I won't give it a rating by stars since I didn't make it far. I can read 17th century political philosophy without issue, but this one just didn't have enough to grab me in the first 50 pages. I made it as far as I did only by a good dose of discipline, but it just never got traction. I may pick it up again later and find it great (it's happened before that a book has been put aside for years before grabbing me).

Don't let this discourage. It's only my personal experience of the first try at this book. Thick writing sometimes just takes another good try. ( )

Blood's book is a product of its time, and a quite remarkable achievement for such a young (self-educated) man.

These mid-19th century writings are insightful in that they reflect a wider intellectual struggle that sought to throw off the world-denying aspects of Christian religion, in order for individuals to embrace a form of empowerment that would help lead them to realise their full potential and as such add to humanity's overall progress.

Blood's 'Optimism' it could be argued is an early version of today's now hugely popular 'Personal Development' genre. His arguments are not just critical of mainstream religious thinking, as he puts forward his own wholistic (eclectic) interpretations of what he believes God wants for us as individuals in this life. Naturally these all come with certain biases and value judgements that stand out in today's world.

Generally Blood outlines the need for strong, bold and courageous individuals, who do not cower or misinterpret the bible's life affirming message. To this end he has his own reading of the bible. And as is apparent early in the book, his own reading of the bible combined with his diverse early life experiences have led him to constructing his own philosophical outlook; an outlook founded on both times of good fortune and back luck in his life, where he has associated with and observed both the well-to-do and the poor around him.

In contemporary terms, by writing Optimism Blood appears to be pushing his 19th Century readership towards a form of 'self-actualisation' and towards 'self-reliance'. He sees religious shackles that need to be broken.

On reflection I would not recommend this book to everyone. Whilst I enjoyed sections of Blood's writing, despite the archaic and dusty language, I feel it may only truely appeal to those who wish to map the rise of the genre of personal development, or self-help writing, or possibly those with an interest in researching thinkers and their writings critical of the power the Christian church held over individual's self-belief in the 19th Century. For this reason Optimism is likely to generate some academic interest in the years to come in certain niche academic fields associated with of the history of Western religion, psychology and possibly sociology.

Finally, the publisher Eirini Press (and others like them), nevertheless should be congratulated in this instance for dusting off an unusual little gem of a book from a little known figure who sought to question life around him and boldly share his own form of enlightenment thinking. ( )

I thought this book was ok. The Christian/western prejudices were prevalent but, if you read it with a grain of salt, then you can see how this was pretty cutting edge when it was written
I found it inspiring in a very familiar way. A lot of the "same old, same old" for me. However, not a waste of time. ( )

I couldn't finish Optimism. I found its flowery 19th century language difficult to wade through. The prejudices of the time also grated: for example, religions other than Christianity were seen only through the lens of Western Christianity.

Above all, it didn't inspire. I confess that the modern writers Eckhart Tolle and Deepak Chopra, to whom the publishes compare Benjamin Paul Blood, do not excite me either. Their message is good, but seems self -evident. Blood's defence of traditional religion, and his extrapolation of it into an exhortation to optimism, leaves me wondering, "So?"

So, I found it a book of its time, and from which I could learn nothing new. ( )

Blood's writing is a curious blend of Romantic descriptions of the sublime and traditional western philosophy mixed with a quasi Buddhist sense of equanimity. Blood's main argument is that creation is perfection, and that even what we see as evil are to be embraced as what is necessary for our happiness. Blood believes in God, but not in the Judeo-Christian sense; his thought seems closer to deism than anything, though he isn't exactly in that group either. Like so many writers of a mystical bent, Blood is probably best described as idiosyncratic. I can't claim that I have become a devotee of his work, though I would not be opposed to reading more of him either. This is a nice, readable edition. It will be a welcome addition to the shelves of booksellers, all the more because there doesn't seem to be any of his books available on Project Gutenberg. ( )