Dr. Martin Seligman, the founder of the positive psychology movement and its leading practitioner, has since 1998 been hammering away at the dominant focus of psychology on relieving symptoms and human suffering. He believes that it is far more important to emphasize optimism, motivation, and character. In his first book in 10 years, Seligman explores the art of flourishing, living the good life to the fullest extent. He now sees the goal of positive psychology as one of measuring and nurturing human flourishing and well-being, which is far richer and deeper than happiness.

At the core of this ambitious work is Seligman's delineation of the five pillars of Positive Psychology:

1. Positive Emotion
2. Engagement
3. Relationships
4. Meaning
5. Accomplishment

These pillars can be effective tools for changing both yourself and the world. They affect the personal and the political. We see this in Seligman's application of these principles to psychology, education, the military, medicine, and the worlds of politics and economics.

Continuing his work as a reformer, the author points out that all drugs and most psychotherapy can do for depression is provide cosmetic assistance and approach 65 percent relief. Seligman reports on the success of the Penn Resiliency Program in combating youthful depression and teaching well-being. Their accent is on helping students identify signature character strengths and then increasing their use in daily life to promote resilience, positive emotion, meaning, and purpose. Discussing his work with the military, Seligman shares his attempts to create a psychologically fit army and his emphasis on turning soldiers' trauma into growth. He covers his efforts to promote positive emotions in health care and concludes with the challenges faced by people during the financial downturn.