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  • Published: 6 February 2025
  • ISBN: 9781529944990
  • Imprint: Transworld Digital
  • Format: Audio Download
  • RRP: $40.00

Life in Three Dimensions

How Curiosity, Exploration and Experience Make a Fuller, Better Life





A deeply personal yet scientifically rigorous and objective exploration of another way of living ‘the good life’.

There’s another way to lead a good life.

For years, we’ve been told the key to personal fulfillment lies in either happiness or meaning. But while they can provide comfort and security, the paradox of happiness and meaning is that the complacency they foster can make for an incomplete life, full of regrets, doubts and unanswered questions. So what’s the alternative?

A psychologically rich life prioritises curiosity over contentment. Yes, doing something unusual, challenging oneself and learning something new can feel frustrating and unpleasant at times. But in Life in Three Dimensions, Shige Oishi weaves his own story with original research from fields ranging from moral philosophy, literature, culture, neuroscience, personality and psychology, to prove that psychological richness has benefits beyond happiness or meaning.

Ultimately, Oishi shows how anyone can use the three dimensions - happiness, meaning, and psychological richness - to build a fuller, more satisfying life.

  • Published: 6 February 2025
  • ISBN: 9781529944990
  • Imprint: Transworld Digital
  • Format: Audio Download
  • RRP: $40.00

Praise for Life in Three Dimensions

Shige Oishi’s idea of the psychologically rich life is my favourite new idea - and the most major advance to emerge in happiness science in decades. With a blend of engaging stories, modern scientific research and practical applications, his Life in Three Dimensions demonstrates how we can cultivate a life that is not only happy and meaningful but also rich in varied and profound experiences. Although it may sound like a cliché, I truly believe that this book will inspire you to understand - and then live - your best, fullest and most authentic life. Run, don’t walk, to buy this book.

Sonja Lyubomirsky, Distinguished Professor of Psychology at the University of California, Riverside and author of The How of Happiness

The Rich Life, Shige Oishi persuasively argues, is a Good Life, a third major choice over the Happy Life and the Meaningful Life. And Oishi tells us how to get there. An eye-opening book for all who are stuck.

Dr. Martin E.P. Seligman, Director of the Penn Positive Psychology Centre and author of Learned Optimism

Many people want more out of life than happiness. They want to embrace life in all its variety and possibility. Until now, psychology has had little to offer such people. Not any more. Shige Oishi sees humanity in new ways and has made many discoveries about happiness that have eluded researchers before him. Life in Three Dimensions will give you new insights into the many ways to live well, including advice on how to pick the one most likely to be right for you.

Jonathan Haidt, author of Sunday Times bestselling The Anxious Generation

No one knows more about the science of well-being than Shigehiro Oishi. In this wonderful new book he shares a lifetime of discovery about what it means to live a good life. Life in Three Dimensions is insightful, original and wise.

Daniel Gilbert, Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology, Harvard University and author of bestseller Stumbling on Happiness

This spectacular book is a page-turner: you will be entranced by the charming narrative and poignant anecdotes. But more importantly, the wisdom it conveys about a psychologically rich life, based on the latest scientific research, will change how you live.

Timothy D. Wilson, author of Redirect: Changing the Stories We Live By

With a new book on happiness and meaning hitting the market seemingly every other week, it’s hard to stand out in this crowded field. Yet, that’s precisely what Shigehiro Oishi, one of psychology’s brightest stars, has managed to do in his compellingly written, refreshingly original and provocative new book. Life in Three Dimensions will change the way you think about what it means to lead a good life.

Ethan Kross, internationally bestselling author of Chatter

It turns out that there’s more to life than happiness and meaning. In his pioneering research, Shigehiro Oishi discovered a neglected third dimension of the good life: having new and interesting experiences. In this lively, insightful book, he reveals what it takes to get rich psychologically.

Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and Hidden Potential

Life in Three Dimensions is a delightful guide to the importance of filling your days with more curiosity, exploration and richness. This book is required reading for anyone searching for insight into how to live a better life.

Laurie Santos, Chandrika and Ranjan Tandon Professor of Psychology at Yale University