This book provides a readable and informative discussion of hope. A starting point for the book is the current anxious and volatile state of the world, with a focus on a range of Western-centred concerns such as personal illness ageing, the recent 'global financial crises' and terrorism. The book speaks to its intended middle-class Western audience, as an early claim is that many people today exist in a state of affluence yet lack a clear sense of purpose.
References are made to prominent historical events, such as WWII, POW camps and other disturbing events, and the dire situations for people living in countries such as Liberia. Concurrently, the authors provide poignant passages from literature or uplifting scenarios of extraordinary hopeful individuals, perhaps to counter the risk of the reader's despair. However, in the discussion of inspiring (and uninspiring) world leaders it was surprising to see Fidel Castro referred to as a terrorist, while Mao Tse Tung was elevated to being an inspired leader. Mao may provide hope for some Chinese. However, his leadership is linked to the deaths of over 50 million people .
The book opens and ends with the assertion that hope is a crucial component of the human experience, and is a way of being in the world as well as a tool for arriving at desired psychological destinations. Scioli and Biller's stated goals are to bring disparate fields together and to capture the entire breadth of the hope experience. A particular strength is the pluralistic approach. A wide spectrum of sources spanning different cultures, religions, the arts, literature, philosophy, science, history and popular culture is drawn on.
The book is divided into two parts. Part One (Chapters 1-8) explores the 'roots' or the legacy of hope by reviewing existing knowledge and understandings of hope. The authors present their main organizing framework, which they use to claim that hope has three dimensions or 'vital motives': (1) mastery; (2) attachment and (3) survival. Accordingly, human beings can express or acquire hope in these three distinct ways, and different religions reflect one or more of these three dimensions. Part Two (Chapters 9-16) takes a practical orientation and aims to provide the 'wings' of hope. The chapters discuss the benefits of experiencing a hope-orientated life. The authors not only provide advice on how to achieve this for oneself, but also in terms of the skills required to become a 'hope provider' for others. Some sections of Part Two read like a standard self-help manual. However, this book does not prescribe recipes or miracle cures. Rather, there is recognition that different approaches may suit particular personalities, socio-cultural contexts and different life stages or circumstances.
The authors claim that hope is our most important emotion, and that Western culture has lost touch with the social roots and richness of hope. They argue that there is a need for a type of hope that extends beyond simply striving for personal goals and individual wellness. They advocate 'communal hope', which has an emphasis on relationships, rather than being limited to the sphere of an autonomous individual. Examples of concentration camp survivors are used to argue that hope is much more than a salivating dog waiting for treats. Scioli and Biller's critiques of both Freud and Behaviorists suggest that a 'passive humanity' risks perpetuating a narrow version of hope as egoistic satiation. Such egoistic expectations are, in part, connected to the authors' claim that many in the West lack purpose.
The negative view of hope, as a naive denial of the painful realities of life, is also discussed. In contrast, the authors argue that active hope requires attention, creativity and agency, and is distinct