Secrets of the Superoptimist - Softcover

W.R. Morton and Nathaniel Whitten met in 1976, which happened to be the 200th anniversary of our nation’s independence. After publishing an underground newspaper which nearly got them both expelled from Henderson High School, Morton went on to get his masters in film criticism from USC, while Whitten graduated from New York University with an English degree, having served as editor of the NYU student newspaper. In the intervening years, both have worked various jobs in creative fields. Morton has worked as a creative director at AOL, a screenwriter in Hollywood, a life coach/computer troubleshooter for the likes of James L. Brooks, Hans Zimmer and Beck, and an artist whose work has been exhibited in the galleries of Venice, California. Whitten has spent the majority of his professional life as an award-winning copywriter in advertising, most notably with Chiat/Day, DDB, and JWT. He was creative director of his own shop, Weiss, Whitten, Stagliano which produced memorable work for the likes of Giorgio Armani, Ferrari, Guinness, and The Economist.

The brainchild of Morton and Whitten, a pair of "seekers of higher truth and optimal sensation" who claim to have received this book's 116 "wisdom transmissions" from a mysterious source called the SuperOptimist, this volume could become the self-help of choice for people who don't read self-help. This quirky, unique primer, categorized on its back cover as "Psychology/ Philosophy/ Great Religious Texts of the World/ Humor," provides more than 100 points of advice for achieving SuperOptimism, defined as "the mental discipline to reframe any situation into a favorable outcome." Centered around three central principles-believing in the preeminence of your own fortune, considering pain a kind of informative "sensation," and removing one's shoes whenever possible-specific "secrets" include: drink caffeine, "compare yourself downward," wear wool, "skip therapy," engage strangers and "tip everybody." The book also includes exercises and appendixes, as well as a handy, all-purpose slogan for 2007: "I can handle it." Whether or not one can, in fact, handle it, Morton and Whitten provide plenty of fresh perspective from way out in left field.
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