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Here's the Bright Side: Of Failure, Fear, Cancer, Divorce, and Other Bum Raps
Do clouds truly have silver linings? Betty Rollin answers with a resounding yes in this wise, moving, and funny book about the surprising upsides to life’s most challenging, painful, and seemingly insurmountable low blows. Rollin has been there. After being diagnosed with breast cancer more than thirty years ago–and again nine years later–she managed to find an astonishingly bright side to the darkness. She shares her often zany and unpredictable personal experiences of turning the worst into the best, and shows how others have done the same–thriving in adversity to a remarkable degree and coming to recognize their various blessings in disguise.
Steve Jobs describes how being fired from Apple, the company he founded, was one of the best things that ever happened to him. Homemaker Sally Fleming made a better life for herself and her family after a fire. Only when workaholic CEO Eugene O’Kelly was diagnosed with a terminal illness did he really begin to live his life to the fullest. Bill Clinton, Charles Colson, and others describe life changes after adversity.
Rollin reveals the science behind the theory of adversarial, or post-traumatic, growth. This paradox is not about denying hardship but about finding a way to benefit from it. Seeing the bright enables us to find the good, whatever form it takes, within the bad and proceed from there.
Poignant, timely, universal, and inspiring, Here’s the Bright Side proves that amid life’s struggles and losses, there is much to be gained–wisdom, strength, and, perhaps most important, gratitude. “Try feeling gloomy and grateful all at once,” says Rollin. “You can’t. Gratitude picks you up and puts you in a place where gloom cannot thrive.”
Steve Jobs describes how being fired from Apple, the company he founded, was one of the best things that ever happened to him. Homemaker Sally Fleming made a better life for herself and her family after a fire. Only when workaholic CEO Eugene O’Kelly was diagnosed with a terminal illness did he really begin to live his life to the fullest. Bill Clinton, Charles Colson, and others describe life changes after adversity.
Rollin reveals the science behind the theory of adversarial, or post-traumatic, growth. This paradox is not about denying hardship but about finding a way to benefit from it. Seeing the bright enables us to find the good, whatever form it takes, within the bad and proceed from there.
Poignant, timely, universal, and inspiring, Here’s the Bright Side proves that amid life’s struggles and losses, there is much to be gained–wisdom, strength, and, perhaps most important, gratitude. “Try feeling gloomy and grateful all at once,” says Rollin. “You can’t. Gratitude picks you up and puts you in a place where gloom cannot thrive.”
- GenresNonfiction
128 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2006
About the author
Betty Rollin
9 books3 followersBetty Rollin is a TV correspondent, an accomplished author and a captivating speaker. A former correspondent for NBC News, her special reports for Nightly News included a series on the Native Americans of Pine Ridge, South Dakota, which won both the duPont and Emmy awards. She now contributes reports for PBS' Religion and Ethics Newsweekly.
Rollin is the author of seven books, including "First, You Cry", a moving story - the first of its kind - about her breast cancer and mastectomy. Published in 1976 and re-published in 2000 in honor of the author's 25th "cancer anniversary", it received wide critical acclaim and was made into a television movie starring Mary Tyler Moore as Ms. Rollin.
Her newest book, Here's the Bright Side (of Failure, Fear, Cancer, Divorce and Other Bum Raps), was published by Random House in April, 2007.
Her bestseller Last Wish, published in 1985 and republished in 1998 deals with the suicide of her terminally ill mother. One critic called it "a document of personal compassion and public importance." The book has been published in 18 foreign countries and was made into a TV movie, which aired on ABC in 1992, starring Patty Duke and Maureen Stapleton.
Rollin first joined NBC in 1972 as a reporter for the newsmagazine, Chronolog and during 1972 she was the on-air theater critic for WNBC-TV, New York. She later created and anchored a series of NBC News's special programs for and about women titled Women Like Us. In January of 1973 she was named a correspondent for NBC News. In this position, she reported on human-interest stories, which remain her main focus as a journalist. In 1982 she became a contributing correspondent for ABC News Nightline. She left that position to write Last Wish and returned to NBC News in 1984.
Prior to her television career, Betty Rollin was an associate feature editor and staff writer for Vogue magazine. Following that, she became a senior editor for Look magazine, where she remained until the publication was discontinued in 1971. She has contributed articles to many national magazines, including The New York Times where she was also a Hers columnist.
A native New Yorker, Rollin is a graduate of Fieldston Ethical Culture School in Riverdale, NY and Sarah Lawrence College. She and her husband, Dr. Harold M. Edwards, a mathematician, live in Manhattan.
Rollin is the author of seven books, including "First, You Cry", a moving story - the first of its kind - about her breast cancer and mastectomy. Published in 1976 and re-published in 2000 in honor of the author's 25th "cancer anniversary", it received wide critical acclaim and was made into a television movie starring Mary Tyler Moore as Ms. Rollin.
Her newest book, Here's the Bright Side (of Failure, Fear, Cancer, Divorce and Other Bum Raps), was published by Random House in April, 2007.
Her bestseller Last Wish, published in 1985 and republished in 1998 deals with the suicide of her terminally ill mother. One critic called it "a document of personal compassion and public importance." The book has been published in 18 foreign countries and was made into a TV movie, which aired on ABC in 1992, starring Patty Duke and Maureen Stapleton.
