Happiness, according to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, is “the state of well-being and contentment.” It has a bunch of synonym, such as joy, blissfulness, gladness, delight, enjoyment, and more. As time progresses, the weight of the value and meaning of the state of being happy becomes heavier. It turns out that happiness is neither a well-being status nor a simple feeling, it cannot be described using an adjective, a phrase, or a sentence. It is something more intricate as it appears to be.
There are different definitions of happiness and they vary depending on a person’s interpretation of it. For some, laughing so much that their stomachs hurt is an act of happiness. For others, on the other hand, it can just be waking up in the morning knowing that they still have a life to live. Everything can be a good reason to be happy, but the question is: is it genuine happiness? If you still have not figured out what happiness truly is, then worry not. Here is a list of authors of self-help books that will help you understand the definition and value of living a happy life.
Martin E.P Seligman
Martin E.P Seligman is a prominent American author of various self-help books. Seligman took a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and graduated as Summa Cum Laude in Princeton University, while he went to the University of Pennsylvania and acquired his Ph.D. in psychology. He is also a psychologist and was voted as the American Psychological Association’s (APA) president in the year 1998. M. Seligman is also a solid advocate of his own theories of positive psychology and wellness in the scientific society. Amongst his many theories, the theory of learned helplessness is renowned within clinical and scientific psychologists. Moreover, Seligman have written plenty of books about happiness and optimism using a psychological approach, such as Authentic Happiness: Using the New Positive Psychology to Realize Your Potential for Lasting Fulfillment, Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life, Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-being, etc.
Peter Justus
Peter G. Justus is an American author who was born in New York City but raised in Seattle, Washington. He is also a physician who specializes in treating gastrointestinal tract and liver illnesses and diseases. Dr. Justus earned both his bachelor’s degree in Zoology and Doctor of Medicine degree from the University of Washington in Roosevelt Way NE, Seattle, Washington. He is currently practicing medicine in Kirkland, Washington and is living in Bellevue, Washington. His book The Pursuit of the Personal Renaissance Experience: Finding Opportunities for Happiness in the Ever-Present Now, centers on the search for opportunities to living a happier life. Aside from being an remarkable author and doctor, he is also a great husband to his wife Sheila, father to his three sons, and grandfather to his six grandchildren.
Gretchen Rubin
Gretchen Craft Rubin is a notable author, speaker, and blogger. She was born in Kansas City, Missouri as Gretchen Anne Craft on December 15, 1965. She studied in Yale University where she became the Yale Law Journal’s editor-in-chief and achieved the Edgar M. Cullen Prize, it is also where she earned both her bachelor’s and law degrees. She put all her quests in search for happiness and habits on her blog and talks about good habits and happiness on her podcast with her sister every week. As an author, Rubin has written books that have conquered the New York Times bestseller list. Some of here notable works are The Happiness Project: Or Why I Spent a Year Trying to Sing in the Morning, Clean My Closets, Fight Right, Read Aristotle, and Generally Have More Fun, Better Than Before: What I Learned About Making and Breaking Habits — To Sleep More, Quit Sugar, Procrastinate Less, and Generally Build a Happier Life, Happier at Home: Kiss More, Jump More, Abandon a Project, Read Samuel Johnson, and My Other Experiments in the Practice of Everyday Life, and more.
Sonja Lyubomirsky
The award-winning psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky was born on December 14, 1966. She took a bachelor’s degree in psychology in Harvard University and graduated Summa Cum Laude. In 1994, she earned her Ph.D. in social psychology at Stanford University. Lyubomirsky currently works as a remarkable professor in University of California, Riverside. Her notable works in the field of psychology is one of the many reasons why she has been bestowed various awards, such as the Templeton Positive Psychology Prize, APA, 2002, National Institutes of Mental Health, RO1 Award, 2004-2009, Thomas T. Hoopes Prize for Outstanding Scholarly Work, Harvard University, 1989, Christopher J. Peterson Gold Medal, International Positive Psychology Association, 2019, etc. Sonja Lyubomirsky has been quoted in various articles pertaining to positive psychology and happiness. She also has written two self-improvement books, which are The Hows of Happinness and The Myths of Happiness.
The Happy Hammock 