Astrophysicist-turned-journalist, and former Editor-in- Chief of the New Scientist, Sumit Paul-Choudhury offers practical suggestions on what it really takes to be an optimist today and, in doing so, provides a powerful manifesto for hope and a much-needed new perspective on our prospects. He shows how, by embracing action, imagination and possibility, we can find a path to the bright side, even, perhaps especially, when the future seems dark.