Find the good

As the obituary writer in a spectacularly beautiful but often dangerous spit of land in Alaska, Heather Lende knows something about last words and lives well lived. Now she & rsquo;s distilled what she & rsquo;s learned about how to live a more exhilarating and meaningful life into three words: find the good. It & rsquo;s that simple--and that hard. Quirky and profound, individual and universal, Find the Good offers up short chapters that help us unlearn the habit--and it is a habit--of seeing only the negatives. Lende reminds us that we can choose to see any event--starting a new job or being laid off from an old one, getting married or getting divorced--as an opportunity to find the good. As she says, & ldquo;We are all writing our own obituary every day by how we live. The best news is that there & rsquo;s still time for additions and revisions before it goes to press. & rdquo; Ever since Algonquin published her first book, the New York Times bestseller If You Lived Here, I & rsquo;d Know Your Name, Heather Lende has been praised for her storytelling talent and her plainspoken wisdom. The Los Angeles Times called her & ldquo;part Annie Dillard, part Anne Lamott, & rdquo; and that comparison has never been more apt as she gives us a fresh, positive perspective from which to view our relationships, our obligations, our priorities, our community, and our world. An antidote to the cynicism and self-centeredness that we are bombarded with every day in the news, in our politics, and even at times in ourselves, Find the Good helps us rediscover what & rsquo;s right with the world. & ldquo;Heather Lende & rsquo;s small town is populated with big hearts--she finds them on the beach, walking her granddaughters, in the stories of ordinary peoples & rsquo; lives, and knits them into unforgettable tales. Find the Good is a treasure. & rdquo; & mdash;Jo-Ann Mapson, author of Owen & rsquo;s Daughter & ldquo;Find the Good is excellent company in unsteady times ... Heather Lende is the kind of person you want to sit across the kitchen table from on a rainy afternoon with a bottomless cup of tea. When things go wrong, when things go right, her quiet, commonsense wisdom, self-examining frankness, and good-natured humor offer a chance to reset, renew, rebalance. & rdquo; & mdash;Pam Houston, author of Contents May Have Shifted & ldquo;With gentle humor and empathy [Lende] introduces a number of people who provide examples of how to live well ... [Find the Good] is simple yet profound. & rdquo; & mdash;Booklist & ldquo;In this cynical world, Find the Good is a tonic, a literary wellspring, which will continue to run, and nurture, even in times of drought. What a brave and beautiful thing Heather Lende has made with this book. & rdquo; & mdash;John Straley, Shamus Award winner and former writer laureate of Alaska & ldquo;Heather Lende is a terrific writer and terrific company: intimate, authentic, and as quirky as any of her subjects. & rdquo; & mdash;Marilyn Johnson, author of The Dead Beat.

The good news -- Pretty good is better than perfect -- Stop and smell the fish -- Draw lines in the sand so you can move them -- Wear a personal flotation device -- Be sure your dog walks you -- Send a forwarding address -- Hop 'til you drop -- Hold on tight -- Put on a costume now and then -- Take the kind of happiness that comes your way -- Practice staggered breathing -- Make it shine -- Give yourself to love -- Don't judge a lady by her hat -- Listen to your mother -- Tell them you'll miss them when they're gone -- Make your own good weather.