Books for Tough Times: Hope

Jane Goodall and Douglas Abrams explore through intimate and thought-provoking dialogue one of the most sought after and least understood elements of human nature: hope.

An illustrated anthology of uplifting poetry.

A small book for anyone in search of hope, looking for a path to a more meaningful life, or in need of encouragement.

Manson takes us by the collar and challenges us to be more honest with ourselves and connected with the world in ways we probably haven't considered before. It's another counterintuitive romp through the pain in our hearts and the stress of our soul.

Cynicism about human nature is on the rise, but it often overlooks people's true kindness and generosity. Jamil Zaki offers a path out of this trap through "hopeful skepticism," a balanced approach to critically understanding others while recognizing their strengths, ultimately fostering a more compassionate world.

Amid political, social, and environmental anxieties, the need for humor, hope, and meaningful action has never been greater. Through this creative guidebook, readers will work to live in alignment with their values, examine their relationships with the planet and their community, and be inspired to act, both in their personal life and collectively.

A deeply insightful exploration of how to live with wisdom, resilience and love in our turbulent times. Blending insights from philosophers, poets, scientists, and theologians, Life After Doom explores the complexity of hope, the necessity of grief, and the need for new ways of thinking, becoming, and belonging in turbulent times.

A philosophical guide to facing life's inevitable hardships. There is no cure for the human condition: life is hard. But Kieran Setiya believes philosophy can help. He offers us a map for navigating rough terrain, from personal trauma to the injustice and absurdity of the world.

An enchanting collection of lists, musings, prompts, and illustrations that will inspire you to cherish all of the things—from the extraordinary to the everyday, from the big to the little—that bring hope into our lives.

Microjoys are a practice of uncovering joy and finding hope at any moment. They are accessible to everyone, despite all else. When we hone the ability to look for them, they are always available. Microjoys don't change the truth of loss or make grief any more convenient, but they allow us to temporarily touch joy, keeping us buoyed and moving forward, one moment at a time. A profound compendium of intimate, inspiring essays and thoughtful prompts that will keep you afloat in difficult times and sustain you in the everyday.

Deeply ingrained in the Swedish psyche, njuta is about simplicity and intent in every aspect of life, from daily routines and leisure to family and food and everything in between. The Swedish delight in the simple things in life.

The climate emergency can trigger emotions such as worry, anger, and even grief. Harnessing these emotions, validating them, and transforming them into positive action is all possible with this book. With an explanation of eco-emotions and practical strategies to try, this book will empower you to protect your mental health and the planet.

Arthur C. Brooks and Oprah Winfrey combine their decades of experience studying happiness from every angle to show readers how to improve their lives right now, instead of waiting for the outside world to change.

While most self-help books offer quick fixes, Everything is Figureoutable will retrain your brain to think more creatively and positively in the face of setbacks.

Ganbatte (gan-ba-tay) is a Japanese philosophy focused on doing the best you can with what you have. While many aspects of life are beyond our control, how we deal with setbacks and difficulties is as much of a choice as how we approach everyday tasks. This book helps you tap into your own ability to persevere and encourages you to stay motivated and hopeful in difficult times.

Offers practical strategies to improve your productivity and gives you the know-how to create the life you want. With practical exercises featured within each chapter, this book will help break those emotional barriers that hold you back and set you on the path to becoming fully engaged and more productive.

This book challenges common myths about motivation, and offers readers science-backed strategies for successfully motivating themselves and others.

While optimism can help us alleviate immediate suffering and persevere in challenging times, merely dreaming about the future actually makes people more frustrated over the long term and less likely to achieve their goals. Oettingen introduces a new way to visualize the future, combining our dreams with visualizing the obstacles that stand in our way, allowing us to make concrete plans, and gain energy to take action.

Haemin Sunim offers readers a warm and reassuring path through the most challenging moments of our lives. Drawing on Zen Buddhist philosophy and Sunim's own experiences, When Things Don't Go Your Way helps you navigate life's challenges with resilience and grace.

This book explores how design thinking, commonly used to create innovative products and solutions, can be applied to designing a meaningful and fulfilling life. By treating life as a design project, it offers tools and strategies to creatively build a career and lifestyle that align with personal values and aspirations.

Stop searching for purpose. Build it. The HBR Guide to Crafting Your Purpose debunks three common myths about purpose: that purpose is found, that you have only one, and that it stays the same over time. Packed with stories, tips, and activities, this book teaches you how to cultivate more meaning in your life and work and endow everything you do with purpose.

Just Tell Me What I Want is for anyone who has ever been told to "follow their bliss" and then immediately wanted to punch that person in the face.

Offers practical strategies to improve your productivity and gives you the know-how to create the life you want. With practical exercises featured within each chapter, this book will help break those emotional barriers that hold you back and set you on the path to becoming fully engaged and more productive.

Through inspirational stories and interviews, journal-like prompts, and practical career development information, this helpful resource will steer students, recent graduates, and career-changers toward an authentic, fulfilling life.

Tiny Experiments challenges the traditional, linear approach to success and encourages an experimental mindset for personal growth. Neuroscientist Anne-Laure Le Cunff provides practical tools to break free from rigid goals, embrace uncertainty, and design small, meaningful experiments to discover true ambitions.

An essential, thought-provoking, and truly empowering roadmap for succeeding at the crossroads of your life.

This book offers readers a practical framework for navigating life's inevitable turning points, thresholds and transitions - at work, at home and in between.

In an age of pandemic and economic precarity, how can we learn to embrace uncertainty in our workplaces, schools and businesses? And how can better understanding uncertainty help us to build resilience, foster social justice and deal with the big issues, such as climate change? Award-winning educator Michelle Lazarus shows us how uncertainty tolerance can help.