Book Review: The Psychology of Hope: You Can Get There from Here

Book Review


The Psychology of Hope: You Can Get There from Here
by C.R. Snyder
Reviewed by David B. Feldman, PhD


In our struggles, people often offer us unsolicited advice. As a hope researcher, I've noticed that some of the least helpful advice frequently has to do with hope. "Keep your hopes up," people may urge. "Don't give up hope," they cajole. But what exactly is this hope stuff we're supposed to keep? And, how exactly do we avoid giving up something that seems so difficult to grasp onto in the first place?

The trouble with advice like this isn't that it's bad, but that it's vague. In his book, The Psychology of Hope: You Can Get There from Here, psychologist C. R. Snyder gets much more specific. He tells us exactly what hope is, how we can kindle it in our own lives, why we sometimes lose it, and how to get it back. To Snyder, hope isn't something mysterious; it's the practical process of discovering meaningful life goals, devising creative ways of pursuing those goals, and keeping oneself motivated.

As I shared at the Cancer as a Turning Point™ conference in October, two decades of research have shown that people with this kind of hope actually do accomplish their goals more often than those with lower hope, not to mention have lower depression and anxiety, a greater sense of meaning in life, and a tendency to find growth in adversity. This was the book that inspired those two decades of research. And, it may just be a book that will inspire your own journey toward hope.

Additional information:
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