About the Book

Seligman draws on more than 20 years of clinical research to demonstrate how optimism enhances the quality of life, and how anyone can learn to practice its skills.

Book Synopsis

NATIONAL BESTSELLER - The father of positive psychology draws on more than twenty years of clinical research to show you how to overcome depression, boost your immune system, and make yourself happier.

"Vaulted me out of my funk.... So, fellow moderate pessimists, go buy this book." --The New York Times Book Review

Offering many simple techniques anyone can practice, Dr. Seligman explains how to break an "I-give-up" habit, develop a more constructive explanatory style for interpreting your behavior, and experience the benefits of a more positive interior dialogue.

With generous additional advice on how to encourage optimistic behavior at school, at work and in children, Learned Optimism is both profound and practical--and valuable for every phase of life.

Review Quotes

"Vaulted me out of my funk.... So, fellow moderate pessimists, go buy this book."--The New York Times Book Review

"One of the most important books of the century--an absolute must-read for all persons interested in genuinely understanding and helping our fellow human beings."--Dr. Robert H. Schuller, author of Tough Times Never Last, But Tough People Do

"Dr. Seligman makes an optimistic case for optimism: you can learn it, you can measure it, you can teach it, and you will be healthier and happier for it."--Dr. Aaron T. Beck, author of Love is Never Enough

"A system for reforming the most entrenched pessimist."--Philadelphia Daily News

About the Author

MARTIN E.P. SELIGMAN, PH.D., professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and a past president of the American Psychological Association, is a leading motivational expert and an authority on learned helplessness. His many books include Authentic Happinessand The Optimistic Child. Dr. Seligman's research has been supported by the National Institute of Mental Health, the National Institute on Aging, the National Science Foundation, the MacArthur Foundation, and the Guggenheim Foundation.