“When the first edition of this book was published it was a milestone in the field. We are now fortunate to have a second edition. James Maddux has again brought together leading experts on well-being to provide an updated and comprehensive overview of the contemporary social psychological research on what well-being is, its relationships to different facets of human experience, and how to create more of it. As with the first edition, this book promises to be the definitive volume for scholars and practitioners.”

Stephen Joseph, PhD, Professor at the University of Nottingham, and author of Authentic: How to be Yourself and Why it Matters

“As James Maddux and his expert collaborators amply document, subjective well-being matters—as a desirable state and as a predictor of health, achievement, relationship success, and more. Therein lies the importance of the scientific pursuit of happiness, which is expertly recapped in this evidence-based and clear reporting on its roots and fruits.”David Myers, Hope College, author of The Pursuit of Happiness and How Do We Know Ourselves: Curiosities and Marvels of the Human Mind

Praise for the first edition: “This excellent volume gives a much-needed overview of the rapidly growing field of subjective well-being. Its scholarly summaries bring readers up-to-date on many of the most important topics regarding happiness and life satisfaction, from perennial topics such as gratitude, humility, and forgiveness to emerging topics such as media and sexual orientation.”

Edward F. Diener, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, USA

James E. Maddux is Distinguished University Professor Emeritus in Psychology and Senior Scholar in the Center for the Advancement of Well-Being at George Mason University, Virginia, USA. He is a Fellow of the American Psychological Association and the Association for Psychological Science.