Glad to Be Human: Adventures in Optimism (Positive Thinking Book, for Fans of Learned Optimism, Anne Lamott, or Elizabeth Gilbert). This item is unavailable.Glad to Be Human: Adventures in Optimism (Positive Thinking Book, for Fans of Learned Optimism, Anne Lamott, or Elizabeth Gilbert)

Celebrate Life’s Simple Pleasures

"I am changed by these now dog-eared pages, and I will return to them again and again for inspiration.” ―Annabel Monaghan, author of The Digit Series, columnist for The Week and The Huffington Post

In a world so often filled with distressing news and bewildering violence, being “human” often gets a bad rap. Rejoice in everyday reasons to smile with positive thoughts and enjoy the gift of life.

Take a walk on the bright side and celebrate life. In Glad to Be Human: Adventures in Optimism, award-winning writer Irene O’Garden reminds us of the radiance of human existence. From kitchens to gardens to busy city streets, all around, in your everyday life, you can find plenty of reasons to feel gratitude and hope and find joy.

It’s the little things. In this collection of essays, O’Garden explores a wide range of practical reasons to celebrate life―just look closely around you. In one essay, she describes the simple pleasure that comes from clearing clutter off a desk―in another, the thrill of visiting the Statue of Liberty. The book’s grand finale is the Pushcart Prize-winning essay, “Glad to Be Human.”

One simple message. Through contemplation, meditation and with literary style, Glad to Be Human invites you to view life through a positive lens. From small, daily activities to journeys overseas, O’Garden has a knack for finding beauty and meaning in all life’s adventures―even in our deepest pain and suffering―helping all of us feel glad to be human.

If you enjoy Anne Morrow Lindbergh and Anne Lamott, or books like Risking the Rapids, The Book of Joy, The Book of Delights, or The Gratitude Diaries, you’ll love O’Garden’s Glad to Be Human.

Irene O’Garden has won―or been nominated for―prizes in nearly every writing category from stage to e-screen, hardcovers, children’s books, as well as literary magazines and anthologies. Her critically acclaimed play Women on Fire (Samuel French), starring Judith Ivey, played to sold-out houses at Off-Broadway’s Cherry Lane Theatre, and was nominated for a Lucille Lortel Award. O’Garden’s new memoir, Risking the Rapids: How My Wilderness Adventure Healed My Childhood was published by Mango Press in January 2019.

Kristine Carlson, New York Times bestselling author and world-renowned speaker, is passionate about spreading her message of waking up to life with joy and gratitude amidst the ups and downs of this earthly existence.

Kris’ life mission expands upon the phenomenal success of her late husband Dr. Richard Carlson’s work in the Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff series. She continues his legacy of peaceful and mindful living through her own bestselling books―Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff in Love, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff for Women, Don’t Sweat the Small Stuff for Moms, An Hour to Live, an Hour to Love: The True Story of the Best Gift Ever, and Heartbroken-Open: A Memoir Through Loss to Self Discovery―as well as her well-known “What Now?” program and her upcoming Happiness Training Courses.

Over the past two decades, Kris and Richard have sold more than 25 million books. She has been featured on national radio and television broadcasts, including The Today Show, Good Morning America, The View, and The Oprah Winfrey Show.