Introduction:
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 challengeit doesnt 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 childwhose 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

Contents:
Preface to the Vintage Edition iii
Introduction v

Part One: The Guest
1. Two ways of Looking at Life 3
2. Learning to Be Helpless 17
3. Explaining Misfortune 31
4. Ultimate Pessimism 54
5. How You Think, How You Feel 71

Part Two: The Realms of Life 93
6. Success at Work 95
7. Children and Parents: 116
The Origins of Optimism
8. School 136
9. Sports 155
10. Health 167
11. Politics, Religion and Culture: 185
A New Psychohistory
Part Three: Changing: 205
From Pessimism to Optimism
12. The Optimistic Life 207
13. Helping Your Child Escape Pessimism 235
14. The Opimistic Organization 254
15. Flexible Optimism 281

Notes 293
Acknowledgments 305
Index 311

Books Details:
Learned Optimism How to Change Your Mind and Your Life
By Martin E. P. Seligman.
Paperback: 336 pages
Publisher: Free Press (March 1, 1998)
Language: English