Reviews
Books & Films
The Positive Psychology of Grit: The Defiant Power of the Human Spirit
Unbroken (2014) By Angelina Jolie (Director) Reviewed by Paul T. P. Wong The film Unbroken is a faithful adaptation of Laura Hillenbrand’s (2010) bestselling book Unbroken: A World War II Story of Survival, Resilience, and Redemption. It is a biopic of Louis (Lourie)...
From Attunement to a Meaning-Centered Good Life
Happiness: A Very Short Introduction By Daniel M. Haybron Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2013. 168 pp. ISBN 978-0199590605 $11.95 Reviewed by Paul T. P. Wong This small book is a real gem, sparkling with brilliant insights. I have always enjoyed philosophers’...
Meaning Making and the Fundamental Issues of Human Existence
The Experience of Meaning in Life: Classical Perspectives, Emerging Themes, and Controversies By Joshua A. Hicks and Clay Routledge (Eds.) New York, NY: Springer Science + Business Media, 2013. 417 pp. ISBN 978-94-007-6526-9 Reviewed by Paul T. P. Wong This review was...
Linking Social Psychology to Existential Psychology: Promises and Challenges
Meaning, Mortality, and Choice: The Social Psychology of Existential Concern Edited by Phillip R. Shaver and Mario Mikulincer Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2012. 438 pp. ISBN 978-1-4338-1155-5 $49.95 Reviewed by Paul T. P. Wong Overall Impression...
Integrating Indigenous Healing With Mainstream Psychotherapy: Promises and Obstacles
Synergy, Healing, and Empowerment: Insights From Cultural Diversity By Richard Katz and Stephen Murphy-Shigematsu; Niti Seth, Peter Cornish, Tania Lafontaine, Danny Musqua, and Verna St. Denis (Cols.) Calgary, Alberta: Brush Education, 2012. 312 pp. ISBN...
Finding Meaning in Meaning Research
The Human Question for Meaning: Theories, Research, and Applications (2nd ed.). By Paul T. P. Wong New York, NY: Routledge, 2012. 719 pp. ISBN 978-0415876773 $79.95 Reviewed by William E. Smythe Abstract Reviews the book, The Human Quest for Meaning: Theories,...
Big Money, Big Science, Big Names, and the Flourishing of Positive Psychology
Flourish: A Visionary New Understanding of Happiness and Well-Being By Martin E. P. Seligman New York, NY: Free Press, 2011. 349 pp. ISBN 978-1-4391-9075-3 $26.00 Reviewed by Paul T. P. Wong Love him or hate him, Martin Seligman is arguably the most famous positive...
From the Antiviolence Movement to a Positive Feminism
Hard Knocks: Domestic Violence and the Psychology of Storytelling By Janice Haaken New York, NY: Routledge, 2010. 196 pp. ISBN 978-0-415-56342-0 $26.95 Reviewed by Paul T. P. Wong The title Hard Knocks: Domestic Violence and the Psychology of Storytelling really grabs...
Finding Meaning and Happiness While Dying of Cancer: Lessons on Existential Positive Psychology
Ikiru (1952) By Akira Kurosawa (Director) Reviewed by Paul T. P. Wong and Daniel Gingras The 1952 classic film Ikiru is considered Akira Kurosawa’s greatest directorial achievement. The title literally means to live. It is a story about how to live in the...
An Existential Vision of the Good Life: Toward an International Psychology and Psychotherapy Based on Meaning
Note This is the unabridged version of a published article. For the published version, click here. Existential Psychology East-West By Louis Hoffman, Mark Yang, Francis J. Kaklauskas, and Albert Chan (Eds.) Colorado Springs, CO: University of the Rockies...
The Need for a Balanced Approach to Positive Psychotherapy and Traditional Masculinity
Positive Psychology With Male Clients By Mark S. Kiselica Washington, DC: American Psychological Association, 2008. Men and Masculinity—American Psychological Association Psychotherapy Video Series XI, Item No. 4310863 $99.95 Reviewed by Paul T. P. Wong Given my own...
Positive Existential Psychotherapy and Pathways to Death Acceptance
Staring at the Sun: Overcoming the Terror of Death By Irvin D. Yalom San Francisco: Jossey-Bass, 2008. 306 pp. ISBN 978-0-7879-9668-0 $24.95 Reviewed by Paul T. P. Wong Never have I reviewed a book from so many perspectives: as a cancer survivor, an existential...