Resilience: How to Navigate Life's Curves (Positive Psychology News) [Paperback]

Kathryn Britton (Author, Contributor), Senia Maymin (Author, Contributor), Kevin Gillespie (Illustrator), Eleanor Chin (Contributor), Nicholas Hall (Contributor), Jeff Dustin (Contributor), Timothy So (Contributor), Aren Cohen (Contributor), Denise Clegg (Contributor), Sherri Fisher (Contributor), Laura L.C. Johnson (Contributor), Bridget Grenville-Cleave (Contributor), Sulynn Choong (Contributor), Sean Doyle (Contributor), David N. Shearon (Contributor), Kirsten Cronlund (Contributor), Denise Quinlan (Contributor)

Book Description

Series: Positive Psychology News | Publication Date: December 1, 2009

Do you ever lie awake worrying at night? Do you worry about how your boss is unhappy with your work or how you failed an exam or how your son may get swine flu or how your parents are old and need attention? Yes, some things are bad. We don't deny it. The biggest misperception about positive psychology is that it is positive thinking. It is not. Positive psychology is the study of what makes people grow and flourish, no matter what circumstances surround them. Life includes grief and loss. As a prominent professor says, "Positive psychology is the permission to be human." But worrying about things that may never occur takes a huge toll on people. People may also attach more suffering than necessary to negative events by creating interpretations that make them feel helpless. This little book explores an important topic in the field of positive psychology: Why do some people go through hard times and be-come stronger and more appreciative of their lives? Do they think differently than other people? Do they behave differently? What can we learn from them that can make other people's lives better? What tools and techniques emerge from research that can help all of us deal more effectively with the challenges of our time?

Product Details

• Paperback: 134 pages
• Publisher: CreateSpace (December 1, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1449919375
• ISBN-13: 978-1449919375
• Product Dimensions: 8.7 x 5.4 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 7.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (2 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #145,941 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars "I Will Survive," And Here's How, January 12, 2010

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Nancy Ancowitz - See all my reviews

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This review is from: Resilience: How to Navigate Life's Curves (Positive Psychology News) (Paperback)

I can practically hear Gloria Gaynor singing her disco classic, "I Will Survive," on these pages. "Resilience" is rich with anecdotes, reflections, and useful tips--all grounded in research--to help you bounce back from life's road bumps and even its landmines.

The book answers these questions and much more: How can you calm your body amid adversity? How can you get out of a bad mood? What can you do to find hope even during times of extreme stress? How can you handle the noise in your head that can undermine your well-being? How can you rely on others during hard times? What is laughter yoga?

"Resilience" is a collection of articles from the intellectually vibrant community that makes up the "Positive Psychology News Daily," which is the brainchild of Senia Maymin, a Ph.D. candidate in organizational behavior at Stanford. Maymin, along with her co-editor, Kathryn Britton, and many of the contributors to "Resilience," earned a Master of Applied Positive Psychology (MAPP).

Started by Martin Seligman, Ph.D., at the University of Pennsylvania just over a decade ago, positive psychology is a rigorous, research based area of psychology that, according to the book, is geared to "be just as interested in building the best things in life as in repairing the worst."

So back to Gaynor: "Did I crumble? Did you think I'd lay down and die? Oh no, not I. I will survive." The 16 authors from five continents who wrote "Resilience" offer you shortcuts to make it easier.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great resource, March 30, 2010

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R. Brown (Christchurch, NZ) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Resilience: How to Navigate Life's Curves (Positive Psychology News) (Paperback)

I've enjoyed reading it.

The authors have provided a helpful range of advice and perspectives. It's research-based, so comes with credibility - and it's in everyday language. The result is a series of simple steps anyone could take to develop resilience.

I'm particularly keen on the questions and answers at the end of each chapter. It's an innovative and very useful addition to the book. The authors and the readers who have asked the questions get to issues I haven't seen dealt with before. The discussion about handling a multitude of disruptive thoughts provides useful clarity. The discussion about the order of thoughts and emotions is valuable too.