Tal Ben-Shahar



Tal Ben-Shahar (Hebrew: טל בן-שחר; born 1970), also known as Tal David Ben-Shachar, is an American and Israeli teacher, and writer in the areas of positive psychology and leadership. He has subsequently written several best-selling books and in 2011 co-founded Potentialife with Angus Ridgway, a company that provides leadership programs.

Early life and education
Ben-Shahar has a bachelor's degree from Harvard in Philosophy and Psychology and received his PhD in Organizational Behavior from Harvard University in 2004 with his dissertation, "Restoring Self-Esteem's Self-Esteem: The Constructs of Dependent and Independent Competence and Worth."

Career
Ben-Shahar consults and lectures internationally in topics including leadership, ethics, happiness, and mindfulness. In 2011, Ben-Shahar co-founded Potentialife to bring positive psychology to people's daily lives.

He is the author of the international best sellers Happier and Being Happy, which have been translated into 25 languages. 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.

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.

Ben-Shahar is also the co-founder of the Happiness Studies Academy. Ben-Shahar has also helped establish the Master's Degree in Happiness Studies program at Centenary University.

Publications

 * 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)

Books

 * Tal Ben-Shahar (2007) Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment, McGraw-Hill Professional. ISBN 978-0-07-149239-3
 * Tal Ben-Shahar (2009) The Pursuit of Perfect: How to Stop Chasing Perfection and Start Living a Richer, Happier Life, McGraw-Hill Professional. ISBN 978-0-07-160882-4
 * Tal Ben-Shahar (2010) Even Happier: A Gratitude Journal for Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment, McGraw-Hill Professional. ISBN 978-0-07-163803-6
 * Choisir sa vie: 101 expériences pour saisir sa chance (French Edition, 2011) - ISBN 161519195X
 * Being Happy: You Don't Have to Be Perfect to Lead a Richer, Happier Life (2010) - ISBN 0071746617
 * Happier, No Matter What.: Finding Pleasure and Purpose in Hard Times (2014) - ISBN 1615197915
 * Short Cuts to Happiness: Life-Changing Lessons from My Barber (2018) - ISBN 1615194878
 * 10x: A Program for Achieving Spectacular Leadership Results (2018) - ISBN 1119313007
 * The Question of Happiness: On Finding Meaning, Pleasure, and the Ultimate Currency (2002) - ISBN 0595231403
 * Ganar felicidad (Spanish Edition, 2008) - ISBN 9876090941
 * Heaven Can Wait: Conversations with Bonny Hicks (1999) - ISBN 9812049916
 * The Days After: Thoughts on War and Peace in the Wake of September 11 (2001) - ISBN 0595224644
 * Secret method Harvard University No.1 popular lectures HAPPIER-happiness and success in my hand (Japanese Edition, 2007) - ISBN 4876885877