Positive psychology is a psychological approach that, since the 1990s, has focused on providing scientifically based knowledge about happiness, psychological well-being and the creative and transformative potential of human beings.

What is Positive Psychology?

In other words, addresses issues that until recently were ignored by the bulk of psychology , more concerned with the study of mental disorders and abnormal and harmful behaviour patterns.

Authors such as Martin E. P. Seligman or Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi have been promoting a study of happiness and the positive characteristics of the human psyche for years, and the knowledge generated by this branch of research has been turned into a great deal of informative content from which it is often difficult to choose. These are books inspired by the humanist philosophy that characterized psychologists such as Carl Rogers or Abraham Maslow, although with a much greater scientific foundation.

The Best Books in Positive Psychology

The potential of positive psychology is evident: is supported by research that can help us get closer to what we know as happiness . However, it is often difficult to choose among all the psychology degrees available. This is why we have created this selection of books.

Below you can see a selection of the most outstanding and revealing books on positive psychology , those that are most useful when it comes to understanding this aspect of the science of behaviour and mental processes, and which also serve to apply some concrete measures to our daily lives.

The vast majority, moreover, are books on positive psychology in Spanish, as well as being very accessible and easy to read .

1. “A Turtle, a Hare, and a Mosquito,” by Nacho Coller

A fun book with which to understand the basics of the psychology of everyday life. The art of avoiding unnecessary dramas and knowing how to surround ourselves with what helps make us happy is both simple and complicated, and that is why it never hurts for a work like this to allow us to learn the essentials in this area. Through a mixture of dissemination, storytelling and personal reflection, Nacho Coller outlines a healthy philosophy of life that leads us to admit that we are not perfect and we do not have to pretend to be installed in the impossible of a constant happiness.

  • To access more information about this book or get a copy, click here.

2. “Flow: a psychology of happiness” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi is known for his research on the “flow state”, that is, a state in which we feel that we are experiencing things in an optimal way, maintaining all our concentration on them and noticing a sense of well-being and creative potential that is difficult to express in words; all this without consuming any kind of substances.

In this book, the author explains some keys about the nature of this state, and how to get to it .

  • If you’re interested, you can get it here.

3. “True Happiness” by Martin E. P. Seligman

Seligman has been one of the referents of positive psychology, so he must have had a lot to say about happiness. In this book we review several of the investigations that have helped to give body to what is understood by happiness from the point of view of positive psychology.

  • You can get this book by clicking here.

4. “The science of well-being: foundations of a positive psychology”, by Carmelo VĂĄzquez and Gonzalo HervĂĄs

This is the ideal book for those who are looking for a more academic approach to the subject of positive psychology . It is a slightly less lighter reading than the rest of the books on positive psychology presented here, but at the same time it is more complete.

  • If you want to buy it, you can do it here.

5. “Intelligent optimism: psychology of positive emotions” (Various authors)

One of the most recommended books to learn to what extent emotional states are associated with different ways of seeing life (and how to make this play in our favor). The authors are MÂȘ Dolores Avia Aranda and Carmelo VĂĄzquez Valverde .

  • You can get this book here.

6. “Overcoming Adversity: The Power of Resilience,” by Luis Rojas Marcos

This is one of the books on positive psychology that deals with the subject of resilience, which is very much treated from this psychological approach. In its pages it explains what this capacity to overcome the hardest adversities consists of without letting pain and sadness take control of our actions.

  • If you’re interested, you can buy it here.

7. “Flow in Business” by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi

Another of the most outstanding books on positive psychology by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi . In this case, the author applies his conclusions about the flow state to the business world, where this experience, in which motivation and creativity are mixed, can be an important productive engine when working.

  • You can buy this book here.

8. “Is your bucket full? Strategies to Enhance Your Positive Emotions” by Tom Rath and Donald O. Clifton

A quick read to learn some of the basics about how those emotional states we usually enjoy occur and how to take advantage of this knowledge in different areas of life: both at work and in personal relationships.

  • Do you want to buy it? You can get it here.

9. “Positive Psychology: the scientific and practical explorations of human strengths” (various authors)

An excellent way to get in touch for the first time with positive psychology through complete and exhaustive explanations. This book is written by Charles Richard Snyder , Shane J. LĂłpez and Jennifer T. Pedrotti .

10. “The Science of Happiness” by Sonja Lyubomirsky

One of the books on positive psychology with a more practical approach , with measures that can be included among the daily habits. It is a wellness program based on scientific evidence.

  • If you’re interested, you can buy the book here.

11. “The futility of suffering”, by MarĂ­a JesĂșs Álava Reyes

The Spanish psychologist MarĂ­a JesĂșs Álava Reyes details in this book some of the keys to understanding the humanist philosophy behind positive psychology. It includes practical content that can be applied to everyday life.

  • You can get the book at this link.

12. “The Life That Blossoms” by Martin E. P. Seligman

In this book, the father of positive psychology updates his conception of what well-being is and provides new ways of understanding human emotions. One of the most popular books on positive psychology.

  • If you want it, you can click here.

13. “Psychologically Speaking” (AdriĂĄn Triglia, Bertrand Regader and Jonathan GarcĂ­a-Allen)

To understand the logic behind positive thinking and the power that changes in mentality have, there is nothing like knowing the basics of psychology. In this short book, written by the founders of Psychology and Mind, you will find all the fundamental knowledge upon which the fascinating science of the human mind is built.

  • If you are interested, you can find out more about this work by clicking on this link.

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14. “The Happiness Trap” by Russ Harris

A book that seems to go against the grain of most positive psychology books; perhaps that is why it is so unique. One of the main ideas that the author develops in this book is that, many times, what keeps us away from happiness is our own effort to get closer to it. Through the principles of Acceptance and Commitment Therapy , Russ Harris presents us with simple strategies and exercises with which we can learn to let ourselves be carried away by the flow of life and accept it with all its imperfections.

  • Are you curious? To read more about this book, click on this link.

15. “The Habits of a Happy Brain” by Loretta Graziano

What is behind all those psychological processes that constitute happiness? In this excellent book you can learn what is the logic that guides the appearance of those moments of euphoria and psychological well-being that invade us from time to time, what is the chemistry of the brain that produces them and why we experience this kind of experience as we do.

  • If you want to know more about this title, click on this link.

16. “Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness” by Alan Carr

One of the books on positive psychology that emphasizes the need to offer a global vision about this branch of the science of behavior and mental processes. An introductory and popular work conceived for people with an interest not only in learning strategies and practical tricks, but also in understanding how progress is being made in this field and what the history of this discipline is.

  • If you want to know more about the book, access more information through this link.

We continue with a collection of positive thoughts

If you liked this article, you may also be interested in this one: “125 short positive phrases for living day to day with optimism”