Looking for the best books on flow state? We’ve got you covered.
We’re book nerds here at Ten Bulls and get pretty animated when asked about our favourites. It’s never easy to pick one, or two, or ten, but here are our top books on flow state to get you started. In these pages you’ll learn the origins of flow, the fundamentals of flow and how to enhance your experience of life.
Flow is an optimal state of consciousness, a peak state where we both feel and perform our best.
Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi
In no particular order:
1. Flow: The Psychology of Happiness by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. Mihaly is considered by many as the father of Flow and this, his classic work. Flow is based on the idea that humans are happiest when engaged in meaningful work and pursuit of a meaningful goal. It describes the conditions required for flow and how to practice them, whatever the task. Flow can be achieved in work, sport, music, learning a language, and so on.
2. Flow: The Psychology of Optimal Experience by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi. This book has some extremely useful and practical ideas on how to maximize engagement in work and in life. It may be heavy on the evidence in parts, but it’s still accessible. Mihaly explores the ways flow can be controlled and recreated, instead of being left to chance.
3. The Rise of Superman by Steven Kotler. If you’re at all interest in performance and peak state, this book is for you. Packed with inspiring stories of extreme athletes and stunt professionals, it details the science of flow and how to perform skilfully under pressure. Kotler gives you the tools to induce the flow state when you need it.
4. Stealing Fire by Stephen Kotler and Jamie Wheal. A weighty follow on from The Rise of Superman, Stealing Fires explores the origins and the future of the deep potential of the human brain. It’s less practical, but offers plenty of research on harnessing rare states of consciousness to solve critical challenges and outperform the competition.
5. The Art of Learning by Josh Waitzkin. This is an engaging read on the inner workings of a chess and martial arts champion. Yes, both the same person. An autobiography and how-to manual rolled in to one, there’s a world of insight and practical skills to apply.
6. The Mindful Athlete by George Mumford. This is an incredible book by an incredible man. From basketball talent, to heroin addict, to mindfulness coach for some of the biggest names in the NBA, Mumford has experienced the full spectrum of life. The Mindful Athlete links mindfulness with performance sports, and provides plenty of examples, exercises and practical tools for a successful life.
These are just the ones that we’ve read and returned to again and again. Of course, there are many others that apply more specifically to sports, productivity, spirituality, mindfulness and happiness.
If you’ve enjoyed our list of the best books on Flow State, you may also enjoy our collection of flow quotes.