“Beautifully written, intensely thoughtful, and emotionally gripping…Anyone interested in the unhappy moiety of human experience will find this book fascinating and informative.” - Roy F. Baumeister, former president of the International Positive Psychology Association and co-author of The Power of Bad
“While this book is not about happiness, it belongs on every shelf devoted to it. George Loewenstein brings the full apparatus of behavioral economics to bear on the darker half of the emotional spectrum—empathy gaps, feedback loops, spirals of shame—and makes it all feel not just lucid but deeply humane, the rare book that leaves you feeling less alone in what you carry. A must-read for anyone who wants to understand the full breadth of the human experience. The Opposite of Happiness refuses to promise that it can fix you, which may be why, by the last page, it so nearly does.” - Max Bennett, author of A Brief History of Intelligence
“Who would have thought that a book about suffering would be so much fun to read? George Loewenstein, a founder of behavioral economics and one of the field’s most creative scholars, has written a clever, insightful, and often personal tour of the worst parts of life. Filled with genuinely surprising insights, The Opposite of Happiness is a brilliant, humane, and unexpectedly delightful book about the many varieties of human misery.” - Paul Bloom, professor of psychology at the University of Toronto and author of Psych
“This is a book with no happy ending, stories that will gut you, and the sober thesis that to live is to suffer. Read it anyway. You'll be happy you did. Why? Because this brilliantly crafted book explains--in the deepest and most satisfying way possible--why we're consigned to experience sadness, anxiety, fear, loneliness, and other flavors of misery. When you finish, you'll know yourself better, you'll understand the people you care about better, and you'll feel like you're on a first-name basis with this book's genius author, George Loewenstein, the leading scholar in how emotions shape our every decision.” - Angela Duckworth, New York Times bestselling author of Grit
“This is not a self-help book, except that it will probably make you wiser, more socially connected, and, yes, happier. I suppose that’s what happens when you spend a few hours in the company of one of the world’s great thinkers.” - Eli J. Finkel, bestselling author of The All-Or-Nothing Marriage and host of the Love Factually podcast
“Insightful, personal, and compelling, The Opposite of Happiness expertly explores the dark side of our emotional lives.” - Daniel Gilbert, Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and New York Times bestselling author of Stumbling on HappinessDaniel Gilbert, Edgar Pierce Professor of Psychology, Harvard University, and New York Times bestselling author of Stumbling on Happiness
“I had trouble putting this book down. George Loewenstein—one of the most brilliant and original thinkers in behavioral science—turns his attention to something most of us try hard to avoid thinking about: misery. Blending beautiful writing, surprising humor, gripping stories, and cutting-edge science, The Opposite of Happiness reveals why negative emotions are not a flaw in the system, but the system itself. This is a rare book that will both unsettle and enlighten you—and change forever how you understand your own inner life.” - Sonja Lyubomirsky, Distinguished Professor of Psychology, the University of California, Riverside and author of The How of Happiness
“This book weaves fascinating findings from social psychology about the emotions that cause bad feelings with deeply personal reports from a remarkable “Misery Survey” into a great read that will be interesting to all and helpful to many by revealing the origins and the meaning of diverse kinds of misery.” - Randolph Nesse, MD., author of Good Reasons for Bad Feelings
“An enormously enjoyable tour of the miseries. Lowenstein has recast the Inferno with sound science, wit, and wise advice. If you are suffering, read this.” - Martin E. P. Seligman, Ph.D., Fox Leadership professor of psychology at the University of Pennsylvania and author of Learned Optimism
“A magnificent achievement. It's all about misery and suffering, but it elevates the spirit. It's teeming with wisdom, insight, empathy, and sparkle. One of the best books I have ever read.” - Cass R. Sunstein, Robert Walmsley University professor and author of Manipulation
“The Opposite of Happiness does for feeling what Kahneman’s Thinking Fast and Slow does for thinking.” - John Tierney, former New York Times columnist and co-author of The Power of Bad and Willpower
“This profound and deeply personal book will change how you understand yourself and your emotions. Loewenstein—one of the most influential behavioral scientists in history—brings decades of research to bear on this exploration of human suffering, examining emotions ranging from envy and shame to anxiety and regret.” - Katy Milkman, James G. Dinan Professor at The Wharton School of the University of Pennsylvania and author of How to Change
"A tour de force on the genesis and benefits of unpleasant emotions." —Adam Grant, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Think Again and Hidden Potential
