The second book in the Positive Psychology News series explores the benefits and practices of gratitude and looking at the world with an appreciative eye. Like the earlier book on resilience, it conveys compelling research results with stories, examples, and suggested actions that are immediately useful. Topics include talking to children about gratitude, giving gifts that increase happiness, fresh ways to celebrate holidays, and experiencing gratitude in unlikely situations.

Do you ever lie awake worrying at night? Do you worry about how your boss is unhappy with your work or how you failed an exam or how your son may get swine flu or how your parents are old and need attention? Yes, some things are bad. We don't deny it. The biggest misperception about positive psychology is that it is positive thinking. It is not. Positive psychology is the study of what makes people grow and flourish, no matter what circumstances surround them. Life includes grief and loss. As a prominent professor says, "Positive psychology is the permission to be human." But worrying about things that may never occur takes a huge toll on people. People may also attach more suffering than necessary to negative events by creating interpretations that make them feel helpless. This little book explores an important topic in the field of positive psychology: Why do some people go through hard times and be-come stronger and more appreciative of their lives? Do they think differently than other people? Do they behave differently? What can we learn from them that can make other people's lives better? What tools and techniques emerge from research that can help all of us deal more effectively with the challenges of our time?