In his book, THE POWER OF ADVERSITY, philanthropist and business leader, Al Weatherhead, explains how changing his mindset helped him succeed, and presents a blueprint for others to overcome whatever hardships they may encounter - from alcoholism to heart disease, just two adversities he himself has battled. "Eventually I came to see adversities for what they were: blessings in disguise," he says. "I learned to leverage them to make me a stronger, wiser, more loving, and creative human being."

Weatherhead knows the depths of pain that can result from life-changing adversity: at a young age, he was kicked out of the family business. He has struggled through the death of an infant son, two failed marriages, and a life-long battle with alcoholism. He has suffered from crippling rheumatoid arthritis and life-threatening heart disease. Yet nevertheless, he has been astoundingly successful, both professionally and personally. He built a multimillion-dollar manufacturing company that has provided him with the means to endow hospitals, universities, and charities. He reconciled with his father, found love with his third wife, and is the proud father of three grown children. He has conquered depression and debilitating illness. How did he do it?

Drawing on his own experiences, Weatherhead shows how tough times offer unique opportunities for personal growth: they help us to become more creative problem-solvers, strengthen our self-confidence, and alter our perspective on life. "Our lives are journeys of transformation, and each time the catalyst for change is painful circumstances," he says. "We can't grow as human beings without seeing ourselves - and our relationships to others - through the unique and challenging lens of adversity."

In THE POWER OF ADVERSITY, Weatherhead argues that the key to gaining strength from hardship is to change how we view the challenges we face. Instead of asking "Why me?" he advises asking "Why not me?". Instead of "I have to do it," think "I have it to do." Embrace positive thinking and recognize that adversity is the impetus to look for creative solutions. He also details his four techniques for mastering adversity:

• Attitude and the Mind - The Power of Positive Imagery Developing a positive attitude about adversity is essential to tapping its power to enhance and improve your life. If you can think positively, with the right imagery, your battle is all but won.

• Meditation: The Art of Letting Go - How Doing Nothing Can Be Everything Practicing meditation creates and sustains your positive mindset. Without this mindset, you place an unhealthy emphasis on your goals and the adversity that prevents you from reaching them. Daily meditation helps you rejuvenate and rebuild yourself, and to come to realize firsthand that adversity is just another name for the series of choices called life.

• Communication - Articulating the Speech of the Heart A great gift of adversity is coming to understand that you can only resolve your problems when you share your life with others. You simply must reach out to others, or you will never overcome adversity.

• Sharing, Not Managing - Don't Confuse the Need to Control with Love As you truly connect with others - revealing, extending, and expressing your innermost self - the layers of adversity will peel away like an onion, revealing choices and solutions that would never be apparent to you on your own.

"Most of us experience monumental periods of adversity - perfectly timed and honed - to burn away our self-deception," says Weatherhead. "These devastating setbacks propel us in our quest to become fully and creatively human." Filled with valuable advice, exercises, and tips for putting adversity in perspective, THE POWER OF ADVERSITY is a practical guide for those facing challenges in their own lives.

Al (Albert J.) Weatherhead is chairman and CEO of Weatherchem in Ohio, a private manufacturer of plastic closures for food, spice, pharmaceutical, and nutraceutical products. He has sixty years of experience in the plastics and metalworking industries and is the recipient of various U.S. and Canadian patents for metalworking processes and plastic products. He is also the president of the Weatherhead Foundation; founder of the Weatherhead East Asian Institute at Columbia University; founder of the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University; founder of the Weatherhead P.E.T. Center for Preventing and Reversal of Heart Disease, University of Texas-Houston; and founder of The Weatherhead School of Management, Case Western Reserve University. He lives with his wife, Celia, in Ohio.