The third volume of the collected works of Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
covers his work on the application of flow in areas that go beyond the
field of leisure where the concept was first applied. Based on his
personal experience with schooling and learning, as well as that of many
others and contrary to what Cicero claimed, Csikszentmihalyi arrived at
the conclusion that instead of taking pride in making the roots of
knowledge as bitter as possible, we should try to make them sweeter.
Just as flow became a popular and useful concept in voluntary
activities, it could likewise be applied in education with the end
result of young people being more likely to continue learning not just
because they have to but because they want to.
This volume brings together a number of articles in which
Csikszentmihalyi develops ideas about how to make education and more
generally the process of learning to live a good life, more enjoyable.
Since theory is the mother of good practice, the first eleven chapters
are devoted to theoretical reflections. Some are general and explore
what it means to be a human being, what it means to be a person, when we
look at life from the perspective of flow. Others are more narrowly
focused on such topics as consumption, education, teaching and learning.
They help laypeople reflect how they can arrange their lives in such a
way as to leave a small ecological footprint while getting the most
enjoyment. The second section of the volume contains a dozen empirical
articles on similar topics. They deal with the development of identity
and self-worth; with the formation of goals and motivation; with
loneliness and family life.
