Book 2, Post 1

 

For my second book assignment, I decided to choose America the Anxious: Why Our Search for Happiness Is Driving Us Crazy by Ruth Whippman. This critique is about the dark side of the pursuit of happiness. The author, Whippman, is a British-born (now) full-time writer and previously was a producer and director at the BBC in London making documentaries and current affair shows for BBC television. After relocating to Silicon Valley with her techie husband, Whippman was inspired to write this novel on the motives behind the pursuit of happiness--specifically in America. From what I have read, Whippman combines her British banter and hilarious narrative to mesh together her personal observations on the tedious anti-American perspective and anxious happiness seekers. 

I selected this novel for my second reading assignment because I could relate to her perspective on society and was hoping it would inspire me. Personally, I admittedly find myself in constant pursuit of happiness. Not in a pessimistic manner of not enjoying life, but rather filled with anxieties of not taking full advantage of opportunities ahead of me and not capturing the full joy in life. By doing this, I find myself sometimes so focused on trying to be happy that it generates even more anxiety--making me less happy than before, acting counterintuitively. So far, my favorite lesson I have learned from her novel is that the one overwhelming factor that seems to be the most important factor in an American's happiness is social connections and relationships with others. Even though it seems simple and obvious, she demonstrates the American's over-commitment (or sometimes conversely overlooking) of nurturing these bonds and investing time into talking to people and being with others.  

Comments

  1. Lieza FolkinMarch 27, 2023 at 11:10 AM

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  2. Thomas BMarch 28, 2023 at 2:39 PM

    Hey Ava,
    Thanks for your post! Automatically, I find this book fascinating. A combination of "British banter and humour to comment on am anti-American perspective" is something I can relate to, and I do think it valuable for "outsiders" to reflect on their arrival in, and adaptation to, this unique country (which is why I enjoyed American Like Me so much). Hope you enjoy the rest of the book!

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