Customer Reviews

Happiness 101 with Tal Ben-Shahar

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Tal Ben-Shahar's book, Happiness, is wonderful. It's filled with helpful information and actual 'trick's' you can use to increase your level of happiness. In the era of positive psychology it is well worth your time to read, if you haven't done so already. My expectation was that the DVD would expand upon the book and offer new and different information. Unfortunately, the DVD was a major disappointment. It is about 40 minutes long (with a 15 minute counseling session tacked on at the end); basicially, Ben-Shahar highlights 5 or so points from his book and talks about them to a small audience. His writing is far better than his speaking ability - I found him to be a really boring presenter and was glad I'd read the book first. The DVD was pointless, to be honest. It doesn't offer the same insights as the book and it doesn't come across as helpful, informative or interesting. It would have been a better idea to have him put his book on audio CD for people to listen to. Watching him and listening to him wasn't good at all.

It is easy to see how this was the most popular class at Harvard. It is not all that common that information as solid and useful as this is presented with such genuine compassion and charm. I have read many books and heard many lectures on the subject and this is easily one of the very best offerings in the field. Excellent in technical quality, content and presentation. A genuine gift to us all, my heartfelt thanks to the author/presenter.

Well I have not read his book, but after reading the comment above which gave a low rating to the dvd, I think I should. That's because I thought the DVD was super, and if a previous commenter said the Book is better, well I just may get it. I got to see the DVD (over a period of about four 20 minute sessions the past 3 wks) as part of some staff training. Actually, I thought Tal was an excellent presenter, and the DVD is studio quality. He was engaging, spoke eloquently, respectfully, had a gentle persona, easy voice to listen to, made practical suggestions, and included a few audiovisuals to re-inforce the topic. Yes, it's no movie and not an entertainment piece, but to say it's "boring" is absolutely not true. If an individual is feeling, or a company has Staff who are feeling stressed, depressed, anxious, or burned out, I'd HIGHLY RECOMMEND this DVD!

Tal Ben-Shahar presents a 70-minute overview of the topic of "positive psychology" which is a growing field of study within the field of psychology. While this video is presented by a Harvard professor, it is geared toward a general, non-science audience and it packs a lot of great information into a short period regarding what it takes for people to be happy even when dealing with the challenges of life. Everyone can gain insight from this presentation. Ben-Shahar offers practical advice with scientific research to back it up. The theory of positive pyschology is "founded on the belief that people want to lead meaningful and fulfilling lives, to cultivate what is best within themselves, and to enhance their experiences of love, work, and play." (Penn University) It's completely within reach.

This isn't pop psychology; it's science.

I have studied all the inspirational books and videos I could get my hands on over the years. By far this one is the best. It's simple, easy to understand, remember and practice. If someone is too busy to read the book, this DVD is the answer. I can assure you that you will be a much better person if you apply the simple steps covered here.