I am reading the book by that name, by Carol Dweck, and am recommending it to fellow denizens and others I know.  

There's way too much whining and handwringing and overall negativity in the liberal blogosphere generally, although I am finding this book one viable antidote for too much whining and handwringing and excuse-making in pretty much any context.  It's as though we think we have it uniquely tough, tougher than our predecessors did, that the fights and the causes are hopeless, that there is no point in taking even the little steps most of us could take, and many of us, I know, do take.  I try to offer constructive alternatives where I bitch but I know I fall short.  Beyond this particular context I am finding that this book goes a good ways towards explaining both my successes and failures so far in life. 

Copies of this book are going to our kids as holiday gifts.  I will attempt my best brief motivational pitch to get them to read it on their own, sooner rather than later.  I will tell them that their father believes that if they absorb its lessons and constantly work to practice them, these will be among the more important ones they learn.    

I don't know, maybe the most effective argument with some of us is that the more we've done to try to change things, the more standing we have to bitch.   

In case any are wondering the observation isn't directed to any single blogpost (recent or not) or denizen here in particular.  It certainly is directed to me.