Supersurvivors: The Surprising Link Between Suffering and Success
David B. Feldman and Lee Daniel Kravetz. HarperWave, $25.99 (256p) ISBN 978-0-06-226785-6
Feldman and Kravetz seek the special spark that separates those who grow and thrive from adversity and those who simply survive. Using real-life examples—including a breast cancer survivor, an athlete who lost a leg, and a marathoner diagnosed with a malignant brain tumor—the authors examine the common denominators in each case and what turned each into a person determined to use a tragic event as a springboard for personal and global change. The authors believe that blinding optimism can actually make situations worse; instead, they promote the idea that a grounded hope—believing that, in the face of all contrary evidence, something better is possible—is what separates survivors from “supersurvivors.” These supersurvivors also believe in control over one’s own destiny; acknowledge the past, forgive, and let traumatic experiences go; have realistic expectations; and recognize their own mortality while making the conscious decision to live life to the fullest. “We intended to write a book about how a few extraordinary people had survived trauma,” the authors claim, and “with the help of supersurvivors... we ended up writing about how every one of us can live more fully.” (July)
Details
Reviewed on: 05/05/2014
Genre: Nonfiction
Compact Disc - 978-1-4830-2008-2
Compact Disc - 978-1-4830-2009-9
Downloadable Audio - 978-0-06-236336-7
Paperback - 256 pages - 978-0-06-226786-3