Customer Reviews

Important book for anyone struggling with motivation or depression - By: James Bury, 26 Nov 2008
Although not that well knownin this country, Martin Seligman is widely regarded as one of the most eminent & insightful psychologists of the past 100 years.

Learned Optimism shows how for many people it is the way they perceive & respond to events around them that can make the difference between a happy, successful life or a difficult one dotted with depressive episodes. He explores the reasons for this & develops alternative approaches that appear to work well.

This CD starts with a simple test to assess 6 different scales of optimism / pessimism & to create a score for each of these scales. This indicates how individuals are likely to respond to particular types of events & adversities, & how that response can be constructive or damaging. This straightaway highlights areas where we may need to be carefulin our everyday lives, & then goes on to look at alternative ways to interpret & react to events.

Seligman takes the view that the majority of depressive episodes, procrastination & under-achievement stem not from messed up brain-chemistry or unhappy childhoods, but from the ways we have learned to interpret & react to everyday adversity. He provides a robust method for reframing these events & ensuring any negative effect is short-lived, thisin turn leads to improved personal performance & higher self-esteem & happiness. The main message is that there is a simple method for responding more constructively to negative events, & if this is practised, it soon becomes a learned behaviour that no longer requires conscious effort.

The upshot of it is that individuals will be happier, more successful & experience fewer if any depressive episodes. It is certainly a refreshing alternative to the medical approach & seems to work very well indeed.

This audiobook consists of 2 CDs & is an abridged version of his book Learned Optimism. It is good for getting the gist of his ideas or to listen to while driving or when out & about with your iPod. However, for maximum benefit & depth, it is well worth getting the book edition also.

I'm only giving this edition 4 stars as I find his co-presenter somewhat irritating & it is a little stodgy at times. However, Seligman's ideas & insight are profound, invaluable & potentially life-changing. Highly commended for anyone who feels they want to improve their personal performance at work or at home, or who experiences depressionin any of its many guises.