Positive psychology has come a long way since it was founded as a field of study a decade ago. Since then a whole body of work has sprung up to explain how people can flourish in their work and personal lives by focusing on their own happiness and well-being.

One of its main proponents, Harvard lecturer Tal Ben-Shahar, a speaker at this year’s CIPD conference, says the role of positive psychology is “to bridge the gap between the ivory tower and Main Street” by combining academic rigour with the fun of the self-help movement. Happier aims to do just that, acting as a “personal workbook” for readers to attain greater satisfaction in their lives.