Includes bibliographical references (p. [207]-223) and index

Smile or die : the bright side of cancer -- The years of magical thinking -- The dark roots of American optimism -- Motivating business and the business of motivation -- God wants you to be rich -- Positive psychology : the science of happiness -- How positive thinking destroyed the economy -- Postscript on post-positive thinking

A sharp-witted knockdown of America's love affair with positive thinking and an urgent call for a new commitment to realism, existential clarity and courage. "Confronts the false promises of positive thinking and shows its reach into every corner of American life, from Evangelical megachurches to the medical establishment, and, worse of all, to the business community, where the refusal to consider negative outcomes -- like mortgage defaults -- contributed directly to the current economic disaster." The author sees personal self-blame and national denial as the "downside of positive thinking."

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