The Optimist's Handbook
Facts, Figures and Arguments to Silence Cynics, Doom-mongers and Defeatists
Published on 9. November 2007
Book
Hardback
280 pages
978-1-905641-29-1 (ISBN)
Description
Miserable world. Miserable life. Switch on the telly and it is always doom and gloom...is there no encouraging news to be had? The bookshops are full of books about how bad things are, but is the situation really that bad? When you start looking, there is quite a lot going on that doesn't make it into the news, onto advertising hoardings or onto the bookshelves. But should we even try to look on the bright side or are we only fooling ourselves? This book is not designed to be a slushy collection of inspiring thoughts that wishes away unpleasant realities. It is meant to be a hard-nosed look at whether we have got the balance right: is there more good news to share? And should we be taking a more positive view on the world today? In this brand new book Nick Inman pulls together a list of 100 non-sh*t things for us to feel glad about - a book to inspire the reader while they are slogging to work or taking a break from the ironing. There may not be a perfect world around the corner but there can at least be a little hope...(and something to smile about).
More details
Language
English
Place of publication
Petersfield
United Kingdom
Dimensions
Width: 130 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-905641-29-1 (9781905641291)
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Schweitzer Classification
Person
Nick Inman was born in Yorkshire in 1956 and studied politics at the University of Bristol in the 1970s before becoming a travel writer specialising in Spain. He is married with two children and lives in southwest France.
Content
Introduction Altruism Anaesthetics Appropriate technology Architecture, ecological Awareness, environmental The best of all possible worlds Body, your Book, the survival of the Boredom, the end of Candide Capital punishment Capitalism, caring Childhood Clarke's guide to the impossible Climate change (for believers) Climate change (for deniers) Colour Community Conspiracy theories Courage Death Democracy Dentists Diamond, John Disease, eradication of Economics, new thinking in Education Email Energy Europeans Evil Failure Films to make you feel good Flow Folly Food Freedom Futurology Gadgets Happiness Helen Keller Herd mentality Hope Human nature Humanity, the rest of Humour, a sense of Immigration Immortality India Intelligence Internet Invention Jobs Kennedy's peace speech Knowledge Life expectancy Little free things in life Long Now Meaning of life Medicine Memory Men Micawber, Wilkins Millennium Development Goals Nature Nelson Mandela Networking News, good Nukes Old age Optimism bias Pandora's puzzling present Paradigm shift Particularities Peacemakers Pessimism Philosophical consolations Plastic Politics, optimistic Pollyanna Population Positive thinking Poverty as history Prozac Radical hope Reading, bedtime Reality TV Religion Rights Robinson Crusoe assesses his situation Said/done/written/painted etc. before Scientists Someone always worse off than you Songs to put a spring in your step Taboos, the passing of Terrorism Therapy Things are at least as good as they were Thinking Transitions Violence Wonders of the world World government Worse, things could always be ... the end of the world Sources