"This is by far the most serious study undertaken by a Protestant missiologist on the Latin American base ecclesial communities. It is also one of the few studies that relates this extraordinary ecclesial phenomenon with its counterpart in Protestant history. The fact that Cook writes not only as a Protestant but as one identified with the evangelical tradition makes it all the more relevant. It should be required reading for everyone interested in the life and mission of the grassroots church in the Americas and in the renewal of local congregations everywhere."Orlando E. Costas, Andover Newton Theological School"The book is painstakingly researched, extraordinarily well written, and - in my judgment - sets a new benchmark for understanding one of the truly phenomenal things God is doing among grassroots Christians in Latin America."Alan Neely, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary"Guillermo Cook has performed an invaluable service. With his encyclopedic grasp of the history, ethos, and current activities of the comunidades de base - grassroots lay communities in the Latin American Catholic Church - he has provided a vivid reminder of the sort of parallel stirrings that brought renewal to many Protestant churches and spawned new spiritual movements during the last four hundred years. These Catholic ecclesial communities are being used of God to transform static, clergy-dominated, sacramentalist structures into living, spontaneous movements of loving service and evangelistic concern. All should join Dr. Cook in praying that they shall continue to be the 'Hope of the Church' and the 'Expectation of the Poor' throughout Latin America today, and tomorrow!"Arthur F. Glasser, Fuller Theological Seminary"The Expectation of the Poor is the most inclusive study on the subject that I know. Cook brings to this task his long years of experience and study as a missiologist who has spent decades working in Latin America. His bibliography is probably the most complete on the subject that has been published."Mortimer Arias, author of The Cry of My People

“As David Robson makes plain in this compelling book, the way we think about the world can profoundly shape how we navigate it. Based in science and packed with smart advice, The Expectation Effect will expand your mind—and maybe even extend your life.” —Daniel Pink, New York Times bestselling author of When, Drive, and To Sell Is Human A journey through the cutting-edge science of how our mindset shapes every facet of our lives, revealing how your brain holds the keys to unlocking a better you What you believe can make it so. You’ve heard of the placebo effect and how sugar pills can accelerate healing. But did you know that sham heart surgeries often work just as well as placing real stents? Or that people who think they’re particularly prone to cardiovascular disease are four times as likely to die from cardiac arrest? Such is the power and deadly importance of the expectation effect—how what we think will happen changes what does happen. Melding neuroscience with narrative, science journalist David Robson takes readers on a deep dive into the many life zones the expectation effect permeates. We see how people who believe stress is beneficial become more creative when placed under strain. We see how associating aging with wisdom can add seven plus years to your life. People say seeing is believing but, over and over, Robson proves that the converse is truer: believing is seeing. The Expectation Effect is not woo-woo. You cannot think your way into a pile of money or out of a cancer diagnosis. But just because magical thinking is nonsense doesn’t mean rational magic doesn’t exist. Pointing to accepted psychology and objective physiology, Robson gives us the practical takeaways we need to improve our fitness, productivity, intelligence, and happiness. Any reader who wants to take their fate into their own hands need only pick up this book.