Tal Ben-Shahar
Israeli American writer
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Tal Ben-Shahar (Hebrew: טל בן-שחר; born 1970), also known as Tal David Ben-Shachar, is an Israeli professor 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 College in philosophy and psychology[1] and received his Ph.D. 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."[2]
Career
Ben-Shahar consults and lectures internationally on topics including leadership, ethics, happiness, and mindfulness. In 2011, Ben-Shahar co-founded Potentialife to bring positive psychology to people's daily lives.[3]
He is the author of the international best-sellers Happier and Being Happy, which have been translated into 25[citation needed] 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.[4]
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.[5] [6][7]
Ben-Shahar is also the co-founder of the Happiness Studies Academy.[8] Ben-Shahar has also helped establish the Master's Degree and PhD programs in Happiness Studies at Centenary University.[9][10]
Publications
- "How to Be Happier" in The Art and Practice of Living Wondrously (Ronit Ziv-Kreger, ed.) (2025)
- 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)[11]
- Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment (2007)[12]
- A Clash of Values: The Struggle for Universal Freedom (2002)
- Heaven Can Wait: Conversations With Bonny Hicks (1998)[13]