The Happy Depressive cover art

The Happy Depressive

In Pursuit of Personal and Political Happiness

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The Happy Depressive

By: Alastair Campbell
Narrated by: Alastair Campbell
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About this listen

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 theories and the example of Bhutan - which measures 'gross national happiness' ahead of gross domestic product - 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 25 years ago as the best thing that happened to him; he writes too of what he has learnt from the recent death of his best friend, further informing his view that the pursuit of happiness is a long game.

Part of the Brain Shots series, the pre-eminent source for high quality, short-form digital non-fiction.

©2012 Alastair Campbell (P)2012 Random House Audiobooks Elections & Political Process Mental Health Mood Disorders Politicians Politics & Activism Politics & Government Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Social Sciences Happiness Health Government

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All stars
Most relevant  
Excellent book to listen to and very informative although a bit short in length ok

Excellent

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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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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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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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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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I like Alistair Campbell but this book is a bit all over the place. He jumps from one issue to another - government policy, football, personal experience - all of which can be interesting, but here it's just a muddle, with no insight into his personal story. A short book needs a sharp focus, this is a ramble.

Lacked focus

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