Everywhere you look there's a motivational quote to greet you. Pursue your passion! Nothing is impossible! Happiness is a journey, not a destination! But what if there is actually scant evidence to back up these shimmering proclamations? What if positive thinking does not, in fact, lead to positive life outcomes? What if life is too short to not have regrets? In other words, what if many of our most cherished motivational platitudes simply aren't true?

The Motivation Hoax offers sense in place of the sparkling nonsense that permeates the inspiration industry. It exposes the unrealistic clichés and misleading mantras that frequently just make you feel bad, replacing them with evidence-based insights that are no less motivating but are credible, reliable and, most importantly, scientifically tested.

A reality check like no other, The Motivation Hoax is among the most refreshing, liberating and surprisingly comforting books you'll listen to this year.

James Adonis is one of Australia's best-known leadership educators. Over the past decade, he has worked with hundreds of organisations - including McDonald's, American Express, Coca-Cola, Qantas, Optus, Ernst & Young, Gucci and Macquarie Bank - to help them lead change and improve performance. His nationally syndicated Fairfax columns on leadership and workplace matters have an audience of over 200,000 people every month.