[Dr. Eger] has discovered how to use her experience of human cruelty to empower so many – from military personnel … to couples struggling to rekindle intimacy, from those who were neglected or abused to those who are suffering from addiction or illness, from those who have lost loved ones to those who have lost hope. And for all of us who suffer from the everyday disappointments and challenges of life, her message inspires us to make our own choice to find freedom from suffering – to find our own inner light.
-- Dr. Philip Zimbardo (Forward)

Importance: This quote from the book's forward sums up the message of the book as a whole, with its focus on its author's advocacy for the power of choice in any and all circumstances. The quote is a foreshadowing of several moments in the book, particularly Part IV in which the emphasis is on exactly what Dr. Zimbardo talks about here, i...