The Bright Side
How Optimists Change the World, and How You Can Be One
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The Bright Side
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Narrated by:
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Sumit Paul-Choudhury
About this listen
In the thought-provoking tradition of Steven Pinker’s Enlightenment Now and Yuval Noah Harari’s Homo Deus, a fascinating and reassuring look at the philosophy, psychology, and practice of optimism, and why being optimistic is a moral obligation—even in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges.
Scrolling through our daily newsfeeds we see violence and cruelty, turmoil and injustice, fake news and clickbait, and worsening environmental and social crises—just a few of the dark currents feeding a tidal wave of pessimism. In the face of so many challenges, how can we stay optimistic? And, more important, why should we?
In The Bright Side, Sumit Paul-Choudhury answers these pressing questions, arguing that optimism is not only essential for overcoming the challenges we face, but also fundamental to human wellbeing. Drawing on a wide array of evidence—from biology to history, and from economics to meteorology—he delves into the underappreciated roots of optimism, examines its impact on mental health and professional success, and discusses why it has a power that wishful thinking lacks.
Additionally, The Bright Side shows how we can apply the principles of optimism to cope with environmental crises, artificial intelligence, and social change. From the polar reaches to the world’s mightiest cities, through inspirational figures including explorers, activists, and scientists, the book illustrates optimism in action.
A beacon amid dark times, The Bright Side provides a lens through which we can see the challenges we face more clearly—and it also offers tools for solving them, to create a better future for ourselves and generations to come.
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- By: Paula Whyman
- Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2
When empty nester Paula Whyman climbs to a peak in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, her plans for a backyard ecology project quickly morph into a massive endeavor. In Bad Naturalist, Whyman struggles with conflicting advice from experts, an influx of invasive species, delayed plans, and the occasional rattlesnake—but none of it dampens her irrepressible passion for protecting the land.
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5 out of 5 stars
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beautifully written self discovery within a description of a wonderful property.
- By anthony adamovich on 02-25-25
By: Paula Whyman
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Open When
- A Companion for Life’s Twists & Turns
- By: Julie Smith
- Narrated by: Julie Smith
- Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 17
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 17
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 17
In this essential guide, Dr. Julie teaches her millions of readers and clients how to navigate life’s toughest occurrences while they’re happening, rather than moments or years after the fact. What if we can learn to harness our emotions and stay present so we can process and choose how to respond to a situation? Picking up where Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? leaves off, Dr. Julie shares the research-backed concepts and powerful skills we can use to weather our most vulnerable moments.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
My goodness, Dr J out did her first book.
- By Dan Brook on 01-07-25
By: Julie Smith
-
Journeys in Time
- The History of Reported Accounts of Time Travel
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: KC Wayman
- Length: 1 hr and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1
We take time for granted as it passes during every moment of our existence. Other things may change, but time remains constant and predictable. The past, the present, and the future exist within a harmonious, reliable, and never-changing system. Or at least that’s how it seems. It was Albert Einstein who, in 1905, first theorized that time might not be quite as straightforward as that. In one of the most influential papers on physics ever published[1], he proposed something called “time dilatation.”
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Real mind opener!
- By Anonymous User on 03-31-25
-
How to Be Enough
- Self-Acceptance for Self-Critics and Perfectionists
- By: Ellen Hendriksen
- Narrated by: Ellen Hendriksen
- Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 12
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 12
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 12
Dr. Ellen Hendriksen—clinical psychologist, anxiety specialist, and author of How to Be Yourself—charts a flexible, forgiving, and freeing path, all without giving up the excellence your high standards and hard work have gotten you. She delivers seven shifts—including from self-criticism to kindness, control to authenticity, procrastination to productivity, comparison to contentment—to find self-acceptance, rewrite the Inner Rulebook, and most of all, cultivate the authentic human connections we’re all craving.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
worth every minute
- By Jeremy Hylen on 03-12-25
By: Ellen Hendriksen
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Defy
- The Power of No in a World That Demands Yes
- By: Dr. Sunita Sah
- Narrated by: Dr. Sunita Sah
- Length: 8 hrs and 47 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 9
Many of us comply much more than we realize. How many times have you wanted to object, disagree, or opt out of something but ended up swallowing your words, shaking your head, and just going along? Analyzing cases ranging from corporate corruption and sexual abuse to everyday acquiescence at work, the doctor’s office, and in our personal lives, award-winning organizational psychologist Dr. Sunita Sah delves deep into why the pressure to comply is a corrosive and often invisible force in our society.
