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 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."
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.
He is the author of the international best-sellers Happier and Being Happy, which have been translated into 25 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.
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.
Ben-Shahar is also the co-founder of the Happiness Studies Academy. Ben-Shahar has also helped establish the Master's Degree and PhD programs in Happiness Studies at Centenary University.
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) Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment (2007) A Clash of Values: The Struggle for Universal Freedom (2002) Heaven Can Wait: Conversations With Bonny Hicks (1998)
References
Books Tal Ben-Shahar (2007) Happier: Learn the Secrets to Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment, McGraw-Hill Professional. Tal Ben-Shahar (2009) The Pursuit of Perfect: How to Stop Chasing Perfection and Start Living a Richer, Happier Life, McGraw-Hill Professional. Tal Ben-Shahar (2010) Even Happier: A Gratitude Journal for Daily Joy and Lasting Fulfillment, McGraw-Hill Professional. Choisir sa vie: 101 expériences pour saisir sa chance (French Edition, 2011) - Being Happy: You Don't Have to Be Perfect to Lead a Richer, Happier Life (2010) - Happier, No Matter What.: Finding Pleasure and Purpose in Hard Times (2014) - Short Cuts to Happiness: Life-Changing Lessons from My Barber (2018) - 10x: A Program for Achieving Spectacular Leadership Results (2018) - The Question of Happiness: On Finding Meaning, Pleasure, and the Ultimate Currency (2002) - Ganar felicidad (Spanish Edition, 2008) - Heaven Can Wait: Conversations with Bonny Hicks (1999) - The Days After: Thoughts on War and Peace in the Wake of September 11 (2001) - Secret method Harvard University No.1 popular lectures HAPPIER-happiness and success in my hand (Japanese Edition, 2007) -
External links https://www.happinessstudies.academy/ Potentialife Limited Personal http://www.talbenshahar.com