In the New York Times, Janet Maslin reviews Barbara Ehrenreich’s new book on America’s habit of self-defeating optimism:
“Bright-Sided” does have a point to make. And it’s a point so simple that it can be aptly summarized by the book’s subtitle, “How the Relentless Promotion of Positive Thinking Has Undermined America.” Ms. Ehrenreich thinks the prevalence of bogus optimism has weakened America, and she is willing to shoot fish in barrels to make that case. There is no shortage of megachurch preachers, self-help gurus, business coaches and positive-thinking academics whose idiocy and avarice can be exposed by Ms. Ehrenreich’s high beams.
Continue reading at the New York Times.