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The Happy Depressive: In Pursuit of Personal and Political Happiness

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The Happy Depressive: In Pursuit of Personal and Political Happiness

By: Alastair Campbell
Narrated by: Alastair Campbell
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Are you happy? Does it matter?

Increasingly, governments seem to think so. As the UK government conducts its first happiness survey, Alastair Campbell looks at happiness as a political as well as a personal issue; what it should mean to us, what it means to him. Taking in economic and political theories, he questions how happiness can survive in a grossly negative media culture, and how it could inform social policy.

But happiness is also deeply personal. Campbell, who suffers from depression, looks in the mirror and finds a bittersweet reflection, a life divided between the bad and not-so-bad days, where the highest achievements in his professional life could leave him numb, and he can somehow look back on a catastrophic breakdown twenty-five years ago as the best thing that happened to him. He writes too of what he has learned from the recent death of his best friend, further informing his view that the pursuit of happiness is a long game.

Originally published as part of the Brain Shots series, the pre-eminent source for high-quality, short-form digital non-fiction.

 Elections & Political Process Mental Health Mood Disorders Politicians Politics & Activism Politics & Government Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Happiness Health Government
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Critic reviews

Through exploring what happiness is, where it comes from, what it stands for and how it can be created and maintained both personally and politically, Alastair reveals a side of himself that many readers have probably never seen before or didn't know even existed. (Ilona Burton)
All stars
Most relevant
Extremely intelligent, frank and somebody who has helped so much fighting the stigma that surrounds depression and raising awarness about it...

Many of us need people like him to help us going through life struggles, to gain perspective and feel we are in it together.

The more people come in the open and talk about it the easier and quicker it will be the road to recovery by people who don't have platforms from which Alistair Campbell is delivering his own struggle of the disease.

I really liked his passionate and assertive narration. It was clear and to the point.

In fact I liked it so much I read it twice

Hats off to you Alistair

A helping hand facing my own struggle

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Excellent book to listen to and very informative although a bit short in length ok

Excellent

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Good book to read if you have gone through a depressive phase in your life. Written by a sharp man.

Good listen

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This book would have received 5-stars if I had listened to it when it was first published.

The attitudes to mental health have moved on since this book was written and it is because of people like Alistair Campbell sharing their own vulnerabilities that we live in a more tolerant world today.

I enjoyed the book. It was short and to the point, well worth a listen.

Okay...

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Campbell's name may provoke reaction, but take time to absorb this sensitive, thoughtful and carefully researched pamphlet on the human condition, as applied to Life in Britain today,
Alastair's biographical qualifications, and journalistic credentials, make him a passionate advocate of happiness-oriented policy. I listened through in a single session and was absorbed by the combination of personal journal and constructive debate.
Highly recommended (PS I almost never award 5 stars!)

Fine rhetorical pamphleteer

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