By: Dr. Sunita Sah
-
The Forgotten Sense
- The New Science of Smell—and the Extraordinary Power of the Nose
- By: Jonas Olofsson
- Narrated by: Adam Verner
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Performance4 out of 5 stars 2
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2
Our sense of smell guides our lives far more than our screen-heavy, sight-privileged era would suggest. It animates our experience of food and drink, helps us access memories, and strengthens our intimacy with each other. But, long considered our most “beastly” sense, the inner workings of smell have stumped scientists for centuries. Now, cognitive scientist and leading smell researcher Jonas Olofsson uncovers the sophisticated biological processes that animate our olfactory system, with profound implications for how we perceive the world around us.
By: Jonas Olofsson
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Bad Naturalist
- One Woman's Ecological Education on a Wild Virginia Mountaintop
- By: Paula Whyman
- Narrated by: Kimberly Farr
- Length: 10 hrs and 15 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 2
When empty nester Paula Whyman climbs to a peak in the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains, her plans for a backyard ecology project quickly morph into a massive endeavor. In Bad Naturalist, Whyman struggles with conflicting advice from experts, an influx of invasive species, delayed plans, and the occasional rattlesnake—but none of it dampens her irrepressible passion for protecting the land.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
beautifully written self discovery within a description of a wonderful property.
- By anthony adamovich on 02-25-25
By: Paula Whyman
-
Open When
- A Companion for Life’s Twists & Turns
- By: Julie Smith
- Narrated by: Julie Smith
- Length: 7 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 17
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 17
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 17
In this essential guide, Dr. Julie teaches her millions of readers and clients how to navigate life’s toughest occurrences while they’re happening, rather than moments or years after the fact. What if we can learn to harness our emotions and stay present so we can process and choose how to respond to a situation? Picking up where Why Has Nobody Told Me This Before? leaves off, Dr. Julie shares the research-backed concepts and powerful skills we can use to weather our most vulnerable moments.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
My goodness, Dr J out did her first book.
- By Dan Brook on 01-07-25
By: Julie Smith
-
Journeys in Time
- The History of Reported Accounts of Time Travel
- By: Charles River Editors
- Narrated by: KC Wayman
- Length: 1 hr and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1
We take time for granted as it passes during every moment of our existence. Other things may change, but time remains constant and predictable. The past, the present, and the future exist within a harmonious, reliable, and never-changing system. Or at least that’s how it seems. It was Albert Einstein who, in 1905, first theorized that time might not be quite as straightforward as that. In one of the most influential papers on physics ever published[1], he proposed something called “time dilatation.”
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
Real mind opener!
- By Anonymous User on 03-31-25
-
How to Be Enough
- Self-Acceptance for Self-Critics and Perfectionists
- By: Ellen Hendriksen
- Narrated by: Ellen Hendriksen
- Length: 9 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 12
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 12
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 12
Dr. Ellen Hendriksen—clinical psychologist, anxiety specialist, and author of How to Be Yourself—charts a flexible, forgiving, and freeing path, all without giving up the excellence your high standards and hard work have gotten you. She delivers seven shifts—including from self-criticism to kindness, control to authenticity, procrastination to productivity, comparison to contentment—to find self-acceptance, rewrite the Inner Rulebook, and most of all, cultivate the authentic human connections we’re all craving.
-
5 out of 5 stars
-
worth every minute
- By Jeremy Hylen on 03-12-25
By: Ellen Hendriksen
-
Our New Social Life
- Science-Backed Strategies for Creating Meaningful Connection
- By: Jaime Kurtz, Natalie Kerr
- Narrated by: Vivienne Leheny
- Length: 6 hrs and 34 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Story0 out of 5 stars 0
In a world where everything seems to transform in a blink, anyone can suddenly find themselves scrambling for human connection. Someone who has always found it easy to connect can suddenly feel disoriented if they start a new job, move to a new region, or welcome a new member into the family. Others may have always found it difficult to connect, feel they've outgrown their circles, or may feel dissatisfied for a range of other reasons. Natalie Kerr and Jaime Kurtz explain the science behind these struggles and steer us toward timeless skills to overcome these challenges.
