YaleNews features works recently or soon to be published by members of the University community. Descriptions are based on material provided by the publishers. Authors of new books may forward publishers’ book descriptions to us by email.

 

Resilience: The Science of Mastering Life’s Greatest Challenges

Dr. Steven M. Southwick, professor of psychiatry, and Dr. Dennis S. Charney

(Cambridge University Press)

This book identifies 10 key ways to weather and recover from stress and trauma. Incorporating the latest scientific research and dozens of interviews with trauma survivors, it provides a practical guide to building emotional, mental, and physical resilience.

Resilience, the authors contend, is not necessarily an inborn trait; it can be learned. They share what they have discovered about resilience from their own research in neuroscience, the latest scientific literature, and their interviews with hundreds of stress-resilient individuals including Special Forces instructors, prisoners of war, 9/11 survivors, and civilians from all walks of life. They found 10 common resilience factors — skills that the trauma survivors they interviewed used to beat the odds and thrive. By developing these skills we can improve our decision-making and performance during high stress situations, improve our overall health, and prevent stress-related medical and psychiatric illnesses.