If you are searching for the best books on hope to read this year, you have come to the right place. I am aware that not everybody has a natural affinity with the word hope. You might call it positivity, belief, vision or faith. Whatever your expression, we can all agree that hope is an essential element in the struggle to both survive and thrive.
Hope is one of the key components in Positive Education. Using a strengths-based approach and building upon positive emotions, schools and workplaces can become optimal places of learning and creativity. Hope is not wishful thinking. It is an active force that shapes how we see our future and how hard we work to reach it.
The US Air Force teach that there is one number that can help you survive in any situation, and that number is 3. You cannot survive 3 months without companionship or love, 3 weeks without food, 3 days without water, 3 hours without shelter in extreme conditions, 3 minutes without air – and 3 seconds without hope. Hope is that foundational. Hope is often made up of a one-two combination of belief and expectation. When we are in a positive emotional state, neurochemicals called endorphins are released, enabling us to overcome obstacles we would not otherwise be able to scale.
Hope is not just an idea I want to spread. It is a value I want to embolden. So here are my top five best books on hope that I would recommend to anyone who leads a school, a company or a family.
1. The Psychology of Hope – C.R. Snyder
This is the hope textbook. Professor Snyder was a specialist in positive psychology and most of his work was conducted at the University of Kansas. For a textbook, it is a great read – full of illustrations, insights and clinical cases. It presents what Snyder called Hope Theory, which consists of three elements. The first is the ability of an individual to envision goals. The second is understanding that there are many pathways to that goal. The third is self-efficacy – the capacity to muster up power and energy in pursuit of that goal. When all three elements are in place, a person has hope. Indeed, this is one of the best books on hope for anyone leading a company, a school or a family.
Hope Theory: goals, pathways and the agency to pursue them. When all three are present, hope is alive.
C.R. Snyder, The Psychology of Hope
2. The Anatomy of Hope – Dr Jerome Groopman
Why do some people find and sustain hope during difficult circumstances, while others do not? This book answers that question. Dr Groopman draws on thirty years of medical practice to distil the reach and limits of hope – including the critical difference between false hope and true hope. He explains that for many, their initial response to hope is vague and mythical, thinking of it as a magical wand in a fairy tale that will by itself miraculously restore a patient. As a rational scientist trained to decode the sequence of DNA and decipher the function of proteins, he once fled those fairy-tale claims of hope. However, today he looks for hope in every patient he sees. Moreover, this book is a profound reminder that hope is not a luxury – it is a clinical necessity.
3. Resonant Leadership – Richard Boyatzis and Annie McKee
While not exclusively a book on hope, Resonant Leadership dedicates a whole chapter to its importance. The subtitle says it all: Renewing Yourself and Connecting with Others Through Mindfulness, Hope and Compassion. Napoleon Bonaparte said that leaders are dealers in hope. Furthermore, this book argues that the capacity to lead is entirely dependent on a leader’s ability to inspire hope in others. One of my favourite ideas from this book is that hope is not delusional. As the authors put it, hope “gives us the strength to deal with the current reality while engaging our talents in moving toward the future.” In other words, hope is not about denying difficulty – it is about transforming how we respond to it.
Leaders are dealers in hope.
Napoleon Bonaparte, quoted in Resonant Leadership
4. Making Hope Happen – Dr Shane Lopez
Modern, incredibly well-researched and deeply practical. This is a book for people who believe their future can be better than their past – and who are looking for a way to make it so. Dr Lopez is a Gallup Senior Scientist, so his data is first class. He has published seven books, including the Encyclopaedia of Positive Psychology. His message is clear and powerful: hope matters, hope is a choice, hope can be learned, and hope is contagious. Above all, this book is filled with compelling evidence on why hope is vital in every arena and how it increases our productivity, our relationships and our resilience. Therefore, if you only read one book from this list, make it this one.
5. Hope in the Dark – Rebecca Solnit
This is a beautiful piece of writing – vital for every leader, activist or educator who has ever had doubts about their cause. Our world today is complex, uncertain and full of disruption – politically, technologically, socially and environmentally. This book helps us realise that every act does in fact make a difference, and that the positive consequences of our actions are not always immediately measurable. It also helps the reader embrace uncertainty, because doing so is more useful and more accurate than passive optimism, pessimism or despair. After all, hope in the dark is still hope – and it is often the most courageous kind.
Why the Best Books on Hope Still Matter
Reading is one of the most powerful acts of self-investment available to us. These five books on hope – across psychology, medicine, leadership, science and activism – remind us that hope is not naive. It is not a passive wish for things to be better. It is an active, trained, teachable quality that shapes how we see the world and how hard we work to change it. As I say to every student and teacher I meet: hope is tenacious, hope is audacious, and hope is positively contagious.
Furthermore, the research is consistent. Hope is associated with better academic performance, stronger mental health, greater resilience and more meaningful relationships. In short, hope is not a soft skill. It is a survival skill – and these books will show you why.
Want to build a culture of hope in your school? At The HopeFULL Institute we deliver powerful school seminars that help students discover their strengths, build resilience and find their purpose. Book a school seminar or visit The HopeFULL Institute to learn more.