The Bright Side: Why Optimists Have the Power to Change the World

by Sumit Paul-Choudhury

Optimism, irrational though it might be, is central to the human it seems to give us an advantage both in everyday life and in the evolutionary race.

What does Ernest Shackleton's Antarctic expedition have in common with the chicken that crossed the road? Or James Baldwin's campaign for civil rights with the development of AI? Or even Crossrail and George Bush's 'mission accomplished'?

The Bright Side makes a vital and transformative new that optimism is not only the natural state of humanity, but an essential one. Without optimism we would never have survived the unpredictable - and often hostile - world we evolved into. Yet optimism is not reserved for times of extremity. Its benefits manifest throughout our everyday our relationships, careers, bodies and minds. And it will play a critical role in overcoming the challenges of the 21st century.

In this book, astrophysicist-turned-journalist Sumit-Paul Choudhury offers practical suggestions on what it really takes to be an optimist today and, in doing so, provides a powerful manifesto for hope and a much-needed new perspective on our prospects. He shows how, by embracing action, imagination and possibility, we can find a path to the bright side, even - perhaps especially - when the future seems dark.

Both realistic and revolutionary, The Bright Side is a guidebook for troubled times that will make you re-evaluate your habits and outlook.

Genres: Nonfiction, Psychology

291 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 2, 2025

Reviews

[Mark Cornelius · Rating 2 out of 5]

Bloke: “I’ve had this really good idea for a book on optimism.”
Publisher: “Do tell.”
Bloke: “Well, every morning when I get out of the shower, I write this stream of consciousness. You know, loosely connected thoughts with no structure or argument.”
Publisher: “Could work. Especially if some of my mates give it a good review. And who is going to criticise optimism? Only a fool.”
Bloke: “I have actually read loads of stuff. And I need to, well, show everyone that I know lots.
Publisher: “Knowledge is good.”
Bloke: “Maybe I need an editor?”
Publisher: “The reader can think of the book as a smörgåsbord of learned stuff, they’ll love it. Didn’t you edit The New Statesman? Anyway editors cost money.”
Reader: “WTAF! Aaaaaargh!”

[Rebecca Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is such a strange book to attempt to review. While there are some really interesting moments in this book - from ancient civilisation to the many-worlds theory, to world wars - all fascinating individually, I find it difficult to marry them all together for a book on optimism. The sub title “why optimists have the power to change the world’ doesn’t really come to fruition. I closed the book not knowing how my optimistic outlook could change my world, but I was more informed about a random collection of things for having read it, which I suppose is an optimistic way of looking at it! 🤷‍♀️

[Brian Clegg · Rating 3 out of 5]

When I first saw The Bright Side (the subtitle doesn't help), I was worried it was a self-help manual, a format that rarely contains good science. In reality, Sumit Paul-Choudhury does not give us a checklist for becoming an optimist or anything similar - and there is a fair amount of science content. But to be honest, I didn't get on very well with this book.

What Paul-Choudhury sets out to do is to both identify what optimism is and to assess its place in a world where we are beset with big problems such as climate change (which he goes into in some detail) that some activists position as an existential threat. This is all done in a friendly, approachable fashion. In that sense it's a classic pop-psychology title.

For me, Paul-Choudhury certainly has it right about the lack of logic of extreme doom-mongers, such as Extinction Rebellion and teenage climate protestors, and his assessment of the nature of optimism seems very reasonable, if presented at a fairly overview level. However, I found the structure of the book hard to get my head around - it seems to leap about all over the place, making it difficult to follow any clear argument. It also feels fluffily insubstantial not so much in its content as because of that structure.

A big concern is that we are given the results of many psychology and other social science studies without any health warning on their quality - after the replication crisis, I don't think this is acceptable. Given the dubious nature of many studies before the late 2010s - and, frankly, a fair number since - it is surely important that anyone writing popular psychology or social science acknowledges the issue and makes it clear where there are potential issues.

This is not by any measure a bad book. Paul-Choudhury is an approachable guide. But it's not for me.

[Daniella Graham · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really wanted to love this book, and early on I did. An exploration of optimism blending philosophy, history and psychology with Marvel and Community references? It was the book I didn't know I needed. But when it came to the final third, the patchwork structure of the book started to feel increasingly disjointed. Some really interesting ideas were explored, from the role of futurology and imagining the future, to the ethics of geoengineering and applications to tackling climate change, to perceptions of AI and its applications. But it ultimately felt like The Bright Side was trying to explore so much it lost itself a bit.

By the end the book felt like an argument for technical solutionism, which I am not sure was the author's intention. If you're looking for an optimistic look at climate change solutions, Katharine Hayhoe's Saving Us is a more satisfying read. Overall I am glad I read the book, and it raised some really interesting debates, but it was perhaps a bit overambitious in scope and didn't quite hang together for me.

[Michaela Salmon · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very wide ranging book, touching on psychology, politics, economics, theology, ethics and using examples from films and literature, history and popular culture as well as personal stories. It was interesting, especially the first part but I felt it dragged a bit and became less cohesive in the latter part so that’s why I’m only giving it 4 stars. I’d recommend it though, was very interesting in parts.

[Jas Teo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Not always sure of what he is leading to or intended to lead to.

[Claire Carpenter · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent read (listen), pulling on references to philosophy, politics, finance and positivity thinking in all walks of life and its effects. Really interesting.

[Louise Clark · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting book about positivity