BOOK REVIEW: "Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life"

"Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life"
By Martin E. P. Seligman, Ph.D.
Copyright 2006
Vintage Books
Non-Fiction
4 Bookmarks

I know I've been a slacker on the book-review front lately.  Busy life with work and family the last couple of months, but I have had the chance to read a couple of books in that time. 

My reading "theme" lately has been books that might help to improve my attitude.  Stress is just a killer for positivity, after all. 

I discovered this gem from a list of recommended reading in one of my other recent reads, How Children Succeed by Paul Tough, reviewed here. 

Sometimes I "may" have a bit of a negative attitude, and this book has a great way of explaining why.  According to the author, the way we explain things to ourselves has a profound impact on the way we view the world around us. 

"Self-talk", in other words, is sort of a self-fulfilling prophesy.  Seligman uses several examples of areas in our lives that are impacted profoundly simply by the way we talk to ourselves about them.

Everyone has a thinking style, but Seligman asserts that we all have the ability to change the way we internally explain the reasons behind the things we experience and, thus, change the way we think.

My opinion of the book was pretty good.  I felt like the author did a great job explaining "why" we think the way we do.  It was easy to apply it to my own internal "talk" and, of course, attitude.

Anyone who reads this book can take the quick optimism assessment and learn about their own thinking style.  The author then gives many tools for changing that thinking style into something more positive.

I actually got a lot out of the book and felt it was definitely worth the read.  The author goes to great lengths to help you see how the thinking styles can apply to many different areas of our lives: family, athletics, school, work, health, etc.

Lots of good info in this one.