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

Unabridged
Author: Joshua Wolf Shenk
Narrator: Richard M. Davidson
Genres: History, Biographies, Politics, Political, United States, Military, Memoirs, Biography
Publisher: HighBridge Company
Date: September 2005
Length: 11 hours, 45 minutes
Ratings:
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Overview

Drawing on a wealth of his own research and the work of other Lincoln scholars, Shenk reveals how the sixteenth president harnessed his depression to fuel his astonishing success. Lincoln found the solace and tactics he needed to deal with the nation's worst crisis in the "coping strategies" he developed over a lifetime of persevering through depressive episodes and personal tragedies. With empathy and authority gained from his own experience with depression, Shenk crafts a nuanced, revelatory account of Lincoln and his legacy, and in the process unveils a wholly new perspective on how our greatest president guided America through its greatest turmoil.

Selected Reviews

Lincoln's Melancholy

by Anonymous
  • Book Rating: 5/5

Lincoln's Melancholy

by Anonymous
  • Book Rating: 4/5

More...

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Reviews (5)

Lincoln's Melancholy

Written by Anonymous on September 19th, 2009

  • Book Rating: 5/5

For a fellow "meloncholic", this expose on Lincoln's life has helped me feel a lot better my own self. It's not so bad after all to be more sensitive than most!

Lincoln's Melancholy

Written by Anonymous from Rochester, MN on April 9th, 2007

  • Book Rating: 4/5

Interesting perspective on how Abraham Lincoln was able to succeed in spite of his life circumstances. Lincoln was able to work through his depression tendencies and become a great leader. The details of the book make for an interesting read.

Listen to This!

Written by Michael Herb on January 10th, 2007

  • Book Rating: 5/5

Joshua Wolf Shenk in his book Lincoln's Melancholy does humanity a great service. He helps us all better understand the functional role of human suffering. Wolf Shenk argues very persuasively that had Lincoln not been tormented by melancholia (today referred to as depression) he never would have acquired the emotional depth and fortitude to guide the nation through its greatest crisis. In doing this Wolf Shenk enables us to understand the importance of suffering in our own life. He contends that experiencing suffering and learning to cope with it provide human beings with greater insight and commitment to meaningful action. Lincoln's experiences force us acknowledge that suffering provides the key to emotional depth. That depth can make life richer for ourselves and those around us. I found this book to be a refreshing change to the shallow comfort addicted lifetstyle we've come to expect as a our birthright. By attaching value to suffering Wolf Shenk and Lincoln elevate us.

Lincoln's Melancholy

Written by Anonymous on August 23rd, 2006

  • Book Rating: 5/5

As someone with a personal knowledge of Depression and Bipolar Disorder, I found this book fascinating. To achieve such greatness while battling Depression and having no psychotropic meds to help, simply staggers my mind. What an amazing story. What an amazing man.

This book makes history interesting!

Written by KJY from San Diego, CA on August 6th, 2006

  • Book Rating: 5/5

A great story about an amazing man and an interesting look at mental illness. This book seemed to spend more time discussing depression and they way society has viewed depressed people over the past several centuries than it did on the other aspects of Lincoln's life. Although it gave thurough history of the life of our 16th president, it also gave a fascinating history of the study of mental illness. Overall, I thought this book was incredibly intersting and I really enjoyed listening to it.

Selected Reviews

Lincoln's Melancholy

by Anonymous
  • Book Rating: 5/5

Lincoln's Melancholy

by Anonymous
  • Book Rating: 4/5

More...

Read All 5