By: Jaime Kurtz, and others
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American Oasis
- Finding the Future in the Cities of the Southwest
- By: Kyle Paoletta
- Narrated by: Andrew Eiden
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2
An expansive and revelatory historical exploration of the multicultural, water-seeking, land-destroying settlers of the most arid corner of North America, arguing that in order to know where the United States is going in the era of mass migration and climate crisis we must understand where the Southwest has already been.
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4 out of 5 stars
-
Historical context for SW sprawl
- By Jesse P on 02-07-25
By: Kyle Paoletta
-
Good Nature
- Why Seeing, Smelling, Hearing, and Touching Plants Is Good for Our Health
- By: Kathy Willis
- Narrated by: Kathy Willis
- Length: 7 hrs and 16 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Story0 out of 5 stars 0
We all take for granted the idea that being in nature makes us feel better. But if you were a skeptic who wanted hard scientific evidence for this idea, where would you look? And how would that evidence be gathered? It wasn't until Dr. Kathy Willis was asked to contribute to an international project looking for the societal benefits we gain from plants that she stumbled across a study that radically changed the way she saw the natural world. In the study there was clear proof that patients recovering from gall bladder operations recovered more quickly if they were looking at trees.
By: Kathy Willis
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Paperless Builders
- The Why, What, and How of Construction Technology
- By: Hamzah Shanbari
- Narrated by: Hamzah Shanbari
- Length: 6 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1
Paperless Builders is more than just a technology manual; it is a roadmap for innovation. Through engaging narratives and practical insights, Shanbari shares stories from his own digital transformation journey, offering listeners a unique blend of inspiration and actionable advice.
By: Hamzah Shanbari
-
Dark Laboratory
- On Columbus, the Caribbean, and the Origins of the Climate Crisis
- By: Tao Leigh Goffe
- Narrated by: Tao Leigh Goffe
- Length: 12 hrs and 44 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Performance0 out of 5 stars 0
-
Story0 out of 5 stars 0
In 1492, Christopher Columbus arrived on the Caribbean Island of Guanahaní to find an Edenic scene that was soon mythologized. But behind the myth of paradise, the Caribbean and its people would come to pay the price of relentless Western exploitation and abuse. In Dark Laboratory, Dr. Tao Leigh Goffe embarks on a historical journey to chart the forces that have shaped these islands: the legacy of slavery, indentured labor, and the forced toil of Chinese and enslaved Black people who mined the islands’ bounty for the benefit of European powers.
By: Tao Leigh Goffe
-
Talk
- The Science of Conversation and the Art of Being Ourselves
- By: Alison Wood Brooks
- Narrated by: Alison Wood Brooks
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 9
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 9
In Talk, Brooks shows why conversing a little more effectively can make a big difference in the quality of our close personal relationships as well as our professional success. Drawing on the new science of conversation, Brooks distills lessons that show how we can better understand, learn from, and delight each other.
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5 out of 5 stars
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Something for all levels of communication!
- By jason k on 03-29-25
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Beyond Stoicism
- A Guide to the Good Life with Stoics, Skeptics, Epicureans, and Other Ancient Philosophers
- By: Gregory Lopez, Massimo Pigliucci, Meredith Alexander Kunz
- Narrated by: Sean Pratt
- Length: 10 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 4
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 4
What is a good life? And how can we create that life in a world filled with uncertainty? Beyond Stoicism invites you to find your own answers to these big questions with help from thirteen of the most prominent Greco-Roman philosophers―many of whom inspired, or were inspired by, the Stoics.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Doubt, Uncertainty and Scepticism
- By Kindle Customer on 02-06-25
By: Gregory Lopez, and others
-
The Dawn of Mind
- How Matter Became Conscious and Alive
- By: James Cooke PhD
- Narrated by: Stephen Bel Davies
- Length: 11 hrs and 33 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 1
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 1
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 1
Although consciousness is at the very center of who we are, its exact nature continues to confound modern science. From where does consciousness originate? At our core, are we material bodies or immaterial conscious minds? Many assume that consciousness is a product of our complex brains, a product of evolution—and yet, there is no evolutionary reason that a mechanical function of the brain should allow us to enjoy the beauty of a sunrise or become intoxicated with the smell of rain on dry earth.
