Happier? The History of a Cultural Movement That Aspired to Transform America

Horowitz (Betty Friedan and the Making of The Feminine Mystique), an emeritus professor of American studies at Smith College, explores the history of the relatively new and surprisingly pervasive discipline of happiness studies and positive psychology. The book uses a 1998 speech by one of positive psychology’s stars, Martin Seligman, as its central axis, but covers the topic from Norman Vincent Peale’s 1952 book The Power of Positive Thinking up to the current day. Horowitz did extensive research for the book, and each chapter concludes with meaty endnotes. The book maintains a tone of academic formality while nevertheless remaining accessible to a general audience. Some knowledge of psychological schools of thought (such as behaviorism and Freudianism) is assumed, but even those unfamiliar with the field will find the book informative. The book’s first half walks the reader through the field’s evolution, from a set of individual researchers working on studies in isolation into a more cohesive discipline, but examines political and cultural contexts only superficially. This section becomes somewhat repetitive, but the research and methods are compelling. Later chapters illustrate how positive psychology has permeated into everyday American life and engage more thoroughly with criticisms of the field, such as its commercialization and connections to neoliberalism. Horowitz provides a thorough and thoughtful introduction to an influential discipline. (Dec.)