The world may be a tough and tenuous place, but we humans tend to think that the future will be better than the past. Why? In the new TED ebook, The Science of Optimism: Why We’re Hard-Wired for Hope, author Tali Sharot expands on her earlier research into the optimism bias, and explores the many reasons why we are biologically predisposed to believe the best is yet to come. We imagine our kids will be a success or we’ll find true love and that great job — not because we are naturally positive creatures, but because of the way our frontal cortex communicates with subcortical regions deep in our brain. Not the stuff that pop songs are made of, but fascinating nonetheless. There’s another advantage to walking on the sunny side of the street. Optimism not only makes our lives easier and more pleasant, but can also breed success. “Optimism,” Tarot notes, “increases explorative behavior and innovation, which is why so many entrepreneurs are on the optimistic side.”

The Science of Optimism is available for the Kindle and Nook, as well as through the iBookstore. Or download the TED Books app for your iPad or iPhone..