Title: Leverage: The Science of Turning Setbacks into Springboards
Author: Claire Dorotik-Nana
Publisher: Createspace
ISBN: 978-1508634294
Pages: 160
Genre: Self-Improvement/Non-Fiction
Interviewed by: Krista Schnee, Pacific Book Review
Author of the popular blog Leveraging Adversity on Psych Central, Claire Nana, LMFT, is a licensed marriage and family therapist with over twelve years of experience specializing in trauma, addictions, and posttraumatic growth. After surviving her own horrific ordeal—the murder of her father, incarceration of her mother, and later being accused of murdering her own father by her mother’s attorney—she chose to make the best of the life she had left. Since then, Nana has run thirty-nine marathons, three fifty-mile races, and nine one-hundred-mile races to honor her father. She has also written over fifteen continuing education courses for the Zur Institute and International Sports Science Association on the topics of therapy and running. And with the insight of positive psychology, she has helped numerous individuals and families realize that growth can result from trauma.
Today we are talking to Claire Dorotik-Nana, author of “Leverage: The Science of Turning Setbacks into Springboards”.
PBR: What inspired you to write this book?
In February of 2000, my father was brutally murdered. A few days later, my mother was charged with the crime. As part of the defense strategy, my mother’s attorney accused me of murdering my own father. My mother was eventually convicted of the crime and is now serving a life sentence. In reflecting back, I was always fascinated by how although horrible, I felt as though my experience gave me many gifts. As a practicing therapist, I not only found myself facilitating growth through adversity, but became curious about it myself. This book is a culmination of what I have learned through my own experience, my work with clients, and in my research on just how we can grow through the struggle with setbacks.
PBR: Did you learn anything from writing this book? What was it?
In writing this book, I learned that adapting to setbacks mirrors the process of evolution and is the lifeblood of survival. When we struggle through the challenge – as oppose to quickly trying to overcome it, or avoid it altogether – we sharpen our skills, reconsider beliefs about ourselves, others and the world, and find happiness in the most unexpected places.
PBR: What challenges—such as research, psychological, etc—did you face in writing this book?
There are many books that discuss resilience, overcoming setbacks and becoming mentally strong. My challenge in writing LEVERAGE: The Science of Turning Setbacks into Springboards, was to challenge the common convention and show that it is in facing the struggle – head on – that we find the greatest advances in growth.
PBR: What was the most difficult part of writing this book?
While I want to inspire growth in every reader, the most difficult part of writing the book was trying to invite the reader to take the journey with me, without over-facing them with countless research stories.
PBR: If you had to do it over again, would you change anything in this book?
I can happily say no!
PBR: How did you first become interested in writing?
I began my writing career as a means to improve the industry I was involved in at the time – which was personal training. Essentially, through writing continuing education courses, my mission was to help clients though creating better educated, better prepared personal trainers.
PBR: Can you share something about your upcoming projects?
My next book is a memoir, titled HELPFUL, which is my own personal story of losing my father to murder, my mother being charged with the crime, her attorney accusing me of murdering my own father, and finding peace after losing everything.
PBR: What are you currently reading?
I just finished Adam Grant’s Give and Take, which is a fantastic book about just why we need to reconsider what we are offering and what we are asking for when we go out into the world.
PBR: What books have influenced your life the most?
While there are many, many great books, some cornerstones are, Adapt, by Tim Harford, Stumbling on Happiness, by Dan Gilbert, Flow by Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi, The Hero Within, by Carol Pearson, and Outliers, by Malcom Gladwell.
PBR: Do you have anything specific that you would like to say to your readers?
The goal of LEVERAGE: The Science of Turning Setbacks into Springboards is to show every reader that the keys to battling whatever they face are within themselves – and it is the struggle itself that brings them out. If I can improve just one person’s life through my work, I will be happy!
To learn more about “Leverage: The Science of Turning Setbacks into Springboards” please read the review at: Pacific Book Review
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