Martin E. Seligman is the international leader of the Positive Psychology Movement. His first trade book, the international bestseller Learned Optimism, greatly influenced the way people thought about mental health by bringing the concepts of cognitive psychology to a mass audience. This book represents the first time any scientist has placed value in the study not only of mental illness, but of 'mental wellness.' It's not about curing one's ills, but about exercising one's strengths and virtues in order to achieve what Seligman terms 'authentic happiness.’