Briles, a professional speaker focusing on book publishing, conflict resolution, and personal finance, effortlessly models coping with disaster through introspection and putting one foot forward at a time, never wallowing in the negative. Readers facing challenges at work will especially appreciate the details of how Briles built her businesses and the failures she faced along the way. She doesn’t shy away from discussing times when she was lied to and betrayed, and explains what she learned from each experience.

Though the title suggests otherwise, Briles’s optimism and determination aren’t rooted in scripture. Nonreligious readers looking to find the positive in negative experiences will find just as many answers. The practices Briles uses can be applied by any reader. Though she sometimes frames life through a religious lens (such as asking, “Why didn’t God prevent [Frank’s] accident from happening?”), she focuses on the human ability to persevere. This is an admirable guide to finding the gifts hidden inside tragedies.

Takeaway: Readers looking for a way through dark times will be inspired by Briles’s memoir of dogged persistence in the face of immense challenges.

Great for fans of Tim Hague’s Perseverance, Neil Pasricha’s How to Get Back Up.

Production grades
Cover: A
Design and typography: A
Illustrations: -
Editing: A
Marketing copy: B+