When was the last time that reading the news made you feel good?

Dear Reader,

I know what you're thinking, is it some kind of macabre joke? Has she been in a coma? How can Ruby Wax write a book about good news when the world is facing the worst disaster since the Plague?

Let me explain. I began writing in 2018, back when the world's worries were somewhat different. Climate change, greedy bankers, exam results, crap politicians, mental health: these are still HUGE ISSUES, but even the ancient soothsayers reading pig entrails couldn't have predicted this.

This is my new mission: to share the green shoots of hope peeping through the soil of civilization. Literacy is at an all-time high, world-hunger is likely to be eradicated this century, technological improvements are saving lives ­- just to scratch the surface. I've talked to everyone from leaders to scientists to tech geniuses. I've done the research and practiced what I preach. And my conclusion? Behind the clouds, the sun still shines.

So here's to the shoots - may they become a blueprint for how the world can shift for the good. Hopefully we'll learn from them.

Love, Ruby