cover image Making Hope Happen: Create the Future You Want in Business and Life

Making Hope Happen: Create the Future You Want in Business and Life

Shane J. Lopez. Atria, $26 (304p) ISBN 978-1-4516-6622-9

Gallup senior scientist Lopez (The Encyclopedia of Positive Psychology) examines the power of hope in his latest self-help tome, arguing that “how we think about the future... determines how well we live our lives.” Few would disagree with his assertion that “hope matters,” but Lopez’s insistence on the active pursuit of hope is novel. He contends that it’s a choice, it “can be learned,” and perhaps most importantly, it “can be shared with others.” Dividing his treatise into manageable sections, Lopez uses real-world examples to show how individuals go “from thriving to suffering and back to thriving.” Despite two heart transplants, a teenager manages to look hopefully ahead to her future. A coalition of inner-city mothers defies the odds and transforms a broken-down school. In addition to these anecdotes, the author also offers practical ways to get readers thinking about their own journeys, including quizzes to assess one’s level of hopefulness, mindfulness exercises (e.g., guided meditation), and techniques to neutralize negative messages. Thoughtful and pragmatic, Lopez’s work will inspire readers to take control of their future, choose hope, and choose life. Agent: Joy Harris, Joy Harris Literary Agency. (Mar.)