In March 2014, Steve Lawton almost died while skiing in Colorado. He suffered from bleeding in the brain, collapsed lungs, and a torn artery, and he broke his sternum, an arm, three ribs, and six vertebrae. But miraculously, he lived – and he’s thriving. In August 2016, he stood before an audience at a TEDx conference and shared his story, looking as if he had never been hurt at all.

Lawton’s book Head First! A Crash Course in Positivity is all about maintaining positivity and hope. It’s a good book – after just reading a couple of pages, I could tell I was hooked. Positivity and optimism are much-needed things in an often cruel and chaotic world. Obviously there is no end-all, be-all cure to gloominess; life certainly has its ups and downs. But the book does offer a good dose of encouragement. Lawton overcame immense challenges, and his story is certainly a great inspiration.