Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life by Martin Seligman - Non Fiction - Paperback

Details
Condition: New
Format: Paperback
ISBN: 9781473684317
Publisher: Nicholas Brealey Publishing (John Murray Press)
Audience: General Adult

Overview
Learned Optimism: How to Change Your Mind and Your Life is Martin E.P. Seligman's landmark work on positive psychology, exploring how optimism can be learned rather than being a fixed personality trait. Drawing on over twenty years of clinical research, this brand-new paperback edition explains how our explanatory style shapes resilience, mood, and even physical health. It offers practical, evidence-based exercises for readers wanting a more hopeful, constructive outlook on everyday setbacks and challenges.

About the Book
First published in the early 1990s and revised for a new generation of readers, Learned Optimism remains one of the defining texts in the field of positive psychology. Seligman's central argument is simple but powerful: pessimism is a habit of thinking, built from the way we explain misfortunes to ourselves, and like any habit it can be unlearned and replaced. The book walks readers through the ABC model of adversity, belief and consequence, showing how catching and challenging negative self-talk can break cycles of helplessness and low mood. Seligman draws on decades of research, including studies on depression, sales performance, sport and parenting, to demonstrate that a more optimistic explanatory style correlates with better health, stronger relationships and greater achievement. This paperback edition is designed to be read cover to cover or dipped into as a practical manual, with self-assessment tests that let readers measure their own level of optimism before and after applying the techniques. Chapters address optimism in children, in the workplace and in long-term health, making the book relevant well beyond an individual reader's own mindset. It is frequently recommended by therapists, coaches and educators as an accessible entry point into evidence-based psychology, free from jargon and grounded firmly in scientific study rather than generic self-help platitudes.

• Learn the ABC model for identifying and reframing negative thought patterns
• Take Seligman's own optimism test to measure your current explanatory style
• Discover research-backed links between optimism, health and longevity
• Practical techniques suitable for home, school and workplace settings
• Written by the psychologist widely credited as the founder of positive psychology

About the Author
Martin E.P. Seligman is an American psychologist, educator and author, widely regarded as the father of positive psychology. He is the Zellerbach Family Professor of Psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and a former president of the American Psychological Association. His research on learned helplessness in the 1960s and 70s laid the groundwork for his later work on optimism and wellbeing. A 2002 Review of General Psychology survey ranked Seligman as the 31st most cited psychologist of the twentieth century, reflecting his lasting influence on the field.

Why You'll Love This Book
Rigorous yet readable, Learned Optimism turns decades of psychological research into practical tools anyone can use. It's a thoughtful gift for anyone facing stress, career change or simply wanting a more resilient, hopeful outlook on life.

Please Note: Cover artwork may vary slightly between print runs; this listing reflects the current UK paperback edition with the ISBN shown above.