Hope in the age of anxiety

Hope in the Age of Anxiety Anthony Scioli and Henry Biller Oxford University Press September, 2009 From the publisher: An inspiring guide that combines the latest scientific research with the wisdom of the ages to carry us through troubled times. Economic collapse, poverty, disease, natural disasters, the constant threat of community unrest and international terrorism--a quick look at any newspaper is enough to cause almost anyone to feel trapped and desparate. Yet the recent election also revealed a growing search for hope spreading through society. In the timely Hope in the Age of Anxiety, Anthony Scioli and Henry Biller illuminate the nature of hope and offer a multitude of techniques designed to improve the lives of individuals, and bring more light into the world. In this fascinating and humane book, Scioli and Biller reveal the ways in which human beings acquire and make use of hope. Hope in the Age of Anxiety is meant to be a definitive guide. The evolutionary, biological, and cultural roots of hope are covered along with the seven kinds of hope found in the world’s religions. Just as vital, the book provides many personal tools for addressing the major challenges of the human condition: fear, loss, illness, and death. Some of the key areas illuminated in Hope in the Age of Anxiety: • How do you build and sustain hope in trying times? • How can hope help you to achieve your life goals? • How can hope improve your relationships with others? • How can hope aid your recovery from trauma or illness? • How does hope relate to spirituality? Hope in the Age of Anxiety identifies the skills needed to cultivate hope, and offers suggestions for using these capacities to realize your life goals, support health and healing, strengthen relationships, enhance spirituality, and inoculate yourself against the despair that engulfs many individuals. Encyclopedic in scope… may well be the definitive guide to its subject…incorporates advances of modern science as well as ancient wisdom to place hope in its rightful place as the essence of the human life force. In moving vignettes in which hope sustains people through loss, difficulties, and unimaginable horrors, the authors show that survivors are those who, rather than denying reality, confront and embrace it, with hope empowering them to surmount the odds they face. .. provides tools that address in depth the major challenges faced by humans: fear, loss, illness, and death, in a manner that is at once accessible, incisive, and compassionate; an important contribution to the literature…necessary reading for those seeking wisdom on the topic ─ Forward Magazine This book is saved from being another one-dimensional self-help book by its multidisciplinary approach and basis in scientific research. Neither overly scientific nor overly general, this is an excellent choice for readers looking to take control of their spiritual well-being… this book will inspire, educate, and encourage those suffering from chronic illness, a troubled past, or general anxiety and hopelessness. ─ Library Journal (Hope in the Age of Anxiety listed among best consumer health books of 2009). Scioli (Keene State College) and Biller (Univ. of Rhode Island) have blended scientific discoveries with insights from art, literature, and classic wisdom to provide a book about understanding and using hope to become empowered, connected, and secure…Summing up: Highly recommended for all readers. ─ Choice Review, Editor’s Pick for January 2010 This book is a must read for any individual who is dealing with adversity.. .This is also a book that every health care professional should have in their possession. Bernie Siegel, MD author of Love, Medicine & Miracles and Help Me To Heal The authors have culled “the best of hope” from psychology, philosophy, and theology as well as the struggles and achievements of both ordinary and extraordinary individuals and groups. This is book captures the full depth and breadth of hope as a force for positively transforming the reader’s life. Once I started reading, I could not put it down. James Prochaska, Professor of Clinical and Health Psychology Director of the Cancer Prevention Research Center University of Rhode Island, Author of Changing for Good “At last, a book on hope rooted in modern science that takes seriously its underpinnings in the worlds’ great religious traditions. Scioli and Biller offer us all “hope” that our best solution for rising to life’s challenges lies in the blending of a scientific and humanitarian perspective.” Robert A. Emmons, Editor-in-Chief, The Journal of Positive Psychology Former President, American Psychological Association, Division 36, Psychology of Religion