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  • Published: 24 May 2025
  • ISBN: 9781785045868
  • Imprint: Vermilion
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 352
  • RRP: $42.99

Rise Above

Overcome a Victim Mindset, Empower Yourself and Realise Your Full Potential





An empowering call to reject the victim mindset and become the hero of your life, by the renowned psychologist and host of The Psychology Podcast

Does life feel smaller than it used to? Does it seem that the people around you have taken a step back from doing hard things, preferring to stay in their comfort zone?

In the era of TikTok as therapy, it’s tempting to see ourselves as damaged and powerless – defined by our past traumas, our emotions and the struggles we face. But it’s more important than ever to rise above the limiting beliefs and widespread anxiety that puts us in boxes, lowers our expectations and holds us back.

In Rise Above, renowned psychologist Dr Scott Barry Kaufman unpacks the dangerous myths and misleading buzzwords swirling around the popular imagination. He reveals the truth about managing our emotions, the double-edged sword of self-esteem, the surprising gifts of sensitivity, and ultimately, the power each of us has to overcome challenges and to shape the course of our own lives.

Packed with empathy, insight, humour and actionable solutions, this book will empower you to take control of your own your life and reach your full potential.

  • Published: 24 May 2025
  • ISBN: 9781785045868
  • Imprint: Vermilion
  • Format: Trade Paperback
  • Pages: 352
  • RRP: $42.99

Praise for Rise Above

Scott Barry Kaufman reminds us all of our innate capacity to grow from the challenges we face, even big ones. Rise Above leads us beyond our constricted self-perceptions to a far more expansive and empowered sense of possibility that could be ours.

Sharon Salzberg, author of Lovingkindness and Real Life

Self-actualisation is possible for each of us, and there we find a better, happier future. But that means avoiding the traps and barriers we set for ourselves. Scott Barry Kaufman’s brilliant new book Rise Above is the evidence-based manual we need to be free.

Arthur C. Brooks, Harvard Professor and bestselling author of From Strength to Strength and Build the Life You Want

A message that needs to be heard today more than ever. No matter how difficult things get, we always have the power to rise above.

Mark Manson, bestselling author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

The perfect book for our times. The victimhood mindset is everywhere, but leading cognitive scientist Scott Barry Kaufman gives us insights and actionable strategies to successfully rise above this pernicious mentality.

Kurt Gray, Professor of Psychology at UNC Chapel Hill and author of Outraged

Rise Above is a call to action for anyone who feels stuck in a pattern of anger and blame. We always have another choice – to recognise the ownership we have over our own lives, every day – and Scott Barry Kaufman provides an accessible roadmap for doing just that. It isn't easy work, but it can be life-changing.

Lori Gottlieb, New York Times-bestselling author of Maybe You Should Talk to Someone

A big part of success in business and life is learning how to deal effectively with things that are beyond your control. The secret is called resilience and Scott Barry Kaufman's Rise Above is an excellent practical guide for anybody working to build their resilience muscles.

Scott Galloway, Professor of Marketing, NYU Stern and co-host of the Pivot Podcast

Rise Above is a welcome and necessary antidote to the victim narrative that plagues our time. Part memoir, part case study, part scientific toolkit, this book provides both inspiration and practical guidance. A must-read for anyone who wants to move from grievance to gratitude for a more fulfilling life.

Anna Lembke, MD, author of Dopamine Nation: Finding Balance in the Age of Indulgence

Few things would perplex people from the past – or hopefully the future – more than people today exaggerating their victimhood and thinking of it as what makes them special. Rise Above gently but firmly takes us back to the normality of forward-looking resilience.

John McWhorter, New York Times columnist and bestselling author of Nine Nasty Words and Pronoun Trouble
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