Up! A Pragmatic Look at the Direction of Life: 365 Ways Today Is the Best Time to Be Alive - Tapa dura

Medical epidemics, global financial meltdown and a fragile environment - we're constantly bombarded with shocking footage, depressing studies and bleak predictions about the future. Sometimes it seems difficult to find even one example of how things are better today than they were in the past. How about one for each day of the year? In his engaging and informative new book, "Up!", bestselling author David Niven gives us 365 examples of how life for most people is better now than even ten years ago. We live in a time of unparalleled cooperation between people of all colors, creeds, and religions, a time when we live a full three decades longer than our ancestors and a time when goods and services are more affordable than ever. Niven is a well-respected social scientist, bringing his considerable knowledge and wit to bear on the subject, providing facts, anecdotes and studies that help remind us of the advances and changes we benefit from. Well researched and full of insight, "Up!" not only proves that life today is a vast improvement from the past but also that it continues to improve with each passing day. For those who need convincing or for those who simply need reminding, "Up!" is a great resource for learning how to appreciate how far we have come as a society and to remember that, in all ways, things are truly looking Up!

David Niven, PhD is the author of the popular 100 Simple Secrets series, which has been translated into 30 languages. As a psychologist and social scientist, he has produced a body of work that makes a case for embracing the simple things in life and keeping an even perspective. He teaches at Ohio State University.