Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness
 

Lincoln's Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His Greatness

by Joshua Wolf Shenk

In this astonishing and illuminating book, Joshua Wolf Shenk reveals the deep melancholy that pervaded Abraham Lincoln's life and its influence on his mature character. Mired in personal suffering as a young man, Lincoln forged a hard path toward mental health. His coping strategies and depressive insight ultimately helped the sixteenth president find the strength that he, and America, needed... (read more)

Top tags: biographylincolnpsychologyhistorycivil war (all tags)

Readers

Groups

  • History Non-Fiction Discussion Group
  • Reader's Cramp Discussion Group
  • Mental Illness, Depression  Discussion Group
  • Non-Fiction Discussion Group
  • Better than Starbucks… if you like good coffee, great books, sharp wit, and people who read Discussion Group

Other Reviews

Amazon Reviews (5)
 

Most Helpful Reviews

Liked It

scott d
  • Rated 4 stars

I really enjoyed this book. Lincoln was a deep thoughtful man with great insight through his suffering.

scott d’s full review »
more reviews »
Community:
  • Rated 4.097561 stars
Amazon:
  • Rated 4.5 stars
 

Newest Comments

  • BeverlyInSC

    beverlyinsc said:

    I was totally unaware of Lincoln's battle with depression. Much has been written about his wife's mental state, but not Lincoln's.

    posted 3 weeks ago
  • Sue B

    sue b said:

    This book is rich in history and politics; ripe with details of a civil war and the tale of the great task Lincoln has in leading this nation at its most troubled time. Meanwhile, Shenk manages to portray a very personal side of Lincoln. A deep and compassionate man, sensitive to mental anguish, Lincoln is a man who resolutely chooses to fight on! He stands firmly and faces the deep sadness and pain that he feels. Lincoln develops coping strategies for living with this melancholy, which is with him throughout his life.

    Shenk walks us through Lincoln’s adult life, where we read of his misfortunes, his love, his failures, his hopes, and his dreams that are often shattered. We see him grow and persevere. An inspirational story of finding one’s path and accepting life for what it is.

    posted Sunday, March 30 2008
© 2008 Tastemakers, Inc. | Portions of Shelfari.com are Copyright © 1996-2008 Amazon.com, Inc. or its affiliates. Terms & Conditions | Privacy Policy | Copyright Policy