General Content: Martin Seligman’s book Learned Optimism has reached classic status in many circles. In it, Seligman delineates his theory about why optimism is important and disputes the fact that optimism cannot be learned. The book is accompanied by a questionnaire in which the listening is asked 48 questions. Based on the responses, Seligman offer a characterization of the level of optimism or pessimism present in the individual as well as suggestions for changes that could result in a happier state of being.

Overall, I really enjoyed Learned Optimism and felt that I got a great deal from it. My only criticism was that the title seemed severely abridged. The original book is 336 pages and yet it was shortened to an audiotape not much over an hour in length. This is a title that I think is so important and ground-breaking that I would prefer to listen to it in its entirety. Unfortunately, as far as I can tell, no unabridged audio version currently exists.

So while it’s well worth a listen, individuals looking to learn Learned Optimism might be better off purchasing a book to gain a better understanding of Seligman’s viewpoints.

Audio-Specific Content: I listened to the abridged version of Learned Optimism on one cassette (1 hour and 24 minutes in length). It was narrated by the author who did a good job and the recording also included the voices of others acting out various scenarios in which the concept of Learned Optimism is explained. As mentioned previously, this was a severely abridged version of the book which might disappoint individuals looking for more details about Seligman’s theories. Another note of caution: Because this book is so heavily dependent on the survey that is distributed along with the CD and cassette versions, individuals purchasing the downloadable version (through Audible.com) might have a tough time relating to much of the book. If you do decide to listen to this one you might be advised to get the CD or cassette version rather than the digital one.