Blame Jake and Cam

Well, I’ve gone and done it. The world now has another book it didn’t ask for, and I have a new reason to be self-deprecating. I’ve finished a book. It’s called Unpacking the Optimist Creed, and it is precisely what it says on the cover, so judge away. This isn’t some nebulous philosophical ramble; it is a meticulous, line-by-line breakdown of that old, annoyingly earnest creed from 1912 and the basis of my life as a member of Optimist International. I take each statement and pull it apart, examining its spiritual resonance, its humanist ethics, and its sheer, unmitigated audacity in the face of modern life. It’s a forensic analysis of hope, but with considerably more sarcasm than is typically found in forensic work.

And in a glorious tribute to the perfectly flawed human condition, there’s a few magnificent little typos. Where it should read “Yourself”, one of the chapter titles instead proudly proclaims “Yourslf”. I’m told by my publisher (that’s me) this is the first time a book has been published with a chapter dedicated to a non-existent word, and I can only say, you’re welcome. It’s a bonus. A little secret handshake for the reader who appreciates that our best intentions often end up with an awkward typo. There are also two extra periods..

The book goes on sale on today, which would have been my mother’s birthday. She had this extraordinary and maddening ability to see the good in everyone, even to her own detriment. It’s a trait I inherited, and it is a constant, exhausting battle to live up to. This book is, in a way, my attempt to make sense of that inheritance. It’s a look at why we should cling to optimism even when all the evidence suggests we shouldn’t.

So, if you’re the kind of person who finds solace in a well-placed bad joke and believes that a tiny bit of hope is a more powerful weapon than a mountain of cynicism, then this book is for you. It’s a deep dive into an old idea, with all its shiny new imperfections on display.

Unpacking the Optimist Creed is available now. You can get your own wonderfully flawed copy here. Just try not to point and laugh too hard. Autographs are free if you catch me in the wild. No pictures, please.