The Resilience Factor: 7 Keys to Finding Your Inner Strength and Overcoming Life's Hurdles

by Karen Reivich, Andrew Shatte

Resilience is a crucial ingredient–perhaps the crucial ingredient–to a happy, healthy life. More than anything else, it's what determines how high we rise above what threatens to wear us down, from battling an illness, to bolstering a marriage, to carrying on after a national crisis. Everyone needs resilience, and now two expert psychologists share seven proven techniques for enhancing our capacity to weather even the cruelest setbacks.

The science in The Resilience Factor takes an extraordinary leap from the research introduced in the bestselling Learned Optimism a decade ago. Just as hundreds of thousands of people were transformed by "flexible optimism," readers of this book will flourish, thanks to their enhanced ability to overcome obstacles of any kind. Karen Reivich and Andrew Shatté are seasoned resilience coaches and, through practical methods and vivid anecdotes, they prove that resilience is not just an ability that we're born with and need to survive, but a skill that anyone can learn and improve in order to thrive.

Readers will first complete the Resilience Questionnaire to determine their own innate levels of resilience. Then, the system at the heart of The Resilience Factor will teach them

• Cast off harsh self-criticisms and negative self-images
• Navigate through the fallout of any kind of crisis
• Cope with grief and anxiety
• Overcome obstacles in relationships, parenting, or on the job
• Achieve greater physical health
• Bolster optimism, take chances, and embrace life

In light of the unprecedented challenges we've recently faced, there’s never been a greater need to boost our resilience. Without resorting to feel-good pap or quick-fix clichés, The Resilience Factor is self-help at its best, destined to become a classic in the genre.

Genres: Self Help, Psychology, Nonfiction, Mental Health, Health, Personal Development, Business

352 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2002

Reviews

[Camden Hoeffner · Rating 4 out of 5]

So as a therapist I really try to stay away from self-help books. Most of them are super corny and really (in my opinion) are written by people trying to make a quick buck who don't know much about actually helping people make change in their life. This book was an exception. This book is written by individuals who have years of experience in research and treatment and training to help people change their lives for the better. As such, I found this book to be quite good. Not my normal read, but still very helpful and gave me a number of ideas to use in my own life and also to potentially help my clients with their own future issues. This book did a fantastic job at explaining even some semi-complex concepts which I think helps people really understand why they are saying what they are saying. Oh, and the examples were fantastic and really helped me grasp what they were trying to tell me with a given skills.

[William Schram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hypothetically, let’s say you have a problem. It doesn’t really matter how it happened, we all have them to some degree. However, some people seem blessed with the ability to cope with anything that life throws their way. Karen Reivich and Andrew Shatte have both spent their careers studying the unique quality that these people have tempered in order to survive and thrive.

This book is a fascinating one, it covers a topic that is near and dear to many, especially in our crazy, fast-paced modern world. We may be stagnating at work, maybe a relationship with a spouse or significant other is losing its magic, maybe your kids mystify you since they suddenly became different people overnight, or perhaps it is something else that throws you off. This book prepares you for life’s troubles.

The Resilience Factor opens with one of many relatable stories with our focus on a guy named Robert. Robert is living the American Dream; he has a fulfilling job, a beautiful wife, and three children. Unfortunately, things have been getting him down recently. His youngest child was diagnosed with ADHD, his middle daughter used to be vivacious and lively but has now become a teenager which makes her sullen and monotone. His eldest child is out until midnight some nights doing who knows what with strangers. His job has become a place where he puts out random fires, and rumor has it that downsizing is in the works. His relationship with his wife is on the rocks since he barely has any time to spend with her.

The major content of the book begins with a quiz to quantify your current level of resilience after which it discusses the techniques to increase it. The main idea is to reframe the events that happen to you. There is more to it than that, but I don’t really want to write any more redundant sentences.

So all in all, this book was pretty interesting.

[Bridgett · Rating 4 out of 5]

A dry book in some ways, but filled with useful information. I was already familiar with the cognitive distortions, but it was nice to go over them again. I'm going to try to apply what I've learned here because I am not a very resilient person.

[Glen Templeton · Rating 3 out of 5]

Could have been boiled down to a pamphlet. I skimmed the beginning, mostly because it didn't hold me interest. I am vet interested in the positive psychology movement, but I suggest you just read the practical applications section of this book.

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this at the recommendation of my therapist, who is currently reading it with another client. I try to take whatever she says seriously, so I immediately requested this book from my library. I even did the quiz and worked on the exercises, writing them down so I could commit them to memory for when I returned the book.

