I bought a copy of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's book Flow in 1991, soon after it came out, from the Book of the Month Club (remember that wonderful organization?). It was a national bestseller back then, and it was one of the most important books I've read. I still remember the page in the BOMC catalog featuring the book: it featured the famous painting called "The Reverend Robert Walker Skating on Duddingston Loch," and superimposed on the clouds behind the reverend were the words, "Why is this man so happy?"

While it's tough for most people to explain just what happiness really is, legendary psychologist Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi did a good job of explaining the phenomenon. Csikszentmihalyi's famous investigations of "optimal experience" have revealed that what makes an experience genuinely satisfying is a state of consciousness that he calls flow. During flow, people typically experience deep enjoyment, creativity, and a total involvement with life.

In this 2008 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.

When I was teaching university freshmen art majors at Florida Atlantic, this was required reading for them. I'd like to think that this book resonated with at least a few of them. I think it will resonate with you, too. (I also love saying his name.)

Softcover, 303 pages, plus a 16-page P.S. addendum. 2008 edition of the original 1990 text.