A Primer in Positive Psychology

Christopher Peterson wrote this Oxford introduction while he was one of the field's leading researchers, and it shows — the book covers the history, key findings, and future directions of positive psychology with the ease of a professor who genuinely enjoys his subject. The conversational tone keeps academic concepts approachable, and the practical exercises mean readers come away with more than just theory. It has earned its reputation as the gold-standard introduction to the field, widely used across university psychology programs and equally readable by curious general audiences. The honest caveats are modest: readers already familiar with Seligman's Authentic Happiness will find some overlapping case studies, and the secular framework, while broadly compatible with faith perspectives on meaning and virtue, does not specifically address religious approaches to flourishing. As a starting point for positive psychology, this remains the book to hand someone first.