Bright sided: how the relentless promotion of positive thinking has undermined America

Barbara Ehrenreich

Barbara Ehrenreich follows compulsory optimism through cancer care, workplaces, churches, psychology, and finance. She asks how attention to evidence and material conditions can support action.

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9 parts, about 21 minutes to read.

At a glance

Author: Barbara Ehrenreich
Parts: 9 parts
Reading time: about 21 minutes
The whole book: Also to read in full

What the summary covers

Introduction2 min
ONE: Smile or Die: The Bright Side of Cancer3 min
TWO: The Years of Magical Thinking3 min
THREE: The Dark Roots of American Optimism2 min
FOUR: Motivating Business and the Business of Motivation2 min
FIVE: God Wants You to Be Rich2 min
SIX: Positive Psychology: The Science of Happiness3 min
SEVEN: How Positive Thinking Destroyed the Economy2 min
EIGHT: Postscript on What Comes After Positive Thinking2 min

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