4.5 stars I went back and re-read the last half of the book because it was just that good. I especially loved the chapter on X-spot, not to be confused with the G-spot.

While reading this book, life threw me a challenge: Operation Condor. Did I get recruited to be in a Jackie Chan remake of a movie? No, it was just a project at work that I got thrown into .... a project far behind and understaffed with some really demanding clients. It was killing me.

With a few tricks from this book, I survived and actually the end of the Condor is within sight and reach. I found the X spot. ( )

Easy read and enjoyable all the way through. ( )

Overall I enjoyed this. Like many books of its ilk it's about twice as long as it needs to be. However I did find new and interesting ideas on bringing about positive change. One of my favorites of the "3 waves " to combat negative thinking is " I will not equate worrying with being loving or responsible. " I would recommend this to those who are interested in positive psychology and bringing about positive changes in their environments. ( )

Great research and illustrative anecdotes from Achor's work with US and international businesses. ( )

If you tell me a book is about happiness, I’m gonna check it out. I just am.

This one was not a disappointment. Here are the ideas I took away:

“...in the working world the most valuable reality is one in which there is at least a 3:1 ratio of positive to negative interactions….Below this ration, engagement plummeted and turnover rates shot up. In fact, Losada found that the highest-performing teams had a 6:1 ration.”

“...Dr. Loretta Malandro names some of the most common blind spots that hold us back in our careers. The primary one...is an inability to rely on other people: when most executives face a massive challenge or stressor, they try to figure out how to solve the problem alone….The second most common blind spot among business leaders is...the ability to see the effect their decisions will have upon their teams. Leaders with this blind spot assume that everyone will view their decisions and choices in the same way they do, or they downplay the importance of feedback; as a result, their perspective on problems or challenges is limited. The final common blind spot is…”bottling it up,” or concealing emotions….”

“...we need to change how we judge people…the human tendency to judge our own behavior based on context but to attribute others’ behavior to their character.”

“...if you take the power lead (simply by being first to speak) and start with the positive...you can rewrite the script of the entire interaction.” ( )