Flow 2.0 : Optimal Experience in a Complex World. Honoring Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi's Legacy

How the pioneering co-founder of the field of positive psychology can help us navigate our increasingly complicated world

Over the years since Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi first published Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience, the field of positive psychology has become a rigorous, evidence-based discipline. Dr. Csikszentmihalyi’s pioneering work on “flow,” a state in which one is completely absorbed in a task or activity, continues to make lasting, positive impacts on individuals, groups, organizations, and societies around the world.

In Flow 2.0, authors Stewart I. Donaldson and Matthew Dubin show us how their colleague’s and mentor’s contributions can be extended to improve our lives in 2024 and beyond. With an accessible and engaging narrative, the authors share what they have learned about flow over two decades of empirical research and provide a new framework designed to help us be fully engaged in our lives and flourish in complex and dynamic environments.

Seven concise chapters explore ways the world has changed since the concept of flow was first developed, introduce the basics of flow and optimal experience, examine how we in our complex social and work lives, identify the essential role of flow in the PERMA+4 framework for work-related well-being and performance, and more.

Addressing modern life contexts such as the hybrid world of work and the increasingly digital future of society, Flow 2.0: Optimal Experience in a Complex World is a must-read for all those seeking to improve their own lives and the lives of those around them.

Stewart I. Donaldson, Ph.D., is Distinguished University Professor and Executive Director of the Claremont Evaluation Center (CEC) and the Evaluators’ Institute (TEI) at Claremont Graduate University (CGU). He is the co-founder of the first graduate and research-focused master’s degree programs in positive psychology at CGU. Professor Donaldson serves on the Council of Advisors for the International Positive Psychology Association (IPPA) and is President of the Western Positive Psychology Association (WPPA). He has published hundreds of peer-reviewed articles, chapters, and evaluation reports, and more than 20 books on positive psychology and evaluation science topics.

Matthew Dubin, Ph.D., is an Organizational Psychologist and one of the leading practitioners on enabling flow at work. He is the co-founder of The Venn Collective, a culture and leadership development consultancy that utilizes flow-based principles to create peak-performing organizations. He works primarily with top-tier organizations in the media, sports, and entertainment industries, such as the Los Angeles Lakers, the National Women’s Soccer League, the Toronto Blue Jays, FOX Sports, Hulu, and Paramount.