Choose Hope (Always Choose Hope), by Elizabeth J. Clark, Covenant Books, Inc., ISBN 9781640031944, Murrells Inlet, SC, 2017, 140 pages, $13.95 (print) $9.95 (Kindle).
Hope is a word that holds a variety of meanings, depending on the person using it and the context in which it is being used. However, the one thing synonymous with hope, as the author points out, is that hope is absolutely necessary at the individual, community, and global levels—or for us as social workers, at the micro, mezzo, and macro levels.
Elizabeth J. Clark, Ph.D., ACSW, MPH, has done a wonderful job of putting together this work on hope. Her experience in healthcare, specifically working with cancer survivors and those facing life-limiting illnesses, as well as those struggling with loss and grief, are interwoven throughout the text, to give the reader a sense of personal connection to the concept. This also may remind readers of their own related experiences, which connects with the reader on a deep level.
The text is brief at 140 pages, and organized into short, easy-to-read chapters. However the size of each chapter is not representative of the deep impact of the content presented. The book starts with the importance of and even roots of hope; goes on to define hope; and then processes where and how people find hope, have hope restored, build hope within a community, and harness the power of hope. Then it gives hope for the future. Each chapter closes with “Hope Highlights” that provide very succinct but powerful takeaways. Dr. Clark also provides a “notes” section at the end of the book with the origins of quotes and information presented. As a reader, I greatly appreciate this extra step, as it allows one to further dive into the subject if so desired, starting with her sources.
This book has practical application for any person working in direct practice—not just social workers, but all helping professionals. Understanding the importance of hope, how it’s built, where people might find it, and the impact it has on the healing and growth process has the potential to significantly improve client outcomes.
As helping professionals, the work we do can often be so emotionally labor intensive. We may face clients, day after day, who have the potential to pull the hope out of us. Self-awareness about our own connection to hope will not only improve our lives, but will serve to further have a positive impact on the work we do with our clients, and the prospect of hope we present to them.
This book is a great foundation for everyone in the helping professions and is also a wonderful resource for personal development. As Dr. Clark has encouraged, may we always choose hope.
Reviewed by Brandi Jean Felderhoff, Ph.D., LCSW, Assistant Professor, Department of Sociology and Social Work, Texas Woman’s University.
