Straight from The Horse’s Mouth

There is a new book by a gentleman named David Niven called "Up! A Pragmatic Look at the Direction of Life". He noticed that we are disturbed by the wrong things, and took it upon himself to collect information to dispute what we think is fact. I hate being wrong, but in this case, David Niven puts a smile on my face.

There is a lot we think we know and worry about which happens to be based on hear-say rather than truth. Glenn and I saw this first hand when we traveled South America; it's not nearly as scary as you've heard. The fact is, people embellish stories and their dramatic rendition becomes truth over time.

If you watch the news there seems to be enough war, unemployment, oil spills, diseases and terrorism to make a person lose all hope for the future. Yet in FACT, humanity is much better off now than ever before. Global studies on crime rates, evidence from surveys, census counts, and the like, show how we are decidedly better off mentally and physically, better off at home and at work.

Yes, life is hard. Everything is getting more complicated. Time seems short. The challenges we struggle against today are unlike anything our parents faced, and like nothing our grandparents could even imagine. The headline of a recent news report blared, “Life is Harder Now, Experts Say.” So what good reason do we have for enthusiasm when there is so much weighing us down?

In spite of the difficulties, life today is better than it has ever been; better than it was a decade ago, a century ago, and before. On every page of this book, you’ll see that in real, meaningful, and important ways, life is not just good, it’s getting better all the time. Up! is an appreciation of what you have, a reminder of all that is good, and of all the opportunities and advantages that surround us in modern life. While not a Pollyanna-ish denial of trouble each entry makes the case for optimism using thorough studies and true facts.

For example: Life expectancy has expanded faster in the last 100 years than it did over the previous 5000 years. We all have the feeling that we’re running out of time, there’s too much to do, and we’ll never have a moment to ourselves. But the truth is that we’ve never had so much time.

Actual crime rates are decreasing. IQ scores are up 15 points over the last 50 years. Survival rates for cancer are improving dramatically. Cars are vastly safer than they were a decade ago. Volunteer rates are skyrocketing. The death rate for all wars happening right now is lower than it has been in the whole history of war.

With this book you walk away with a powerful, affirmative message that life is good. Life keeps getting more interesting and more rewarding. Reading UP! is a chance to build a little confidence, to build a little energy and anticipation for what what you have and what comes next. You can relax and say "Ahhh", with a smile on your face, and that is a fact.