Shannon's Pick: Bittersweet by Susan Cain

Bittersweetness is a tendency to states of long­ing, poignancy, and sorrow; an acute aware­ness of passing time; and a curiously piercing joy at the beauty of the world. It recognizes that light and dark, birth and death—bitter and sweet—are forever paired.
 
  If you’ve ever wondered why you like sad music . . .

  If you find comfort or inspiration in a rainy day . . .

  If you react intensely to music, art, nature, and beauty . . .

 
  Then you probably identify with the bitter­sweet state of mind.
 

With Bittersweet Susan Cain em­ploys a mix of research, storytelling, and memoir to explore why we experience sorrow and longing, and how embracing the bittersweetness at the heart of life is the true path to creativity, con­nection, and transcendence.
 
  Cain shows how a bittersweet state of mind is the quiet force that helps us transcend our personal and collective pain. If we don’t acknowledge our own heartache, she says, we can end up inflicting it on others via abuse, domination, or neglect, but if we realize that all humans know—or will know—loss and suffering, we can turn toward one another.
 
  At a time of profound discord and personal anxiety, Bittersweet brings us together in deep and unexpected ways.

Availability: Book; Large Print Book; eBook in cloudLibrary
 Rating: ***** Stars (I loved it)

Reviewer: Shannon, Assistant Director

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Bittersweet

GENRE: Society and Culture

WRITING STYLE: Accessible; Engaging

TONE: Reflective; Thought-Provoking

SUBJECT: Desire; Emotions; Grief; Interpersonal Relations; Melancholy; Sadness

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