- Hardcover: 336 pages
- Publisher: Doubleday Canada (Jan 13 2009)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0385664524
- ISBN-13: 978-0385664523
- Product Dimensions: 21.3 x 14.7 x 3.3 cm
- Shipping Weight: 454 g
- Average Customer Review: 3.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: #179,937 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
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Product Details |
Product Description
Review
"A delightfully quirky journey of self-discovery that will make your spirits soar."
— Daily Telegraph (UK)
"An entertaining read….Shorter is a witty writer… The Optimist won't convert confirmed pessimists but it is engaging enough to make you question negative habits — and perhaps restore a little faith in humanity's future."
— Financial Times
"Shorter is a snappy writer--fast, compelling, sympathetic and seemingly honest."
— The Guardian (UK)
"Part sitcom, part self-help, part pop psychology and part gentle philosophy. But mostly it's a book about writing a book…. What makes The Optimist a page-turner is that you end up caring about Laurence."
— Tribunemagazine.co.uk
— Daily Telegraph (UK)
"An entertaining read….Shorter is a witty writer… The Optimist won't convert confirmed pessimists but it is engaging enough to make you question negative habits — and perhaps restore a little faith in humanity's future."
— Financial Times
"Shorter is a snappy writer--fast, compelling, sympathetic and seemingly honest."
— The Guardian (UK)
"Part sitcom, part self-help, part pop psychology and part gentle philosophy. But mostly it's a book about writing a book…. What makes The Optimist a page-turner is that you end up caring about Laurence."
— Tribunemagazine.co.uk
Product Description
When it comes to bad news, we’ve never had it so good.
Laurence Shorter is feeling anxious. Every time he opens a newspaper or turns on the radio he finds another reason to be tearful. It’s time to make a change. It’s time to be optimistic!
His plan is simple:
1. Learn how to jump out of bed in the morning.
2. Secure personal happiness.
3. Save the world.
The Optimist charts Shorter’s ambitious, year-long, international quest to seek out the world’s most positive thinkers, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Jung Chang, Matthieu Ricard, California’s renowned Surfing Rabbi, and Bill Clinton. But optimism doesn’t come easy, and Shorter’s resolve is tested at every corner: by a flagging career, a troubled love affair, and his ever-pessimistic dad.
The Optimist is a hilarious and ultimately life-affirming stand against the grind of everyday strife, packed with reasons to be cheerful.
Laurence Shorter is feeling anxious. Every time he opens a newspaper or turns on the radio he finds another reason to be tearful. It’s time to make a change. It’s time to be optimistic!
His plan is simple:
1. Learn how to jump out of bed in the morning.
2. Secure personal happiness.
3. Save the world.
The Optimist charts Shorter’s ambitious, year-long, international quest to seek out the world’s most positive thinkers, including Archbishop Desmond Tutu, Jung Chang, Matthieu Ricard, California’s renowned Surfing Rabbi, and Bill Clinton. But optimism doesn’t come easy, and Shorter’s resolve is tested at every corner: by a flagging career, a troubled love affair, and his ever-pessimistic dad.
The Optimist is a hilarious and ultimately life-affirming stand against the grind of everyday strife, packed with reasons to be cheerful.
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Most helpful customer reviews
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
Interesting look at optimism and happiness,
By
This review is from: The Optimist: One Man's Search for the Brighter Side of Life (Hardcover)
I liked reading about Laurence Shorter's journey towards an improved definition of optimism and how to achieve it. His down-to-earth approach is very relatable and no detail is left unexplored. I also really appreciated his inclusion of his personal life, along with its share of ups and downs because it allows for the reader to feel more connected to him and his plight. Although there is the common theme of optimism throughout the novel, the chapters can almost be short stories on their own, revealing a different aspect or lesson learned. I enjoyed some of the chapters more than others, with my favorite being the one about former President Bill Clinton because it marked the culmination of all that Shorter worked for and it felt very satisfying and certainly inspired optimism out of me!Though there were many parts in the book that I found funny, I don't think the book can necessarily be categorized as "humor". I do believe that Shorter set out on this quest whole-heartedly in the search for answers and not simply as a joke. While I can usually appreciate British sense of humour, there were some points when I wasn't sure if he was trying to be funny or not. Nonetheless, The Optimist is an interesting and at times thought-provoking read that both amused and aroused my curiosity. Being a psychology major, I did know a lot about the psychological aspects of optimism and happiness already, particularly Martin Seligman's theories, but told through Shorter's perspective, I still learned something new. http://bookopolis.blogspot.com
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
Enlightening, enjoyable, and timely ...,
By MRP (Toronto, ON) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Optimist: One Man's Search for the Brighter Side of Life (Hardcover)
This is a wonderful little book, one that gets you questioning your own outlook on life and reminds you that it can go beyond the bleak headlines screaming out at us each day. The author's personal struggles to stay positive are told in a funny, endearing manner that provide the perfect backdrop for the theories and stories that he collects along his journey. Shorter somehow manages to have you laughing aloud one moment and contemplating the essence of your heart's desire the next. I would happily recommend this book to anyone interested in exploring their own potential for optimism, as well as those just looking for a good read that will put a smile on their face.
0 of 1 people found the following review helpful
1.0 out of 5 stars
Yawn,
By Juan Sombreros "BM" (Montreal, Canada) - See all my reviews
This review is from: The Optimist: One Man's Search for the Brighter Side of Life (Hardcover)
This book is such an incredibly horrible read, that i am returning my copy to the publisher for a refund. The author's writing style is more suited for the comedy stage than the printed word. Its failed attempt at humour is an insult to our intelligence. From his list of "Things we really feel depressed about" ("Russians," "Aliens," "Victoria Beckham") to this little gem, "I spent the rest of that week thinking about the challenges of dating Scarlett Johansson. Why not? I'd already met Harold Pinter" are embarrassing attempts at padding the pages with words. This useless banter is dispersed throughout the 325 page monstrosity. It turns what should have been an interesting short story into a epic failure.I ended up trying to read the book more to see if it would improve than for the story. Actually, I stopped reading it after convincing myself that the author was trying to see how many pages i would get through before realizing the book was really an inside joke. i.e.: "i, Laurence Shorter, will write a book made up of random sentences loosely tied together and see how far each reader gets before realizing my nefarious joke's on them. Moohoohaahahaha!!!" If that was the purpose, hats off to you Laurence. Truly brilliant!! Otherwise, it simply boggles the mind how this story made it to paper. Shame on you, Laurence, for boring us with this absurdity. Shame on you, publishers, for your blatant greed.
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