ONE SIMPLE IDEA How Positive Thinking Reshaped Modern Life

This is a scholarly yet thoroughly enjoyable account, beginning in the 1830s, of how positive thinking and other mind-over-matter life systems developed. Author Horowitz narrates with the polished diction and phrasing of a voice pro. His clear voice and natural enthusiasm make even the slower-moving early chapters sound crisp. The author's meticulous research details the fascinating dynamics that played out between people like Mary Baker Eddy and institutions like the Christian Science religion. He also describes how the "new thought" of the early twentieth century developed into today's approaches to helping people remove psychological obstacles, develop potentials, and give meaning to life. This is a satisfying lesson not just on positive thinking but also on how such movements navigate the resistance of public and private institutions. T.W. © AudioFile 2014, Portland, Maine [Published: MAY 2014]