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5 out of 5 stars
-
Profoundly Moving and Enlightening
- By Mahanandan on 03-22-25
By: James Cooke PhD
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Bright Side
- By: Kim Holden
- Narrated by: Andi Arndt, Teddy Hamilton
- Length: 13 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 192
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 181
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 181
Kate Sedgwick’s life has been anything but typical. She’s endured hardship and tragedy, but throughout it all, she remains happy and optimistic (there’s a reason her best friend Gus calls her Bright Side). She’s quick-witted, endlessly passionate about music, the first to offer a smile, and the kind of loyal that most friends only dream about. The one thing that escapes her optimism is love. She’s never bought into it. So, when Kate leaves San Diego to attend college in the small town of Grant, Minnesota, the last thing she expects is to fall hard for Keller Banks.
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4 out of 5 stars
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loved the book and the sequel
- By Sleepingbeauty on 11-05-22
By: Kim Holden
-
Anticipating Heaven
- Spiritual Comfort and Practical Wisdom for Life's Final Chapters
- By: Dr. Pamela Pyle, John C. Maxwell
- Narrated by: Laura Jennings, John Hopkinson, Dr. Pamela P. Pyle
- Length: 5 hrs and 24 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 2
-
Story4.5 out of 5 stars 2
Is there a way to walk into the final chapters of life with peace and confidence, and with support and wisdom? We all are living an earthly story with a beginning, middle, and end. While aspects of our story's closing hold mystery, we do not have to feel lost as we move toward it. We instead can lean on the support and wisdom of others who know the path ahead. In Anticipating Heaven, Dr. Pyle offers that same practical advice and spiritual comfort to you and your loved ones as you navigate a serious illness.
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5 out of 5 stars
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I didn’t know I needed this book!
- By Paula on 01-07-25
By: Dr. Pamela Pyle, and others
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You Deserve to Be Rich
- Master the Inner Game of Wealth and Claim Your Future
- By: Rashad Bilal, Troy Millings
- Narrated by: Troy Millings, Ronald Peet, Rashad Bilal
- Length: 9 hrs
- Unabridged
-
Overall4.5 out of 5 stars 165
-
Performance4.5 out of 5 stars 159
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Story4.5 out of 5 stars 159
You deserve to be rich. You deserve to make a purchase without fear that your check might bounce. You deserve to go on vacation. You deserve to care for loved ones without worrying about bills. You deserve to live the way you want, without reservations or fear. You deserve freedom—financial freedom. If you agree, you’ve come to the right place. We grew up in New York playing basketball together. As kids, both of us were fascinated by finance, curious about the stock market and how money moves among systems and pockets.
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4 out of 5 stars
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Good book, hard listen
- By J.Williams on 01-21-25
By: Rashad Bilal, and others
-
Unhooked
- Free Yourself from Addiction Forever
- By: Adi Jaffe PhD
- Narrated by: Adi Jaffe PhD
- Length: 8 hrs and 7 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Performance5 out of 5 stars 3
-
Story5 out of 5 stars 3
As a young man, Dr. Adi Jaffe’s own battle with addiction nearly landed him a decades-long prison sentence. Now, his revelatory addiction treatment protocol has helped thousands to free themselves from the addictive habits that cause negative consequences. Dr. Jaffe’s shame-free, step-by-step program helps you address what's driving your addiction.
By: Adi Jaffe PhD
What listeners say about The Bright Side
Average customer ratingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Cindee B Berry
- 03-24-25
In Science and History we trust!
A thorough and entertaining collection of historic facts and philosophies that proposed and argued for/against the concept of optimism, positive thinking, and alternative concepts/choices as a means to a more satisfying/productive existence.
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