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Beyond Boredom and Anxiety: Experiencing Flow in Work and Play
Now in a special 25th anniversary edition and filled with brilliant wisdom and insights, Beyond Boredom and Anxiety offers a timeless introduction to the concept of flow and the scientific basis behind it-all through the work of one of the field's great scientists, Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi. Through real-life examples, discover how enjoyable activities provide a common experience-a satisfying, often exhilarating, feeling of creative accomplishment and heightened functioning-and under what conditions 'serious' work can also provide this intrinsic enjoyment.
231 pages, Hardcover
First published September 1, 1975
About the author
Mihály Csíkszentmihályi
87 books2,291 followersA Hungarian psychology professor, who emigrated to the United States at the age of 22. Now at Claremont Graduate University, he is the former head of the department of psychology at the University of Chicago and of the department of sociology and anthropology at Lake Forest College.
He is noted for both his work in the study of happiness and creativity and also for his notoriously difficult name, in terms of pronunciation for non-native speakers of the Hungarian language, but is best known as the architect of the notion of flow and for his years of research and writing on the topic. He is the author of many books and over 120 articles or book chapters. Martin Seligman, former president of the American Psychological Association, described Csikszentmihalyi as the world's leading researcher on positive psychology.
Csikszentmihalyi once said "Repression is not the way to virtue. When people restrain themselves out of fear, their lives are by necessity diminished. Only through freely chosen discipline can life be enjoyed and still kept within the bounds of reason." His works are influential and are widely cited.
He is noted for both his work in the study of happiness and creativity and also for his notoriously difficult name, in terms of pronunciation for non-native speakers of the Hungarian language, but is best known as the architect of the notion of flow and for his years of research and writing on the topic. He is the author of many books and over 120 articles or book chapters. Martin Seligman, former president of the American Psychological Association, described Csikszentmihalyi as the world's leading researcher on positive psychology.
Csikszentmihalyi once said "Repression is not the way to virtue. When people restrain themselves out of fear, their lives are by necessity diminished. Only through freely chosen discipline can life be enjoyed and still kept within the bounds of reason." His works are influential and are widely cited.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
November 27, 2015
I've read and heard quite a bit about flow theory and was excited to read this book, but I found it pretty dry. I had assumed it was aimed at a larger audience, however, after reading it, it appears to be geared more toward academics and researchers.
I have to question some of the conclusions and methodology as well. for example, the section on microflow reports research with a sample size of 20 college students providing self - reports. Surely more rigerous research is required to draw any meaningful conclusions.
There are plenty of glowing reviews here, so perhaps this book was just a bit over my head as a 'layperson'. I still plan to try to read Flow, as I find flow theory very interesting and would like to understand it better.
I have to question some of the conclusions and methodology as well. for example, the section on microflow reports research with a sample size of 20 college students providing self - reports. Surely more rigerous research is required to draw any meaningful conclusions.
There are plenty of glowing reviews here, so perhaps this book was just a bit over my head as a 'layperson'. I still plan to try to read Flow, as I find flow theory very interesting and would like to understand it better.
November 20, 2021
It provides good insights into what life is really about and for. We do things for the Autotelic experiences per se, and we let life flow simply as the end goal. When we start to comment and reflect on what we have done or question the ultimate meaning underscoring everything, we have stopped living the quintessence of flow. Too high a demand for task compared to the skillset possessed leads to anxiety while too low a demand for task compared to the skillset possessed leads to boredom. We fine-tune the demand and our knowledge/skills to stay in the range of flow. Since life is so prone to Anilism when we question too much but receive too little from the world of crass materialism and crony capitalism, we'd better just follow the flow and so be it.
January 6, 2022
I read this book as a small treat to myself within my extensive reading run for work, in order to make it more enjoyable. I could not have picked a more suitable book for this purpose.
January 21, 2024
This is an important book that details studies into flow state, challenging the view that work and enjoyment are separate and what conditions are ideal for both.
April 25, 2010
It is an application of the Flow Theory. If you don´t know it, i recommend you read others first.
September 30, 2012
One of the books I read while writing my master's thesis that I thoroughly enjoyed.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews