Supersurvivors

The Surprising Link Between Suffering and Success

By: David B. Feldman, Lee Daniel Kravetz

Narrated by: Joel Richards

Starting where resiliency studies leave off, two psychologists explore the science of remarkable accomplishment in the wake of trauma, revealing the surprising principles that allow people to transform their lives and achieve extraordinary things.

Over four billion people worldwide will survive a trauma during their lives. Some will experience severe post-traumatic stress. Most will eventually recover and return to life as normal. But sometimes, survivors do more than bounce back. Sometimes they bounce forward.

These are the Supersurvivors—individuals who not only rebuild their lives, but also thrive and grow in ways never previously imagined. Beginning where resilience ends, David B. Feldman and Lee Daniel Kravetz look beyond the tenets of traditional psychology for a deeper understanding of the strength of the human spirit. What they have found flies in the face of conventional wisdom—that positive thinking may hinder more than help; that perceived support can be just as good as the real thing; and that realistic expectations may be a key to great success.

They introduce the humble but powerful notion of grounded hope as the foundation for overcoming trauma. The authors interviewed dozens of men and women whose stories serve as the counterpoint to the latest scientific research. Feldman and Kravetz then brilliantly weave these extraordinary narratives with new science, creating an emotionally compelling and thought-provoking look at what is possible in the face of human tragedy. Supersurvivors will reset our thinking about how we deal with challenges, no matter how big or small.

Mostly Pros

Within are some great tear inducing stories that showcase how amazing humans can be with a smattering of what appears to be a slightly political point of view. Also the disjointed style of leaving a story and returning to it later makes it difficult for a audio book listener to follow at times. While I would not agree with all the authors conclusion it was a good investment of time.

new favorite!

Loved the book! Highly recommended! I found myself very inspired and realistic at the same time!

Thought provoking

Great read! Everyone of us is a super survivor. Thought provoking insight into what makes a person a super survivor and the reason they feel they are not. Loved it!!!

Encouraging

I liked the multiple stories of successful trauma survivors. Many times you only hear of the disastrous results of pain. In this book there is a path of hope created and sustained for the survivors that brings encouragement to people of all walks of life.

Lacks the psychological perspective

This seemed to be 9 chapters of stories and 1 chapter summarizing those stories. There wasn’t a deep dive into the psyche of these people’s minds. It was really a book about emotional fortitude that was poorly written:

The topic was fantastic and the title was great, but I didn’t learn anything or gain any insight.