07-18-14 Theme: Happiness can be learned!
Guest Tal Ben-Shahar is an American and Israeli teacher and writer in the areas of positive psychology and leadership. Ben-Shahar teaches at the Interdisciplinary Center Herzliya in Herzliya, Israel.
Ben-Shahar received his PhD in Organizational Behavior from Harvard University. His dissertation, completed in 2004, is titled “Restoring Self-Esteem’s Self-Esteem: The Constructs of Dependent and Independent Competence and Worth.”
He has a bachelor’s degree from Harvard in Philosophy and Psychology. His undergraduate thesis, completed in 1996, is titled “Honesty Pays: Bridging the Gap Between Moral Theory and Practice.”
Ben-Shahar consults and lectures around the world to executives in multi-national corporations, Fortune 500 companies, educational institutions, and the general public. Topics include leadership, education, ethics, happiness, self-esteem, resilience, goal setting, and mindfulness. He is the author of the international best sellers Happier and Being Happy, which have been translated into 25 languages.
Being Happy: You Don’t Have to Be Perfect to Lead a Richer, Happier Life (2010) originally published in hardcover as The Pursuit of Perfect (2010)
Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment (2007)
A Clash of Values: The Struggle for Universal Freedom (2002)
Heaven Can Wait: Conversations With Bonny Hicks (1998)
He has also written two children’s books in collaboration with Shirly Yuval-Yair in Hebrew; one about Helen Keller and the other about Thomas Edison. The books aim to teach children about happiness.
Ben-Shahar appeared on The Daily Show with Jon Stewart on August 9, 2007. He is the narrator of the 2012 documentary Israel Inside: How a Small Nation Makes a Big Difference, produced by Raphael Shore.
Ben-Shahar taught at Harvard, where his classes on Positive Psychology and The Psychology of Leadership were among the most popular courses in the university’s history. www.talbenshahar.com
