Gift Of Adversity: The Unexpected Benefits Of Life's Difficulties, Setbacks, And Imperfections

Adversity is an irreducible fact of life. Although we can and, should, learn from all experiences, both positive and negative, bestselling author, Dr. Norman E. Rosenthal, believes that adversity is by far the best teacher most of us will ever encounter. Whether the adversity one experiences is the result of poor decision-making, a desire to test one's mettle or plain bad luck, Rosenthal believes life's most important lessons from the value of family to the importance of occasionally cutting corners can be best learned from it. Using stories from his own life including his childhood in the apartheid-era of South Africa, his years after suffering a violent attack from a stranger and his career as a psychiatrist as well as case studies and discussions with well-known figures like Viktor Frankl and David Lynch, Rosenthal shows that true innovation, emotional resilience, wisdom and dignity can only come from confronting and understanding the adversity we have experienced. Even when life is hardest, there are meanings to be found, riches to be harvested and gifts that can last a lifetime. Rosenthal illustrates his message through a series of compact, memorable chapters, each one drawn from episodes in the lives of his patients, colleagues or himself and concluded with a take-away maxim on the lesson learned.