Honestly, I'm hugely impressed. I'm likely to purchase this book for myself because there are so many interesting points that I felt compelled to underline to revisit. For example, the fact that women tend to be 'ruminators'. The ABC method. The fast tricks to stop intrusive thoughts.

This was so incredibly well-researched. Though dense, it feels accessible and invigorating. I loved the plethora of examples, from work-based adversities to relationship-based adversities. The ways in which Reivich offer problem-solving solutions felt so much more freeing than any other kind of self-help book. I also really appreciated that they understood that this is a very self-focused kind of problem solving. Of course, while preventing adversities might be a two-way street (having a discussion with your significant other about how to navigate conversations), they recognize that problem-solving cannot always save a relationship or a friendship. Instead, it may be necessary to cut your losses, and this is in itself a manner of problem-solving.

My head still feels like it's swirling with all the information I'm starting to incorporate. If there's any self-help book for you to pick up and read, it's this one.

[Jenny · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book provided some good insight and tips to become more resilient (which are very much needed by yours truly). However, it was so exceedingly dry I couldn't muddle along to the end. DNF.

[John Bennetto · Rating 1 out of 5]

I am re-reading this book for the second time, and having read Seligman's books following it I feel no need to re-read this at all. The authors are, after all Seligman proteges.

All examples of real people used are from corporate backgrounds, with a couple of Uni students thrown in. If you are looking for self-help and do not have a corporate career, a happy and healthy family life including partner and children with crises only happening at work at the executive level or family issues, this book is not for you.

Issues with the book:
1/ Skip the first 64 pages - full of self-promotion, promotion of the book itself (you've bought it, why advertise it?) and examples of wealthy, enriched people who've just lost their way for a heartbeat.
2/ Brief, and I mean very brief history of psychology - really a brief history of why the the two authors got together.
3/ The obvious and glaring advertisement that these authors work with Fortune 500 companies and elite sports people...couldn't care less for those who are unmarried, suffering from depression or unemployed (they are only mentioned in passing).

Bottom Line: A book for men/women who are in stable relationships with children and excellent corporate career positions. Not for those who are likely to actually read the book.

[Okta Ardiansyah]

my name okta ardiansyah putra, iam from indonesia, now i'am college in university of muhammadiyah malang. this book is very importent to me couse, in this book i take the teory of recilience about aspect of recillience. i tried to looking for this book at many libraries but i cant fine it. please allow me to read this book. my parrent very hope i can finis my collage in november bucouse my dad retired on this month and he want to see me on the graduation day in that month. so please give me opportunity to read this book. thank you so much and i want say, my language is very bad so i ewant to apologize for tou all

[Michelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very practical guide to the thinking traps that make us turn mountains into molehills and build walls between people who really, truly want to get along. I was frankly surprised by my results on the "resiliency quiz" in the beginning of the book, and knowing my own resiliency profile made the suggestions in the rest of the book much more relevant and real.

Shares a good deal of theory with "Learned Optimism" by Marty Seligman.

[Jana · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Resilience Factor erklärt die 7 Resilienz-Skills, die sich in der Forschung der Autor:innen herausgebildet haben. Denn es kommt nicht darauf an, was im Leben passiert, sondern wie wir reagieren und wie wir unsere Fähigkeiten verbessern können.
Das Buch hat mir ziemlich gut gefallen. Man merkt, dass viel Forschung dahinter steckt und die Informationen sind gut strukturiert. Es gibt viele Beispielfälle (manchmal vielleicht etwas zu viele, sodass ich mich nicht mehr an Protagonist:innen erinnern konnte). Zudem gibt es Übungen und Selbsttests um den Leser aktiv einzubinden.
Etwas schade ist, dass das Buch schon über 20 Jahre alt ist. Eine Aktualisierung würde das ganze sicher etwas auffrischen und mit neuer Forschung untermauern können. Trotzdem für mich ein Buch, von dem viele Menschen profitieren könnten und dessen Inhalte mich hoffentlich weiter begleiten werden.
3,5 Sterne

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

https://ic.pics.livejournal.com/ariel...

I took some notes.

I read a really old edition of this book - the first one, published in 2002.

Maybe the newer editions are better updated with current statistics and references and better definitions.

I was a bit troubled that a book about resilience didn't define resilience anywhere.

Interesting context about psychology and the history behind schools of thought but it wasn't really necessary in a self-help book.

Would have liked to see other ways of becoming more resilient besides Aaron Beck's CBT methods.

Not a bad book, kind of dry, and felt it was lacking something. Maybe the newer editions are a bit better.

