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  Smile or Die: How Positive Thinking Fooled America and the World (Paperback) By (author) Barbara Ehrenreich

  

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  Short Description for Smile or DieExplores the tyranny of positive thinking, and offers a history of how it came to be the dominant mode in the USA. This book 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. It reveals the dark side of the nation.
  Full description

  • Publisher: GRANTA BOOKS
  • Published: 05 August 2010
  • Format: Paperback 256 pages
  • See: Full bibliographic data
  • Categories: Popular Culture
  • ISBN 13: 9781847081735 ISBN 10: 1847081738
  • Sales rank: 12,983

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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 platitudes. She balked at the way her anger about having the disease was seen as unhealthy and dangerous by health professionals and other sufferers. In her droll and incisive analysis of the cult of cheerfulness, Ehrenreich 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, "Smile or Die" uncovers the dark side of the 'have a nice day' nation.