I loved this, what an uplifting and hopeful book. I adore Ruby Wax and all her books, so I was always pretty much going to be a fan, but this was slightly different than what I was expecting but pleasantly so, a lovely surprise to be surprised. This book covers the whole world of issues, literally from world hunger to the dodgy politicians, education and meditation. It’s a light tone but very direct at points and as always an amazing advocate for mental health awareness. This book is engaging, inspiring and overall this leaves you with a feeling of optimism which we all need at the moment.

Thanks to netgalley and the publisher for a free copy for an honest opinion


Review left on goodreads and Amazon

My thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for my ecopy of And Now For The Good News. The book wasn't really what I was expecting but I think it comes at a good time for the world as we are all mid- Covid. It is refreshing to hear of all the green shoots of human kindness we can hope will grow big and strong.

I felt that the book could have done with a little more editing; it skipped around in places and went off on total tangents in others. At times it was uplifting but at others unfathomable. Overall though it gave me a feeling of optimism for which I am truly grateful.

This book is a regurgitation of some good news mixed with areas of civilisation that need to change or are in the process of changing. The book covers education, food, community, and other concerns (environment, social, etc). I wouldn’t say this is a “good news” book or a funny one. The author is direct and gives examples based on her views. However, I felt that the writing felt a little rushed and went to different points mid-flow, which was difficult to keep track in a few places. Generally, I had a hard time getting into the book and then keeping with it through some f the areas. Other areas were interesting, though, but I felt it could use a bit more work.

Love the author so I was a bit disappointed by this book, it felt like reading a newspaper article or a list of people who are trying to change the world and while there were lots of inspiring tales, it was frustrating trying to relate this to my own day to day life. In the Covid pandemic era, I was hoping for something a little more relevant. Ruby's humour and wit were why this gained three stars from me.

A wonderful read in which Ruby Wax describes the current issues with community, business, education, technology and food. She then goes on to give the reader hope with the green shoots of progress.

This is my first Ruby Wax book, I wanted to read this because I was a fan of Ruby Wax’s comedy growing up. I was genuinely surprised reading this at how she is so geared towards positive change. I also didn’t know Ruby was such an advocate for mental health, this just make me love her more. In the world at the moment, this book is needed to lighten your mood and show there may actually be light at the end of the tunnel.

Thank you to Penguin General Uk for this advanced copy.

A self-help guide along the lines of The Power of Positive Thinking crossed with Reasons to be Cheerful seems a little over-optimistic in our present dystopian world!
It’s a pity the publisher didn’t hold this back until after the ‘pandemic’ crisis struck, for a better targeted approach. However, as a great devotee of Jewish humour, I am always entertained by Ruby Wax and this is no exception,

Sorry, but overall I was disappointed In this book.. I wanted to lo,e it as the title sounded so promising. Miss Wax says she started the research in 2018, and for me this told me nothing new. The chapters were split int9 topics such as business, education, world savers etc. She gives a brief history of each topic, a summary of her personal experience of each topic and then highlights What in her opinion are best practices examples . We are all familiar with her brash personality and you need to find this aspect amusing to not have this book grate on your nerves. I found it too much for me and her abrasive comments were downright rude in places. I could have predicted her main solutions to the world’s problems - mindfulness and probiotics- before I read the book. There were some interesting pieces of new information for me, such as Unilever’s approach to sustainability but generally there was nothing revelatory here and all delivered in a very egotistical manner. Not for me .

And Now For The Good News... :To the Future with Love by Ruby Wax looks at different things like education and food to see what the good thigns are that are coming, or are here already, just not in a big way, yet.

Ruby Wax compares the difference between schooling in China and Finland, such as in China where mental health issues bring shame to familes, versus in Finland where they discuss how stories make them feel and why people do things.

There is also some suggested apps, and a mindful meditation to do with your phone where you chuck it out of a window, off a cliff, into the sea, your choice.  And that sums up the book.  It's written with a playful tone but is there with a serious message.

