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The Climate Optimist Handbook: How to Shift the Narrative on Climate Change and Find the Courage to Choose Change
How do you find the courage to choose positive change in uncertain times? How do you spread optimism to people concerned about the future but who feel too overwhelmed to know how to act?
Anne Therese Gennari has been seeking the answers to those questions most of her life, and in The Climate Optimist Handbook, she offers encouragement, wisdom, and practical tools to help us let go of fear and the dismal truth of today to build toward a world that can be better and more beautiful than anything we’ve yet seen.
That future starts with shifting the narrative on climate change so we can act from courage and excitement, not fear. We must let go of the guilt and responsibility we feel to save the planet and move into a place of opportunity, optimism, and hope. We should act not because it’s our duty, but because we recognize the beautiful and exciting opportunity we have to participate in the shift toward an even better world.
The Climate Change Optimist Handbook will guide you through that shift to become your own source of optimism. You will learn the psychological reasons we aren’t acting more on climate change and gain tools and mindset tips to model positive change in your community and home. A grounded and resilient leader is waiting to be born inside you—one who doesn’t just believe a better world is possible, but who is eager and excited to do everything possible to make that world a reality.
Anne Therese Gennari has been seeking the answers to those questions most of her life, and in The Climate Optimist Handbook, she offers encouragement, wisdom, and practical tools to help us let go of fear and the dismal truth of today to build toward a world that can be better and more beautiful than anything we’ve yet seen.
That future starts with shifting the narrative on climate change so we can act from courage and excitement, not fear. We must let go of the guilt and responsibility we feel to save the planet and move into a place of opportunity, optimism, and hope. We should act not because it’s our duty, but because we recognize the beautiful and exciting opportunity we have to participate in the shift toward an even better world.
The Climate Change Optimist Handbook will guide you through that shift to become your own source of optimism. You will learn the psychological reasons we aren’t acting more on climate change and gain tools and mindset tips to model positive change in your community and home. A grounded and resilient leader is waiting to be born inside you—one who doesn’t just believe a better world is possible, but who is eager and excited to do everything possible to make that world a reality.
382 pages, Kindle Edition
Published October 21, 2022
16 people are currently reading
248 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews
December 16, 2022
Climate change is an inevitable and urgent global challenge that we need to address with urgency. We are flooded with news about the harmful effects of climate change and the challenges we can face in future. These type of news fill us with fear and anxiety. Instead of getting afraid about climate change and not doing anything about it, the author motivates readers to find the courage we need to make a change in the world for a better tomorrow.
The book gives you a mindset shift, a new look at yourself, the world, and the possibilities we hold moving forward. To see this issue in a new light, a beautiful opportunity to rethink about our world and how we live in it. It shows that with the right use of technology it’s even possible and even cheaper to save the planet from climate change. It presents a good picture of the challenges we’re facing and how important your part can be in this journey of making a better world.
When I first saw this book I thought it’ll be an another book on saving the planet from climate crisis, but the approach of this book is different. It explains why warnings and do’s and don’ts given to people fail to bring any positive change. The author explains that the advice given to people is correct but how they’re presented doesn’t motivate them to take actions and bring a change.
The author speaks from her heart. It reflects in her writing that how much she cares about this issue and for the betterment of the world. This book touched my heart.
The book gives you a mindset shift, a new look at yourself, the world, and the possibilities we hold moving forward. To see this issue in a new light, a beautiful opportunity to rethink about our world and how we live in it. It shows that with the right use of technology it’s even possible and even cheaper to save the planet from climate change. It presents a good picture of the challenges we’re facing and how important your part can be in this journey of making a better world.
When I first saw this book I thought it’ll be an another book on saving the planet from climate crisis, but the approach of this book is different. It explains why warnings and do’s and don’ts given to people fail to bring any positive change. The author explains that the advice given to people is correct but how they’re presented doesn’t motivate them to take actions and bring a change.
The author speaks from her heart. It reflects in her writing that how much she cares about this issue and for the betterment of the world. This book touched my heart.
