The Intelligent Optimist's Guide to Life: How to Find Health and Success in a World That's a Better Place Than You Think

Certainly there is upheaval and economic, political, and social instability, but the near-exclusive focus on negative developments means that progress too often goes unnoticed, which just contributes to a general sense of pessimism. And pessimism can be fatal: Kamp cites research showing that pessimists are more likely to smoke, be overweight, have high blood pressure, suffer from high cholesterol, and have an increased risk of Parkinson's.

Kamp demonstrates that, believe it or not on the whole we're living longer, becoming smarter, and working less, and that wealth is increasing, democracy is on the rise, and violence is on the decline. He explains how we can cultivate an informed optimistic outlook that will make our lives and the world better. Because, as he quotes Helen Keller, "No pessimist ever discovered the secret of the stars, or sailed an uncharted land or opened ¿a new doorway for ¿the human spirit."