Rollin first joined NBC in 1972 as a reporter for the newsmagazine, Chronolog and during 1972 she was the on-air theater critic for WNBC-TV, New York. She later created and anchored a series of NBC News's special programs for and about women titled Women Like Us. In January of 1973 she was named a correspondent for NBC News. In this position, she reported on human-interest stories, which remain her main focus as a journalist. In 1982 she became a contributing correspondent for ABC News Nightline. She left that position to write Last Wish and returned to NBC News in 1984.
Prior to her television career, Betty Rollin was an associate feature editor and staff writer for Vogue magazine. Following that, she became a senior editor for Look magazine, where she remained until the publication was discontinued in 1971. She has contributed articles to many national magazines, including The New York Times where she was also a Hers columnist.
A native New Yorker, Rollin is a graduate of Fieldston Ethical Culture School in Riverdale, NY and Sarah Lawrence College. She and her husband, Dr. Harold M. Edwards, a mathematician, live in Manhattan.
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Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews
December 22, 2023
Dad had this in his pile of books, IDK - y. I also DKY I read it. Like Everest, because it was there? Maybe. I'm sorry I read this.
A very quick light read, and by light I mean as a feather in the wind. In a nutshell shit happens and things we think are bad can actually be good in the long run. (NO WAY!!) Example. Who likes to be fired? Not I, and when I do at first I am mad as hell! And then it turns out to be great for me as in order to be fired, I wasn't a fit for that position anyway. And for some strange reason I wasn't going to leave on my own. I don't know why, but I just can't quit!
I made 50K and was let go, then I made 65 & let go again, and then 81 and I rage quit/fired, and then 95, and now 156K. AND! Each job was better than the last in terms of everything- work life balance, socially, professionally, etc. This is in 5-6 years. At each spot I hardly choose to leave. Think I'm just rambling? She inserts lot's of people anecdote's for examples & perspective. Nice, but lacking any real substance.
People can benefit from being positive? Silver linings are Cliché and this book adds nothing. No insight at all. I am sorry I read this.
A very quick light read, and by light I mean as a feather in the wind. In a nutshell shit happens and things we think are bad can actually be good in the long run. (NO WAY!!) Example. Who likes to be fired? Not I, and when I do at first I am mad as hell! And then it turns out to be great for me as in order to be fired, I wasn't a fit for that position anyway. And for some strange reason I wasn't going to leave on my own. I don't know why, but I just can't quit!
I made 50K and was let go, then I made 65 & let go again, and then 81 and I rage quit/fired, and then 95, and now 156K. AND! Each job was better than the last in terms of everything- work life balance, socially, professionally, etc. This is in 5-6 years. At each spot I hardly choose to leave. Think I'm just rambling? She inserts lot's of people anecdote's for examples & perspective. Nice, but lacking any real substance.
People can benefit from being positive? Silver linings are Cliché and this book adds nothing. No insight at all. I am sorry I read this.
December 13, 2019
Quick little read about looking for the silver lining even in situations that make it seem as though there would be one. As a glass is half empty type person. I really appreciate the ability to be optimistic and have gratitude. So this book was a nice reminder that anyone can choose to be positive even one things are hitting the fan!!
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September 12, 2018
Not what I was hoping for when I checked it out, but it's not bad.
September 23, 2007
15 - I heard an interview with this author on XM radio. The book sounded inspirational and a great thing to read if you were going through a hard time, but I was really disappointed with the book. I don't think it had enough content. It would have made a great magazine article (or radio interview) but not such a good book.
February 7, 2008
The book was a little “light” in regard to cancer, but I don’t think that’s necessarily bad. When you’ve already been through it you don’t need to read the grueling details and relive it. You need to see a light at the end of the tunnel or the “bright side.” There were many good points to take from it. It was very positive and opened up a wider perspective.
September 8, 2010
The illustrations are charming, but the "bright" side isn't very bright. It's downright gloomy at times. Didn't learn much, didn't get any unique insight, just the reassurance that shit happens to everybody. I've stopped halfway through simply because it seems more like something to reference and read passages when the poo hits the fan as opposed to treating it like a proper novel.
September 22, 2014
Didn't like this book AT ALL. Most of the time it made me want to throw up. The author thinks that once someone has casseroles brought over for them when they are sick, that they will start doing that too? COME ON! Nearly ALL of the things mentioned as "The Bright Side" are things most of us already do as members of the human race. I would NOT recommend this book.
November 29, 2007
This book read more like a compilation of magazine articles. Cancer survivors may find some benefit from the author's experience with breast cancer. There was nothing particularly revelatory or inspirational in Rollin's prose.
July 3, 2007
I was disappointed in this book. It did not have any real depth.
January 29, 2008
A short read with interesting research about the good people take from the lows in life. Mind you - the good comes AFTER the lows have passed.
January 7, 2010
Cliché stuff we've already heard a million times before.
July 10, 2015
- Rollin is a writer (New York Times, Vogue, Look) and a T.V. Journalist (N.B.C. News) who writes light, pick-me-up stories about overcoming some of life's painful obstacles
December 2, 2014
too fluffy
January 4, 2016
A good reminder about the upside of difficult challenges.
Displaying 1 - 14 of 14 reviews