for the lives they will lead in the years to come."--Jacket.

With help from sports psychology researcher Jackson, Csikszentmihalyi (human behavior, U. of Chicago) pares down his now-famous concept of flow to basic explanations and self-assessment exercises. Emphasis is on achieving a balance between challenges and skills, setting goals, taking advantage of feedback, focusing on the present, controlling the controllables, and having fun. Annotation copyrighted by Book News, Inc., Portland, OR

First Published in 2001. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.

In this volume three of the key figures in the field set out to establish some parameters for the study of creativity. After examining the earlier works on the subject, they present their current research findings, and then attempt to project where the field is likely to go in the decade ahead. Gardner, the proponent of biological aspects of creativity, ranges widely as he examines Freud''s Vienna and the features of medicine that both constrained and challenged his revolutionary idea. Csikszentmihalyi, with his exploration of genes and memes, examines individual issues as well as broader contextual concerns. Feldman concentrates on the notions of coincidence and the transformational imperative. These essays point to the rejuvenation of the field of creativity research, and suggest where the field is likely to move in the future. This work is a major synthesis of value to advanced researchers as well as students and all those concerned with creativity.

What does it mean to carry out "good work"? What strategies allow people to maintain moral and ethical standards at a time when market forces wield unprecedented power and work life is being radically altered by technological innovation? These are the questions at the heart of this important collaboration by three leaders in psychology. Enlivened with stories of real people facing hard decisions, Good Work offers powerful insight into one of the most important issues of our time and, indeed, into the future course of science, technology, and communication.

Escrito por um dos pioneiros no estudo científico da felicidade, um guia indispensável para encontrar a satisfação no dia a dia. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi acredita que o foco obsessivo em trabalho e dinheiro nos desviou da felicidade. Eles preenchem nossos dias com ansiedade e pressão, de modo que, durante o tempo livre, tendemos a viver no tédio, na frente das telas ou absorvidos por aparelhos de celular. O que estamos perdendo? Para responder a essa pergunta, o autor analisou milhares de indivíduos e descobriu que as pessoas ficam mais felizes quando se desafiam com tarefas que exigem alto grau de habilidade e de comprometimento. A dica é: encontrar quais atividades podem proporcionar o melhor flow para cada um de nós. Ao transformar conceitos — desenvolvidos por meio do trabalho e de pesquisas durante uma vida inteira na Universidade de Chicago — em diretrizes claras, Flow – Guia prático fornece as ferramentas necessárias para uma vida mais prazerosa e significativa.

Um clássico estudo sobre criatividade do renomado psicólogo, autor best-seller e criador do conceito de flow. Existe uma idade certa para ser mais inovador? Pessoas solitárias são mais inventivas? Como os pais podem influenciar na formação de filhos mais criativos? Neste livro, o aclamado psicólogo Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi reúne mais de trinta anos de pesquisas e cem entrevistas com personalidades para explorar como o processo criativo floresce. Com uma linguagem leve e um texto consistente, o psicólogo recorre ao seu famoso conceito de flow — um estado de consciência alcançado quando estamos em completa concentração e focados em uma atividade — para analisar a maneira como as pessoas criativas e famosas trabalham. Para o psicólogo, a criatividade pode ser cultivada não apenas em campos tradicionalmente criativos, como as ciências e as artes, mas também nos negócios, no governo e na educação. Neste livro fascinante, Csikszentmihalyi trata do tipo de criatividade que pode transformar nossa cultura e a maneira como vemos o mundo, explicando por que indivíduos criativos muitas vezes são vistos como egoístas e arrogantes, por que quase nunca um feito criativo é resultado de um insight repentino, e por que a imagem do "gênio atormentado" é, em grande parte, um mito.

More than anything else, this book is an exploration of happiness. What makes us happy? How can we live a fulfilling life? These are no simple questions to ask, but author Csikszentmihalyi makes a compelling and clear argument as to how happiness can be obtained (in passing, he even gives simple explanations for consciousness and the meaning of life!).In doing so, the author touches on a lot of principles from ancient philosophies and religions, such as Stoicism and Buddhism. Yet the approach for a happy life set out in Flow is based upon scientific research, as opposed to rules and guidelines obtained from ancient wisdom. Not that there''s anything wrong with ancient wisdom, but it''s all the more impressive to see modern guidelines to happiness based on scientific research.So what does it come down to? On the one hand, happiness is not a destination where you arrive, but a condition that needs to be cultivated. It''s affected by the information we let into our thoughts and the way we seek happiness. Csikszentmihalyi makes a clear distinction between pleasure seeking and enjoyment, where pleasure is externally focused and hence a temporary fix for happiness, while true enjoyment comes from within and is sustainable.On the other hand, it depends on how we engage in activities, and this is where flow enters the scene: the research shows surprisingly few moments of happiness occur when we''re idle. While engaged in work, in creating something, in pursuit of some kind of goal, stretching our abilities to their limits, those are the moments when most of us experience true happiness. This is when we''re in a state of flow.Paradoxically, this means we often feel happier when working than when engaged in what most people consider leisure time: watching TV, getting drunk, lying on a beach for a week. Flow provides a solution: when the principles are understood, many activities can be turned into rewarding experiences that contribute to our happiness, and who would say no to that?

These volumes bring together a valuable collection of work from four decades of writing by one accomplished and influential scholar, who has academic foundations in psychology and wide ranging experience and collaborations, crossing into a number of other disciplines. Through these volumes the important themes and discoveries in Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s work emerge, including studies of creativity, cultural evolution, play and adolescent development. These are big issues of our time and through this series we are able to trace the origins and development of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s work. Readers will discover what inspired his perspective and led to his fresh insights on some of the mysteries of human existence, as well as discovering the insights themselves. This series will appeal to scholars in psychology, sociology, anthropology, neuroscience and management studies as the work crosses disciplines and is of broad scholarly significance. Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is best-known for his theory on FLOW and author of the ground breaking classic work Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience.

In today''s fast-paced world, it''s tough to find the time to read. But with Joosr guides, you can get the key insights from bestselling non-fiction titles in less than 20 minutes. Whether you want to gain knowledge on the go or find the books you''ll love, Joosr''s brief and accessible eBook summaries fit into your life. Find out more at joosr.com. What makes an activity truly enjoyable? What is it about a satisfying event that brings you happiness? More importantly, can these things be applied to your daily life to help you find happiness in everything you do? Find the answers to these questions-and the secrets of happiness-in Flow. "Flow" is a state in which your mind is entirely focused on the task you''re engaged in, letting it challenge, absorb and delight you. With flow, you reach an optimal life experience that brings you joy, satisfaction, and the deep happiness that millions around the world desire. In Flow, you''ll learn how to discover that optimal experience in your own li.