Part I. A Theoretical Model of Optimal Experience: 1. Introduction Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi; 2. The flow experience and its significance for human psychology Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi; 3. Sociological implications of the flow experience Richard G. Mitchell Jr; 4. Flow and biocultural evolution fausto massimini Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Antonella Delle Fave; Part II. Varieties of the Flow Experience: 5. Introduction to Part II Mihaly Csikzentmihalyi and Isabella Csikszentmihalyi; 6. Bozozoku: flow in Japanese motorcycle gang Ikuya Sato; 7. Women, work, and flow Maria T. Allison and Margaret C. Duncan; 8. The relationship between life satisfaction and flow in elderly Korean immigrants Seongyeul Han; 9. Flow and writing Reed Larson; 10. Flow and solitary ordeals Richard Logan; Part III. Flow as a Way of Life: 11. Introduction to Part III Isabella Csikszentmihalyi and Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi; 12. Modernisation and the changing context of flow in work and leisure Antonella Delle Fave and Fausto Massimini; 13. Ocean cruising Jim MacBeth; 14. Flow in a historical context: the case of the Jesuits Isabella Csikszentmihalyi; Part IV. The Measurement of Flow in Everyday Life: 15. Introduction to Part IV Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi and Isabella Csikszentmihalyi; 16. The systematic assessment of flow in daily experience Massimo Carli and Fausto Massimini; 17. The quality of experience in the flow channels: comparison of Italian and US students Massimo Carli, Antonella Delle Fave and Fausto Massimini; 18. Flow and the quality of experience during work and leisure Judith Le Fevre; 19. Optimal experience and the uses of talent Jeanne Nakamura; 20. Self-esteem and optimal experience Anne J. Wells; 21. Optimal experience and the family context Kevin Rathunde; 22. The future of flow Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi.