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A review by seclement
Bright-Sided: How Positive Thinking Is Undermining America by Barbara Ehrenreich
4.0
This is a book in a similar vein of most pop sci books, but it is a well written and interesting one, on an important topic. Ehrenreich does a good job of mixing anecdote with evidence, although I must emphasise the "pop" in pop sci, as the referencing is in that vein and the anecdotes carry more weight than the evidence. But still, I think the thesis of this book is still pretty good - not flawless nor comprehensive, but an engaging and broad look at how "positivity" affects so many aspects of American life. Not just in terms of linking toxic positivity to topics that I had read a lot about like "the secret", capitalism, and wellness culture/aka "thinking yourself well" (which are covered), but also less covered elements, like in the field of psychology, Christian prosperity gospel, and the roots origins of American positive thinking. I would have liked more of the historic elements, and feel like Chapter 3 should have been fleshed out.
I did feel like the whole book was a bit shallow, however. In the introduction, she says something that was quite insightul, noting that positivity is not an American disposition but an ideology, and distinguishing between optimism and hope. I would have really liked her to god deeper into that, or at least tied that idea to her conclusion.
It's also a bit of a funny read because it was written during/published just after the global financial crisis. I wonder how much worse it would be now - or would it be any different at all?
A good complement to this book that I enjoyed a bit more was [b:The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking|13721709|The Antidote Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking|Oliver Burkeman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389478401l/13721709._SX50_.jpg|19354514], but it is more about the personal than the systemic, which is why I say it's a complement rather than a replacement. But Ehrenreich only briefly touches on the idea of realistic optimism, which Burkeman goes into more deeply.
I liked this angle on positivity as a national ideology and how pervasive it is, however, and it's something I suspect other authors have written more about and maybe even more deeply.
I did feel like the whole book was a bit shallow, however. In the introduction, she says something that was quite insightul, noting that positivity is not an American disposition but an ideology, and distinguishing between optimism and hope. I would have really liked her to god deeper into that, or at least tied that idea to her conclusion.
It's also a bit of a funny read because it was written during/published just after the global financial crisis. I wonder how much worse it would be now - or would it be any different at all?
A good complement to this book that I enjoyed a bit more was [b:The Antidote: Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking|13721709|The Antidote Happiness for People Who Can't Stand Positive Thinking|Oliver Burkeman|https://i.gr-assets.com/images/S/compressed.photo.goodreads.com/books/1389478401l/13721709._SX50_.jpg|19354514], but it is more about the personal than the systemic, which is why I say it's a complement rather than a replacement. But Ehrenreich only briefly touches on the idea of realistic optimism, which Burkeman goes into more deeply.
I liked this angle on positivity as a national ideology and how pervasive it is, however, and it's something I suspect other authors have written more about and maybe even more deeply.