Customer Reviews

The Optimist: One Man's Search for the Brighter Side of Life

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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.
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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.

What else can I say - excellent book. Really funny as well as insightful.