Mr. Csikszentmihalyi insists... and insists... and insists that his work is scientific and states over and over the academic rigor that has gone into his studies - not to mention quote after quote taken from Greek philosophers and modern psychologists that always almost exactly fail to be relevant to the chapter they appear in. It seems he uses them to increase the size of the references section.
Then, he proceeds to shatter this illusion he creates. He provides irrelevant discussion and experimental data such as the section in chapter 4 entitled "neurophysiology and flow." In it, he speaks of an experiment which shows absolutely nothing about the relationship between neurophysiology and flow. At the end of the chapter he writes:
"The neurological evidence does not, however, prove that some individuals have inherited a genetic advantage in controlling attention and therefore experiencing flow. The findings could be explained in terms of learning rather than inheritance."
Later, he speaks of martial arts, making all sorts of errors. He claims that judo, jujitsu, kung fu, karate, tae kwon do, aikido and T'ai Chi ch'uan all originate in China (106). He says that "Those who can perform it well claim that fighting becomes a joyous artistic performance..." Hmmm.... Many martial artists (myself included) might object to the use of the word "joy" in describing the flow that comes in an intense combat situation. "No-mind" or Bruce Lee's "serious play" is not "joy." It seems that Mr. Csikszentmihalyi ran out of examples to expand his 50 page book into a 250 page one so he started making stuff up.
Don't buy this book - certainly don't read the whole thing. I already wasted my time doing this. You don't have to also :-)
If you are curious about the concept, go to your local bookstore, find this book, turn to page 208, the summary, and read until page 213. That's the book in a nutshell. Then, read from page 72 to 77. Although repetitive and filled with more examples than "How to Win Friends and Influence People" it is filled with valuable information. If you are still curious, read the first paragraph on page 49 on what a flow experience in like. Then, put the book down. Continue to browse. The psychology section is filled with interesting and worthwhile titles!
In the flow experience, one loses a sense of self in that one expands beyond self to an "undreamed of state" of consciousness. One is lost in one's work. "Everything the body can do is potentially enjoyable" he tell us. He quotes Thomas Carlyle saying, "Blessed is he who has found his work; let him ask no other blessedness."
There are some highly useful insights in this wonderful book. He causes you to realize overcoming obstacles is not the exception, but the expectation in life. Flow is the process whereby creatively overcoming challenges is redefined in a positive perspective.