Ruby Wax is public about her struggles with mental health, and so has been writing books to help others, and started  Frazzled Cafes , which during Covid-19 is hosting online support meetings, and pre Covid-19 hosted in person meetings.  Maybe it will again.

 And Now For The Good News... :To the Future with Love  was published on 17th September 2020, and is available to buy from  Amazon ,  Waterstones  and your  local independent bookshop .

You can follow Ruby Wax on her  website ,  Twitter  and  Facebook .  

I was given this book in return for an unbiased review, so my thanks to NetGalley and to  Penguin Books .

I have read most of Ruby Wax's books. This one didn't always resonate with me and I found parts went straight over my head. However it gives a positive outlook on things especially during the current health crisis.

Ruby Wax's And Now For The Good News is 'treasure hunt' to find inspiring people and places, covering good news and observations of the Environment, Education, Technology, Food.

Written before Covid 19 but with additional side notes acknowledging the pandemic and giving welcome positivity and laughs, this is a brilliant, well timed read. I absolutely loved this book, its incredibly well researched and hilarious throughout.

I really love Ruby Wax and this is the third book of hers I've read. Unfortunately it just wasn't for me - it felt like it was aimed at an older audience, explaining what the younger generation is now having to do to fix the mess the world is currently in. It got a bit depressing to be honest! I know it's a lighthearted look at difficult topics but I'd rather read from an expert or at least someone who has spent a lot of time doing research and absorbing themselves into each area. It would definitely be a fun and interesting read for the right audience though.

And Now For The Good News... by Ruby Wax to be published in September 2020 is apt for the season in which we find ourselves. All the uncertainty surrounding COVID-19 and the not so good news that never seem to go away make this book a welcome distraction. According to Ruby WaX herself, her mission concerning this book "is to tantalize you out of the negativity zone and to paint a smiley over your doomsday face". It is safe to say mission accomplished. The facts and figures (evidence of extensive research) are well documented in the book to support her claim that there are indeed green shoots in technology, education, community, business, etc to give us hope in this season of doom and gloom. True to form for Ruby Wax, there is enough injection of humor to make this non-fiction more palatable. The book is both engaging and inspiring and also touches on mindfulness to keep the readers' attention. I recommended this book because it is well written and reaffirms one's faith in humanity.

Sorry but I'm afraid I am having trouble getting into this book at the moment but will try again soon.

Just find I'm preferring to read some escapism fiction at the current time.

Love Ruby Wax and was not disappointed. This book was written before the arrival of Covid 19 over 2 years. Ruby goes around the world, looking for and finding good people and good experiences to tell us about, giving the reader hope for the future of humankind. These good news items are still relevant or perhaps even more so as we see how people have dealt with and are still dealing with the pandemic - the NHS, our neighbours, people on the front line who haven’t been appreciated enough but do their jobs regardless of bad pay and lack of acknowledgement.
The book gave me a lot to think about and had that sprinkling of self deprecating humour that Ruby excels at.
Thanks to NetGalley for this book in exchange for an honest review.

You may well be wondering why on earth someone would write a book about good news when the world is in the grip of an unrelenting pandemic. I would argue that this is exactly the right time! Ruby Wax began preparing this book long before Covid but the timing is excellent. How many times have you/I sat in front of the TV news and felt gloomier and gloomier as bad news is all that’s reported. I’d love a good news broadcast but if you want to feel better about things generally then this well researched book which demonstrates in a multitude of ways that there are ‘green shoots’ of positive change, is a really good bet. She says in the introduction that she aims to zone out negativity and see the sunnier side in the near future and I think she achieves her aim. It’s funny at times, she’s clearly done a huge amount of research (I especially like the sections where she gives historical background) and many of the green shoot ideas are admirable. She looks at several pertinent topic areas from Urban Planning to Business, Education to Food, Technology and she finishes with World Savers and as I read I learned so much. Who knew for example, how much good conglomerate Unilever do? Those who know me will not be surprised that the section on Education particularly interested me. The Chinese system versus Finland? Robots versus happy children? I’ll take the Finnish system any day and would love it adopted here. It works too as Finland is high up in the world league tables. I love the point that the author is making but it needs a whole mindset rethink and that starts with all the varying forms of media. The green shoot ideas gives grounds for cautious optimism and the point she finishes on is a slam dunk. Where would we have all been during Covid lockdown without Technology and human compassion ? It is invaluable as we use Zoom, FaceTime, Online Education platforms, the tech that allows people to work from home, the compassion of the many volunteer helper schemes and the Thursday night clap for the NHS, for the many who kept us going in so many ways and those who risked their own lives to save those in desperate need??? Those are more than green shoots.

