THE FIVE LOST SUPERPOWERS

A guidebook to restoring the lost “superpowers” every human should have.

Reid, Reid, Chase, and Steinhagen here describe essentially a lost set of skills that should be the common inheritance of every person. Their conceit is that these skills are superpowers within reach of all of their readers. “Although we don’t don shiny outfits, scale tall buildings, and pull back cars careening off cliffs,” they write, “it’s likely each of us has a deeper, truer version of ourselves, in which we can feel like and be perceived as our best, most potent selves.” Throughout their book, they spotlight five specific superpowers—curiosity, resilience, authenticity, compassion, and playfulness—and in almost all cases, they imply that society tends to discourage embracing these in adult life. Children, for instance, are famously curious—but “almost imperceptibly, their curiosity superpower is under attack.” Likewise, children are cited for their inherent authenticity; the authors explain, “Perhaps the most important aspect of this superpower is that it’s contagious, which may be why so many of us love being with children.” Each section includes personalized stories, artwork, and a “toolbelt” of possible tactics for enhancing each of these qualities in everyday life. The book’s most intriguing and heartfelt section deals with the superpower of playfulness, and the authors insightfully address adults’ unfortunate reluctance to simply goof off. “Often, when adults do appear to play, it involves achieving a result,” they write, cautioning, “Play appears to have no tangible result; it is its own reward.” There are occasionally cranky moments (the familiar bemoaning of how “we have outsourced our curiosity to search engines,” for instance), but the majority of the book offers upbeat, astute guidance.

An optimistic, genuinely thought-provoking encouragement to activate inborn superpowers.