Finding Hope in the Age of Melancholy

By David S. Awbrey

Book Overview

At the moment of his greatest professional success, vetteran newspaperman & author of this book was struck by a crippling depression. Neither psychotherapy nor Prozac helped him, & it wasn't until he began a painful probe of his life & an investigation into depression's larger issues that he saw a way out. Not a depression memoir, Finding Hope in the Age of Melancholy uses the author's personal experience to launch a profound & inspiring exploration of the depression epidemic in our society. Weaving literature, philosophy, economics, religion, & medicine into a discussion about the roots of our barren culture, the author comes to provocative conclusions. He shows how the nature of our society is often as much to blame for depression as brain chemistry is, how depression can be a positive goad to creativity & deeper self-understanding, & why religious belief & community involvement are often more potent therapies than drugs & the analyst's couch. This is a deeply helpful & illuminating book for all who are looking for meaning in their lives

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0316038113
• ISBN13: 9780316038119
• Release Date: January 1999
• Publisher: Little Brown and Company
• Length: 272 Pages
• Weight: 1.15 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.0" x 6.5" x 9.6"
• Age Range: 13 years and up
• Grade Range: Grade 8 and higher

Customer Reviews

If the pings and pangs of midlife strike, pick this one up..

Using both history and personal account, Aubrey creates a compelling perspecive of both midlife and the country/world in which we live. I enjoyed the book very much.

Reclaiming the American Soul

This is a book well worth reading if one is concerned about the health of today's American Culture. After a slow start, Mr. Awbrey zeros in on the core of values and meaning in late 20th Century America: self as the only value and meaning. The self has become the lead cultural actor of our time displacing community and country in the process while Post Modern philosophy tells us there is no hope of discovering meaning beyond the self. Mr. Awbery shows how Modernism has brought us to this point and Post Modernism has stranded us there. But Mr. Awbery is not satisified with this condition and calls on great thinkers of the past and present to rescue us.A few of my favorite quotes:"The 20th Century has not brought peace and social harmony through science and technology, but massive destruction, bloodshed and millions of atomized, disinherited individuals who deny any alligece to universal moral ideals or spritual beliefs.""... the self ... has been devorsed from tradition, community, and morality. All those character forming forces are replaced by a fashionable appearance - a public-relations self.""... many Americans ... perceive life ... as a quest for the 'self,' an almost mythological creature defined according to the latest therapeutic model of mental health or trendy psychological theory of consciousness that promises control over life while brushing aside ath moral anxieties that have burdened people for countless ginerations."

A thoughtful analysis of the current state of American souls

This is a book well worth reading if one is concerned about the health of today's American Culture. After a slow start, Mr. Awbrey zeros in on the value and meaning. He shows that self has become the lead cultural actor of our time displacing community and country in the process while Post-Modern philosophy tells us there is no hope of discovering meaning beyond the self. Mr. Awbery shows how Modernism has brought us to this point and Post-Modernism has stranded us there. But Mr. Awbery is not satisfied with this condition and calls on great thinkers of the past and present to brought peace and social harmony through science and technology, but massive destruction, bloodshed and millions of atomized, disinherited individuals who deny any allegiance to universal moral ideals or spiritual beliefs.""... the self ... has been divorced from tradition, community, and morality. All those character forming forces are replaced by a fashionable appearance - a public-relations self.""... many Americans ... perceive life ... as a quest for the 'self,' an almost mythological creature defined according to the latest therapeutic model of mental health or trendy psychological theory of consciousness that promises control over life while brushing aside moral anxieties that have burdened people for countless generations." I highly recommend this book for those who seek meaning in human life. Mr. Awbrey has answered that question for himself and shares the answer with his reader

Brilliant book about mid-life crisis.

This is an absolutely brilliant book. The description of it gives no idea as to how indepth, intelligent and profound it really is. It is not just about depression - it is about dealing with a mid-life crisis, or depression, or Dark Night of the Soul, or a spiritual awakening -- all synonymous terms these days. I have read many self-help books and researched this area and only this book, along with Carolyn Myss' "Spiritual Madness" offer any real help. Awbrey's use of classical literature references is very clever and provides foundations to his insights. If he had read book 3 of Walsh's "Conversations with God" he would probably have come out with a different interpretation of human being's sins - he would be able to articulate how we beings are actually dualities. Read Awbrey's book. It is truly amazing with it insights and conclusions. Most self-help books focus on the inner self. Awbrey goes way beyond the typical new age thinking, by addressing social responsibility and the importance of connecting to community. He is way ahead of society's thinking these days. He shows, via historical reference, how a society in depression is actually the prelude to incredible change and renaissance. So, I found his book very uplifting because it convinced me many, many good things are going to happen soon. There is an exciting future. Even it you don't agree with anything he says, the beauty of his writing and the intelligent use of classical literature, makes this book a philosophical gem.

Insightful, perceptive and courageous

I have just completed my third reading of this insightful book. A perceptive author, Awbrey displays a broad knowledge of culture gained through his years in public journalism. Courageously sharing from problems he personally encountered, he suggests a return to spiritual foundations and dynamic community life as the means of crossing the abyss of despair many persons find themselves facing today. I highly recommend this book to the disciplined reader who is looking for life with more purpose than the accumulation of material wealth and other traditional symbols of success, or anyone wishing a comprehensive understanding of contemporary thought.