You know what catches my attention? When psychological studies help us figure out how to live better lives. This book falls squarely into that category by offering another angle (dimension) of what it means to live a good life.

While many people have studied happiness and meaning, Oishi considers a third dimension of a good life—psychological richness. While it’s a big topic to get your arms around, the book does so by approaching it from many angles.

While it’s chock-full of research (some conducted by the author), the author steers well clear of an academic writing voice.

Reading this has made me think about where psychological richness lies in my own life and how I can enhance it, even in small ways like giving free reign to my curiosity, increasing playfulness, and seeking novelty even in familiar situations.

“ The author’s work has proposed a third dimension to a good life: psychological richness, a concept that prioritizes curiosity, exploration, and a variety of experiences that help us grow as people. The author has 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. He even includes advice on how to pick the one most likely to be right for you. This is a self help book.

I am curious as to why this is considered a new idea. I have always been curious, willing to explore and have enjoy a variety of experiences. It just seemed “normal” to live life this way. Is this to give people the idea that if they don’t live life this way, they will be unhappy? I disagree with the author. This is a book that may give you a different way to looking at your own happiness.

LIFE IN THREE DIMENSIONS: HOW CURIOSITY, EXPLORATION, AND EXPERIENCE MAKE A FULLER, BETTER LIFE by Shigehiro Oishi was a eminently readable, engagingly personable approach to the most difficult and fundamental questions of how to live a good life. I appreciated the personal anecdotes and observations from his own life and the stories studding what sometimes veered toward the academic and other times to squishy new age tones, but ultimately got me thinking deeply about where I find meaning, what drives me, and where to put my attention and intention in my life. I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own, unbiased thoughts.

I enjoyed reading this book. The concepts of happiness and psychological richness were great to read about. I hadn’t thought about these concepts in this way before. By the end of the book I came to understand that a psychologically rich life will be different for everyone, but it’s all in the way we look at our lives and figuring out a rich and happy life doesn’t have to be perfect. One of the most fascinating things to think about was the concept of What is a good vacation? Everyone would think about this differently. This is a question that has come up in my life recently and helped me think about what this means for me.

Thank you to Shige Oishi, NetGalley and Double Day Books for the advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Publication Date: February 4, 2025

I did not finish this book, and that is a bit rare for me. I gave it a chance even after there were several things I could not agree with, that did not ring true, or just were flat out misguided in the text. I was genuinely curious to see if some of the statements were made in order for the author to then document in circuitous fashion how the statement was actually wrong.
Unfortunately, this did not appear to be the case. Instead, ham-handed examples that attempt to show the supposed truth of his claims were simply flat and ultimately unconvincing. I think this writer spends too much time in his own bubble and misses glaring red flags and errors that are quite obvious to even this lay reader.
Yes, even UVa Professors sometimes need to step back from their own research and take a breath, and I definitely recommend this for this author.
So I made it to page 62, about 1/3 of the way through the text, to the close of chapter 6. I did try to give the author credit for simply using bad examples that did not make his case, and kept on, hoping that eventually something would start to feel a bit more authentic and convince me that his reasoning is sound. But at the end of the page, he’s like, ta-da! That’s it, that’s the way things are. Now let’s go have some fun with this (absurd) reality I’ve (not) convinced you of, so you can learn how to change to what I’ve (not) shown you is a better way of being!
Dude.
You have not made your case.
Your “Big Five” Personality test is junk science. Everyone knows this. If I’d realized that was the snake oil you were peddling I would never have picked this to read.
The only thing keeping this from one star is the fact that the writing is crisp, flows well, is relatively easy to read, and the poor man does have a genuinely sweet way of wording things that seems to show he is doing his best. It was not drudgery to read, and I don’t hate myself for giving him 60 pages.
He just needs to understand that the foundation on which his entire theory is based is complete hooey.
Thanks to NetGalley and Doubleday for the opportunity to read in exchange for an honest review.

The author Shigehiro Oishi has done a wonderful job of breaking down the enigma of 'a good life' into simple and easily understandable concepts with clear examples for each. The hypothesis laid out at the outset of this book is that a good life could be one that is (a) a happy life, (b) a meaningful life, (c) one with rich psychological experiences or a combination of all three of the above. Oishi has referenced a few of the all time classics like Herman Hesse's novels and 'A Brave New World' by Aldous Huxley to elicit the fact that an exploratory life is the one worth living, even at the cost of uncertainties and highs & lows in life. At certain portions, I felt this book was more like an academic paper with all the arbitrariness included, instead of it being a book purporting a clearly postulated concept. Also, the concepts got repeated quite a bit, but this may have been intentional. Overall, an interesting book that along with the insights also helps the reader appreciate other works of literature better.

lovely and thought-provoking exploration of what makes a good life. Is the quest for happiness and meaning enough to satisfy a person? Can living a life full of psychological richness—trying new experiences, challenging yourself, gaining perspective from others and your experiences—provide satisfaction (instead)?

The writing is clear, and the anecdotes are varied and interesting. I appreciated the focus on how getting out of our comfort zones and committing to learning and exploring new things can be incredibly fulfilling.

Recommended to anyone curious about self-improvement, learning, the “secret” of finding happiness, etc.

Thank you very much to Doubleday and NetGalley for the opportunity to read a copy.

The concept is exciting and one I embrace: curiosity and experience at the heart of happiness! This one however was a bit of a tough read although the Japanese story was interesting.

A provocative review and discussion of the science relevant to experiencing a psychologically rich life and its possible benefits.