The Bright Side: How Optimists Change the World, and How You Can Be One

Optimism is not “blind faith” stemming from naivete but a powerful force for improving society, according to this intermittently insightful debut. Science writer Paul-Choudhury frames optimism as valuable in spurring people to action even when outcomes are uncertain, arguing that it opens up opportunities where realists or pessimists operating according to more “carefully reasoned estimates” see none. Elsewhere, Paul-Choudhury contends that hope is more effective than fear at motivating action when it comes to issues such as climate change, explaining that fear stirs up awareness about problems, but reduces the likelihood that people will act, while hope inspires them “to change their lifestyles in more enduring ways.” Such discussions are illuminating and valuable, but the book loses its way in the second half, which sets out to contemplate how to find the good in an increasingly bleak world, but detours into musings about theodicy and quantum mechanics, and never satisfactorily circles back to the original issue. Paul-Choudhury’s advice for imagining a better world is more intriguing even if the details are a bit fuzzy—for example, he suggests using AI itself to generate narratives that outline how the technology might be used in assistive and productive, rather than exploitative, ways to create a better future. The result is an intriguing if imperfect exploration of why it’s important to see the glass half full. (Jan.)