The Bright Side: Why Optimists Have the Power to Change the World

Paul-Choudhury, Sumit

ISBN 10: 1838859225 / ISBN 13: 9781838859220

Published by Canongate Books, 2025

About this Item

1st printing. VG condition book with dust jacket. DJ is clean, has fresh colours and has little wear to edges. Book has clean and bright contents.

Seller Inventory # 9999-999102589153

Bibliographic Details

• Title: The Bright Side: Why Optimists Have the Power to Change the World
• Publisher: Canongate Books
• Publication Date: 2025
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1838859225
• ISBN 13: 9781838859220
• Binding: Hardcover
• Condition: Good

About this title

Synopsis

A GUARDIAN ''BOOK TO READ IN 2025''

''A truly inspirational and beautiful book with a powerful and timely message for today''s society'' - JIM AL-KHALILI

Optimism, irrational though it might be, is central to the human psyche: it seems to give us an advantage both in everyday life and in the evolutionary race.

What does Ernest Shackleton''s Antarctic expedition have in common with the chicken that crossed the road? Or James Baldwin''s campaign for civil rights with the development of AI? Or even Crossrail and George Bush''s ''mission accomplished''?

The Bright Side makes a vital and transformative new argument: that optimism is not only the natural state of humanity, but an essential one. Without optimism we would never have survived the unpredictable - and often hostile - world we evolved into. Yet optimism is not reserved for times of extremity. Its benefits manifest throughout our everyday lives: our relationships, careers, bodies and minds. And it will play a critical role in overcoming the challenges of the twenty-first century.

In this book, astrophysicist-turned-journalist Sumit-Paul Choudhury offers practical suggestions on what it really takes to be an optimist today and, in doing so, provides a powerful manifesto for hope and a much-needed new perspective on our prospects. He shows how, by embracing action, imagination and possibility, we can find a path to the bright side, even - perhaps especially - when the future seems dark.

Both realistic and revolutionary, The Bright Side is a guidebook for troubled times that will make you re-evaluate your habits and outlook.