Bittersweet
by Susan Cain
Cain's second book argues that sorrow and longing are sources of creativity, compassion and connection, and that a culture of forced positivity costs us. It mixes research, memoir and reflection, and it is more personal and less structured than Quiet. Readers who feel things deeply will feel understood.
Read it if…
you are moved by sad music and have been told to cheer up your whole life.
Skip it if…
you want a practical book; this is contemplative and essayistic.
Three things you will actually use
- Let sorrow inform rather than disable.
- Turn longing into creative work.
- Stop apologizing for depth.
Do this first
Write what you long for, without editing it for realism.
Our verdict
Gentle, thoughtful and validating; a book for the melancholic.
Compare with other Gratitude books
Flourish
Martin E. P. Seligman · Gratitude
Important and sprawling; the exercises justify the read.
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Authentic Happiness
Martin E. P. Seligman · Gratitude
A readable primer; partly superseded, still useful for strengths.
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Stumbling on Happiness
Daniel Gilbert · Gratitude
Witty and smart; the best book on why we are bad at predicting happiness.
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