Dr. Alain Braconnier, a psychiatrist and psychologist, is a consultant at the Pitié Salpêtrière teaching hospital and teaches at the School of Practising Psychologists, in Paris. He was formerly the director of a mental health association in Paris. He is the author of such immensely successful books (more than 10,000 copies sold) as Mères et Fils, Les Filles et les Pères, Petit ou grand anxieux and, more recently, Être parent aujourd’hui.

What is optimism? Intuitively, everyone seems to know the answer; but it’s not so easy to define its precise characteristics, nor is it always easy to be optimistic. Is optimism innate? Is it a character trait, built up from childhood and the product of a favourable upbringing? Is it an attitude that must be adopted under certain circumstances? Can optimism be boosted?

It is now possible to measure optimism, using three major criteria that allow us to evaluate each individual’s optimism. We know how a pessimist can become an optimist (though pessimism need not always be harmful).

To become an optimist, you must have the confidence to move mountains. But where do you acquire the energy to do so? How and where can you find the foundations of such optimism and the source of well-being? The answers to help you change your state of mind and cultivate optimism are to be found in this book, written by an eminent expert.

• How to develop a mental outlook that contributes to well-being and happiness.

• Scientific research has demonstrated that optimism has a beneficial impact on human psychology.

• Recommendations and a methodology to enhance optimism.