February 17, 2023
The Climate Optimist Handbook was the most enjoyable, inspiring, and practical text. I traveled with it everywhere- reading it at work, in the car when I had a minute, fitting in sections after I put the kids to bed- I just never wanted to put it down! For two weeks I savored these morsels of thoughtful, heartfelt writing, reflecting on her suggestions and ideas as I went about my days.
The author offers a personal perspective on the climate crisis, and explains how her upbringing and young adulthood contributed to her path to becoming a Climate Optimist. This I found to be a refreshing and engaging way in to a topic so commonly externalized with data. She shares how the climate crisis is a *human* crisis, and one with many layers. And how even so, we are more than capable of opening our hearts to a world worth saving, and taking one impactful step at a time.
I particularly enjoyed how digestible the book was, it being organized into short chapters- really each musings on a topic. Also, she includes two great sections at the end, highlighting tips for individual action, as well as providing a glossary of climate-oriented terminology to help further one's understanding of content and conversation in the climate space.
Such a wonderful book in so many ways! Go read it!
The author offers a personal perspective on the climate crisis, and explains how her upbringing and young adulthood contributed to her path to becoming a Climate Optimist. This I found to be a refreshing and engaging way in to a topic so commonly externalized with data. She shares how the climate crisis is a *human* crisis, and one with many layers. And how even so, we are more than capable of opening our hearts to a world worth saving, and taking one impactful step at a time.
I particularly enjoyed how digestible the book was, it being organized into short chapters- really each musings on a topic. Also, she includes two great sections at the end, highlighting tips for individual action, as well as providing a glossary of climate-oriented terminology to help further one's understanding of content and conversation in the climate space.
Such a wonderful book in so many ways! Go read it!
October 1, 2024
This book is highly recommended to anyone working in climate advocacy. When you start this work you might be full of expectations and good intentions to help solve the climate crisis. After a couple of years you realize that progress moves slowly if at all - it's a marathon, not a sprint. It includes setbacks as those who are in opposition are pushing back event harder (and playing "dirty" by bribing legislators and lying about what's going on).
This book follows the authors own journey to overcome the difficulties and learning to feel more optimistic about the situation. Many examples are given. Since everyone is different, not all of her advice will apply to your particular case, but you expand your viewpoint on how to look at things and how you react and persevere.
This book follows the authors own journey to overcome the difficulties and learning to feel more optimistic about the situation. Many examples are given. Since everyone is different, not all of her advice will apply to your particular case, but you expand your viewpoint on how to look at things and how you react and persevere.
March 8, 2023
A hopeful and motivating must read for everyone! "The Climate Optimist Handbook" is as much a handbook on living life as it is on being a climate optimist and changing the narrative on climate change. Anne Therese clearly spent a great deal of time, research, and introspection in writing the Handbook, which seamlessly benefits the reader by moving us along to heal ourselves and the planet. There are many "ah ha" moments while reading during which we realize how an optimistic approach to the climate crisis can best allow humanity to address it with love, realism, and acceptance rather than with shame, anger and doom-ism.
October 4, 2023
For me, living in Latin America, some of the advice in the book sometimes seemed unrealistic and basically impossible to implement, so sometimes the book was not easy to follow.
Overall, I liked the idea of not letting the environment, the people around you or the current crisis let you down and slow you down and learning that we have the ability to overcome this rather difficult time to make a difference. Some of the information she shared seemed quite new and hopeful to me.
Overall, I liked the idea of not letting the environment, the people around you or the current crisis let you down and slow you down and learning that we have the ability to overcome this rather difficult time to make a difference. Some of the information she shared seemed quite new and hopeful to me.
December 7, 2024
As a climate activist I'm sorry to say I didn't find this book inspiring, but maybe it just wasn't a book for me. Hopefully it speaks to people who are in the beginning of their activism journey, and if it can get more people involved in climate action and sustainable transition it will have achieved its goal.
November 29, 2022
I got this thinking I knew all there was to know about the climate movement. I def got some new insights here and I also will be passing this to a friend as its a gentle read for anyone who wants to know more on how they can be involved.
August 20, 2024
Has inspiring content and I admired the authors honesty and vulnerability
Displaying 1 - 8 of 8 reviews