Intrinsic Hope: Living Courageously in Troubled Times - Paperback

by Kate Davies (Author), Vicki Robin (Foreword by)

A different kind of hope for living in these turbulent times

Climate disruption. Growing social inequality. Pollution. We are living in an era of unprecedented crises, resulting in widespread feelings of fear, despair, and grief. Now, more than ever, maintaining hope for the future is a monumental task.

Intrinsic Hope offers a powerful antidote to these feelings. It shows how conventional ideas of hope are rooted in the belief that life will conform to our wishes and how this leads to disappointment, despair, and a dismal view of the future. As an alternative, it offers "intrinsic hope," a powerful, liberating, and positive approach to life based on having a deep trust in whatever happens. The author, a hopeful survivor, shows how to cultivate intrinsic hope through practical tips and six mindful habits for living a positive, courageous life in these troubled times.

Whether working directly on ecological or social issues or worried about children and grandchildren, this book is for everyone concerned about the future and looking for a deeper source of hope for a better world.

AWARDS

• GOLD 2018 Nautilus Book Awards: Social Grand Prize Overall Winner
• GOLD 2018 Nautilus Book Awards: Personal Growth

Front Jacket

This deeply wise book...evolves our consciousness and frees our heart to act on behalf of this world we love.
-- Tara Brach, author, Radical Acceptance and True Refuge

Weaves together the practical with the political, the social with the spiritual, and the economical with the ecological. It is a remarkable achievement! -- Satish Kumar, Editor Emeritus, Resurgence & Ecologist magazine

If you feel despair for our endangered world, read this remarkable book and then act.
-- Bill Plotkin, Ph.D., author, Soulcraft and Wild Mind

Climate disruption. Growing social inequality. Pollution. We are living in an era of unprecedented crises, resulting in widespread feelings of fear, despair, and grief.

Intrinsic Hope offers a powerful antidote to these feelings. It shows how conventional ideas of hope are rooted in the belief that life will conform to our wishes and how this leads to disappointment, despair, and a dismal view of the future. As an alternative, it offers "intrinsic hope," a powerful, liberating, and positive approach to life based on having a deep trust in whatever happens. The author, a hopeful survivor, shows how to cultivate intrinsic hope through practical tips and six mindful habits for living a positive, courageous life in these troubled times.

For everyone concerned about the future and looking for a deeper source of hope for a better world.

I'm someone to whom hope does not come naturally every day. That makes the insights in these pages all the more valuable to me, and I suspect to others.
-- Bill McKibben, author, Radio Free Vermont, co-founder and senior advisor, 350.org

Kate Davies, MA, DPhil, is emeritus faculty at Antioch University, senior fellow at the Whidbey Institute, and clinical associate professor in the University of Washington's School of Public Health. She is the author of The Rise of the U.S. Environmental Health Movement and lives in Langley, WA.

Author Biography

Kate Davies MA, DPhil, has worked on environmental and social issues for her entire career. She set up and managed the City of Toronto's Environmental Protection Office and established and directed a successful environmental policy consulting company. Davies is currently clinical associate professor in the School of Public Health at the University of Washington, emeritus faculty at Antioch University, and senior fellow at the Whidbey Institute. Her written work has been published in newspapers, magazines and journals across North America and internationally. Her first book, The Rise of the U.S. Environmental Health Movement, was selected by Booklist as one of the top ten books on sustainability published in 2013. Davies lives in Langley, WA.