Overall, there is serious food for thought in the message she gives here, it’s well written and very accessible and extremely thoughtful. Just a final thought about good news - remember how fantastic it felt as a nation during the 2012 Olympics????

With thanks to NetGalley, Penguin Life and especially to Ruby Wax for the ARC for an honest review.

I really enjoyed 'And Now For The Good News'. Ruby Wax has a lovely writing style that gets information across clearly in a funny and informal way. The book is a great mixture of the problems we are facing and what is being done about them. I was pleasantly surprised that people and companies are named and held up as a model of real progress and hope for the future. Everyone should read this book.

I really like Ruby Wax and - to be honest - felt like I needed to read some good news in 2020, so this seemed like a good book for me right now.

This book is packed with 'good news' - ways in which humanity is making steps forward in various fields that are often unreported by the doom-and-gloom mass media. It was really heartening to read of some really positive projects and people really making a difference, from a global project setting up ecovillages to those individuals helping refugees on the front line in camps in Greece. There are some really worrying and harrowing stories alongside the cheeriness - it is useful (but sad) to see the extent of the problem before Wax shows us the people and projects trying to fix the issues.

Wax also looks at technological advances and the ways in which businesses are embracing more sustainable models and developments in education so that schools become more than exam factories. In order to do all this, she travels widely and meets lots of interesting people. This all makes for engaging reading as Wax relates all this with her trademark humour and self-deprecation.

One of the slightly odder things about the book is that it was written pre-pandemic so it doesn't grapple with that at all. However, Wax has added some footnotes and a little bit of an introduction to explain this so it is not a problem - just strange to read the optimism with the hindsight of what has actually happened!

All in all, this is an uplifting and hopeful book and one that I would recommend to anyone who feels that the world is headed in the wrong direction. I can't quite embrace the mindfulness that Wax endorses so enthusiastically, but I'm totally on board with all the other messages in this engaging and positive book.

I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I have read many of Ruby Wax's books and seen her perform too. Her humour, warmth and storytelling style can liven up any topic. This time we get further insight into Ruby's challenges and her personal growth journey. This book is a whole lot of tangible hope for the future of technology, mental health, community and the environment. It is an antidote to whatever hellish now you are living through.

I don't usually read this kind of book but something drew me to this one and I've never been one to shy away from instinct and gut feeling. It did feel a bit strange reading a book about good news in these rather uncertain (often troubled) times, but it was written pre-covid so you have to take that into consideration. There are a few footnotes inserted post-covid into the final edit which brings it a bit closer to home along the way.
As with all books of this genre, not everything contained herein will resonate for everyone. I admit to reading a few parts and them just going over my head, but then there are the topics that just resonated with me, myself and I. If you read this book and just take one thing from it, it'll have been worth your time. It's that kind of book. It brings hope, wrapped up in accident, incident and humour. It's obviously very well researched and cleverly written with just enough of a "serious" and "tongue in cheek" balance to keep things on an even keel.
And, and this is important, it brings hope. In any way that resonates with you and your situation in life, there is bound to be something contained herein that ticks a box for you. If nothing else, it will make you chuckle along the way. It might even spark a need for further knowledge of some of the topics discussed herein. Me, I have a pretty long list... Now, just how a I going to find the time... ;)
My thanks go to the Publisher and Netgalley for the chance to read this book.

Another triumph by Ruby. Her unique writing style means that as you read, you can imagine her speaking the words to you. Written with insight and humour. Ruby offers her take on where we are going wrong as a society, the reasons why we are all so stressed. An interesting and thought provoking book.