Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience

by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
You have heard about how a musician loses herself in her music, how a painter becomes one with the process of painting. In work, sport, conversation or hobby, you have experienced, yourself, the suspension of time, the freedom of complete absorption in activity. This is "flow," an experience that is at once demanding and rewarding--an experience that Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi demonstrates is one of the most enjoyable and valuable experiences a person can have. The exhaustive case studies, controlled experiments and innumerable references to historical figures, philosophers and scientists through the ages prove Csikszentmihalyi's point that flow is a singularly productive and desirable state. But the implications for its application to society are what make the book revolutionary.

   “Documents a set of scientific discoveries about human nature that actually illuminates the life experiences of all persons.”

—Howard Gardner, author of "Frames of Mind"

   “It rethinks what motivates people.”

—Newsweek

   “An intriguing look at the age-old problem of human happiness.”

—Library Journal

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