[Robert Bogue]

Resilience is a common term these days. Everyone wants to build resilience. Everyone wants to know how to make people recover rather than crumble from challenges. I picked up The Resilience Factor: 7 Keys to Finding Your Inner Strength and Overcoming Life’s Hurdles, because I was looking for secrets that would have given Alex what he needed to be more resilient. Life hit him with the loss of a former shipmate, and he couldn’t recover from it. In the end, I didn’t find what I was looking for – but that doesn’t mean that you can’t.

Read more

[J Crossley · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Resilience Factor looks at seven ways that you can increase your resilience. The authors show ways in which your current thinking can lead to negative emotional spirals. They provide a number of exercises that help to pull you out of those spirals and help you to learn to increase resilience. Rather than come up with general steps for increasing resilience, this book personalizes it by helping you to uncover your own issues.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was evidence-based, relatively easy to read, practical, and provided relatable examples of the exercises in action. Dr. Reivich and Dr. Shatte are clearly experts in the area of resilience, and have developed a solid, reliable framework and toolkit for cultivating our own. Recommend for anyone struggling to challenge their limiting beliefs, with patterns of destructive or unhelpful behavior they’d like to change, or more broadly struggling to cope.

[Sarah · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a reread for me; I first read it in college in a seminar with the authors when it first came out. At that time it seemed very applicable to my life, having just lived through the aftermath of 9/11 and a major depressive episode. The context was a bit different for me this time, but I still found it a valuable read and a good reminder of some of the very useful skills I’ve been practicing since.

[Meadow Johnson · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a self-described self-help book, so I shouldn’t be critical of that format...

The information was great. I particularly liked the part about ‘iceberg beliefs.’ I’ve thought about those a lot over the past few weeks as I analyze my interactions and responses.

In general, I prefer books that talk about methods and the science behind them. But, this was a good resource nonetheless.

[Maddy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Overall an interesting read with some good advice. However, it is quite dated. I had to google many of the references and there is an entire chapter devoted to the topic of the September 11th strategy. Nevertheless, there are still many relevant topics and both authors seem to have a depth of knowledge to draw upon.

[Chris DeGuzman · Rating 3 out of 5]

The book focuses heavily on belief systems and the connection to resilience. The information is helpful, but there was a lot of superfluous detail to get through in some of the stories to illustrate their points. I can see the value in this book for therapists, counselors, and coaches. It did not read, to me, like a book for just anyone struggling with resilience.

[Eric Satlow · Rating 3 out of 5]

I don't know if the programs described in this 20+ year-old book have been updated. The book is fine, reasonably accessible, although true confession, I did not do complete the assignments as I read. I mostly thought it sounded like The Optimistic Child and a fair amount of Cognitive Behavior Therapy. Maybe it just wasn't written in a style that grabbed me. Oh well.

[Ashley B · Rating 2 out of 5]

There are some good strategies in this book but I really struggled with the format, especially the volume of sample stories throughout the book and the introduction of new terminology (and acronyms) specific to the author. Not a smooth read.

[Frank · Rating 5 out of 5]

Insightful and practical

One of the most helpful books I’ve read in a long time. I need to read it again and take the time to work through the exercises. I feel that there is a tremendous set of tools here that I can benefit from for a lifetime.

[Tim Nowotny · Rating 5 out of 5]

I cannot recomment this book enough and I read it at just the right time for me. If you put a bit of work on it, you will profit from it. Basically, it connects cognitive coaching practices with resilience topis and makes then very actionable by that.

[Val · Rating 2 out of 5]

this book kept repeating itself over and over again. people say to get through the first chapter in order for it to give real advice but it’s a self improvement book, it shouldn’t take 30 pages for it to actually start giving me advice and bad advice too.

[Nicole Breen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Text for RES 800: Theoretical Foundations of Resiliency. Includes RQ test, strong examples, and practical ways to apply the skills. Not the typical “self-help” book- insightful and genuinely useful, would recommend!

[Sydney | The Bookish Bollinger · Rating 2 out of 5]

Read this for class. Wasn’t my favorite.

[Val Teglia · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good information and useful application. Be ready to do some work to apply the concepts!

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Did a 5 week positive psychology group using this book. It had very clear charts and eye opening revelations.

[Paul Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very useful and insightful. Not very easy to read. Could have used more tables, figures, summaries, bullet points, cartoons etc. to make it less dry

[Muhammad Usmany · Rating 5 out of 5]

i have to read this book because i need solution for my life

[Justin Steckbauer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a really fascinating book about leadership and wisdom in living.