Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life (Paperback)

by Martin Seligman (Author) "THE FATHER is looking down into the crib at his sleeping newborn daughter, just home from the hospital..." (more)
Key Phrases: moderately optimistic score, more bad events, pessimistic teams, Met Life, University of Pennsylvania, Belief Consequences (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review
Martin Seligman, a renowned psychologist and clinical researcher, has been studying optimists and pessimists for 25 years. Pessimists believe that bad events are their fault, will last a long time, and undermine everything. They feel helpless and may sink into depression, which is epidemic today, especially among youths. Optimists, on the other hand, believe that defeat is a temporary setback or a challenge--it doesn't knock them down. "Pessimism is escapable," asserts Seligman, by learning a new set of cognitive skills that will enable you to take charge, resist depression, and make yourself feel better and accomplish more.

About two-thirds of this book is a psychological discussion of pessimism, optimism, learned helplessness (giving up because you feel unable to change things), explanatory style (how you habitually explain to yourself why events happen), and depression, and how these affect success, health, and quality of life. Seligman supports his points with animal research and human cases. He includes tests for you and your child--whose achievement may be related more to his or her level of optimism/pessimism than ability. The final chapters teach the skills of changing from pessimism to optimism, with worksheet pages to guide you and your child. --Joan Price

Review
Dr. Robert H. Schuller author of Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do One of the most important books of the century -- an absolute must-read for all persons interested in genuinely understanding and helping our fellow human beings. -- Review

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Product Details

• Paperback: 336 pages
• Publisher: Free Press (March 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0671019112
• ISBN-13: 978-0671019112
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 1.1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 8.8 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars See all reviews (114 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #18,732 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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  #43 in	Books > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology & Counseling > Developmental Psychology
  #68 in	Books > Nonfiction > Philosophy > Ethics & Morality

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

172 of 178 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Surprising and Convincing, September 15, 1999

By	Daniel V. Davis "Litterary Ghost" (Rochester, MN USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

The thing that consistently surprised me about this book was the way that the author was able to provide extensive scientific verification for his claims. Most "self-help" books have anecdotal evidence at best to support their hypotheses. This book solidly supports its conclusions by means of numerous formal studies. Moreover, some of the material is very counter-intuitive. Attitudes one would have assumed were optimistic turn out to be pessimistic, and vice-versa.

Seligman shows repeatedly where actual, testable predictions have been made based on his notions of optimism/pessimism, and the predictions have turned out to be well-founded. This requires careful, systematic definitions of terms, which he provides.

Equally interesting was Seligman's analysis of the consequenses of optimism and pessimism, and his demonstration that optimism can be learned, with beneficial results that extend well beyond "feeling good."

I highly recommend this book.

125 of 133 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Life Changing Book - Evidence That Changed Me From a Pessimist To An Optimist, November 30, 2006

By	E. N. Cook "linedrivehit" (Montgomery, Alabama USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life (Paperback)

I have always been very skeptical of all "self help" books, believing they were mainly fluff and a waste of time. On a whim I thought I would buy this book since it was written by a psychologist and clinical researcher, and claimed to have evidence that optimists actually do succeed more and accomplish more.

As stated earlier, the author is a psychologist and clinical researcher who has spent the majority of his life studying learned helplessness and optimism. After many clinical trials, he has been hired in many "real world" situations (including Met Life Insurance and sports teams) to improve results and test optimism and success. The results are astounding. The book describes the results using these real-life projects. As evidenced by these studies, optimism helps persons succeed in business, sports, politics, health, school, and literally all walks of life.

The book demonstrated over and over again how I was handicapping myself by being negative and a pessimist. I am a very logical person and it took a book like this, written factually instead of emotionally, to open my eyes to pessimism. Since reading this book, I have dedicated myself to being an optimist, and I must say I have already noticed major differences in my life. I am succeeding at things I never would have even attempted before, and I have become very resilient in non-favorable situations. I have surprised myself over and over again.

Not too many "life changing" books come along, but this book was definitely one for me. If you are a pessimist, this book can transform your life. If you are average or only slightly positive, this book can improve your life greatly. Do yourself a favor and read this book!

48 of 48 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A great study about optimism and pessimism, July 1, 2005

By	Jack "Educator" (Westport, CT) - See all my reviews

Before this book was published, people believed that optimism was almighty. This landmark book educates you about the reasons why people are optimistic and pessimistic and when each style of thinking is appropriate. I learned a lot about my thinking from this book. I also suggest another wonderful book, Optimal Thinking: How To Be Your Best Self, for practical information about how to understand and optimize all forms of thinking, feelings, and situations. These two books should be read in tandem, and should be part of any thinking person's library.