Being: Your Happiness, Pleasure, and Contentment
Conversational in tone, yet substantive in research and argumentation, Don Lucas' Being guides us in making sense of psychology's burgeoning field of happiness studies. Equal parts synthesis, original research, and manual for self-exploration, Lucas shepherds his readers, and at times prods them, to not only engage his ideas but to embark on their own quest for that often elusive brass ring -- the happy life. Lucas is to be commended for developing and sharing his "Being theory." Novices and experts alike will benefit from his work. --Dan Weimer, Ph.D., Dept. of History, Wheeling Jesuit UniversityDr. Don takes a multidisciplinary look at happiness and how we can become more happy and content. Through different tests, scales, and exercises he introduces us to Being Theory and shows that there are many different ways to improve your happiness. He destroys many misconceptions as to what leads to happiness and shows why many of us truly want contentment in our lives. A must read for anyone who is interested in the field of positive psychology, or who just wants to improve their life! --John Geiger, Ph.D, Dept. of Psychology and Human Ecology, Cameron University.Is there such a thing as a "self-help" textbook? I believe Dr. Lucas has just written one! This book is paradoxical - it is scientifically rigorous, yet friendly; experimental, yet personal; well documented, yet whimsical. In the intimate confines of a "fireside chat" with the author, the reader is treated to a guided tour of a complex, non-linear, psychological theory as it is applied to one of the important existential questions facing human persons...What is happiness? With such a refreshing approach, this text makes learning, dare I say, pleasurable, as it sets the stage for a powerful experience for the reader. I highly recommend the book to all students of psychology. --Christopher W. Dyslin, Ph.D., Div. of Psychology and Counseling, Governors State University