Smile or Die: How Positive Thinking Fooled America and the World (Paperback)
OR try AbeBooks who may have this title (opens in new window).
Short Description for Smile or Die Explores the tyranny of positive thinking, and offers a history of how it came to be the dominant mode in the USA. This book argues that the insistence on being cheerful actually leads to a lonely focus inwards, a blaming of oneself for any misfortunes, and thus to political apathy. It reveals the dark side of the 'have a nice day' nation.
Full description- Publisher: GRANTA BOOKS
- Published: 01 June 2010
- Format: Paperback 240 pages
- See: Full bibliographic data
- Categories: Popular Culture | Social, Group Or Collective Psychology
- ISBN 13: 9781847081353 ISBN 10: 1847081355
- Sales rank: 31,107
Other books
Full description for Smile or Die
This brilliant new book from the author of Nickel and Dimed and Bait and Switch explores the tyranny of positive thinking, and offers a history of how it came to be the dominant mode in the USA. Ehrenreich conceived of the book when she became ill with breast cancer, and found herself surrounded by pink ribbons and bunny rabbits and platitudes. She balked at the way her anger and sadness about having the disease were seen as unhealthy and dangerous by health professionals and other sufferers. In her droll and incisive analysis of the cult of cheerfulness, Ehrenreich also ranges across contemporary religion, business and the economy, arguing, for example, that undue optimism and a fear of giving bad news sowed the seeds for the current banking crisis. She argues passionately that the insistence on being cheerful actually leads to a lonely focus inwards, a blaming of oneself for any misfortunes, and thus to political apathy. Rigorous, insightful and bracing as always, and also incredibly funny, "Happy Face" uncovers the dark side of the 'have a nice day' nation.
