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Exuberance (Abridged): The Passion for Life Audiobook
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(3.05) - 414 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
The author of the bestselling An Unquiet Mind–and internationally renowned authority on mood disorders–now gives us something wonderfully different: an exploration of exuberance and how it fuels our most important creative and scientific achievements. John Muir’s lifelong passion to save America’s wild places, Wilson Bentley’s legendary obsession to record for posterity the beauty of individual snowflakes, the boundless scientific curiosity behind Watson and Crick’s discovery of DNA, sea lions that surf and porcupines that dance–Kay Redfield Jamison shows how these and many more examples both human and animal define the nature of exuberance, and how this exuberance relates to intellectual searching, risk-taking, creativity, and survival itself. She examines the hereditary predisposition to exuberance; the role of the brain chemical dopamine; the connection between positive moods and psychological resilience; and the differences between exuberance and mania. She delves into some of the phenomena of exuberance–the contagiousness of laughter, the giddiness of new love, the intoxicating effects of music and of religious ecstasy–while also addressing the dangerous desire to simulate exuberance by using drugs or alcohol. In a fascinating and intimate coda to the rest of the book, renowned scientists, writers, and politicians share their thoughts on the forms and role of exuberance in their own lives. Original, inspiring, authoritative, Exuberance brims with the very energy and passion that it celebrates.
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"Kay Redfield Jamison has written a book that was for me a joy to read. She looks at that champagne of emotions, exuberance. Joy, curiosity, playfulness, and love are all aspects of exuberance, and Jamison looks at how it is important to, even essential in the development of animals - including humans. Then she goes on and shows how it is manifested in people like Teddy Roosevelt, Winston Churchill, John Muir, PT Barnum, and Richard Feynman. She also looks at joyful exuberance in fictional characters (Snoopy, Peter Pan, Tigger, Mr. Toad, characters in O Pioneers! and Giants in the Earth). She acknowledges the dark side of this trait, and examines how exuberance can be an aspect of violent and destructive behavior (in soldiers for example), and how it can be paired with depression. I was fascinated. There is a lengthy section of notes, and the book has a good index."
— Sherry (5 out of 5 stars)
Exuberance Listener Reviews
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" It's hard to explain my deep feelings about this book. I've read it twice now. Once about four years ago and again just recently (2013) I find both comfort and discomfort in how it so accurately describes my crazy mixed up brain. "
— Dave, 2/2/2014 -
" Excellent study of the rewards and challenges that having an exuberant personality can bring to your life. "
— Heather, 1/20/2014 -
" cool exploration of the emotion and concept of Exuberance, enthusiasm, passion... "
— Jessica, 1/18/2014 -
" ...but still, if the subject fascinates you, there is enough here that make it worth a read "
— Denis, 12/16/2013 -
" I consider this a profoundly rich book! Very substantive and thorough! Very easy to read and informative about the bright side of psychology! "
— Morris, 12/15/2013 -
" I listened to this as an audiobook from the library, but may have to buy a copy of this just to mark up, highlight, and underline. There are more fantastic quotes in this book than i could have imagined. Actually will end up buying it because its really that good. "
— Gloriavirtutisumbra, 12/13/2013 -
" I think every human being has passion for doing something that he really likes. Find that and your life will turn upside down- in a good way of course. "
— Gregor, 12/8/2013 -
" An interesting, but horribly frustrating, conversational exploration of the nature of exuberance. Worth reading if only for the collection of thoughts on the subject by people who are not Kay Redfield Jamison. "
— Kit, 12/8/2013 -
" Having a hard time getting through it for some reason. I am not sure if it is me or the topic or her writing style. Will keep at it... "
— Diana, 12/1/2013 -
" This is FABULOUS! "
— Kate, 11/28/2013 -
" Amazing reminder to add play to the schedule and how much better life is for those that do. "
— Angela, 7/8/2013 -
" She had some interesting stories about famous "exuberant" people, some very disturbing stories about exuberant soldiers, and fascinating facts about how it shows up in the brain. I wished she had more about how to encourage/control what she called exuberance. "
— Deb, 2/13/2013 -
" Not as good as "An Unquiet Mind" "
— Fatima, 1/23/2013 -
" What a breath of fresh and exhilerating air to read of a discussion and study of a positive psychological trait. The only problem is it gets a little too scholarly and wordy in places but very worthwhile especially where my heros like Teddy Roosevelt and Abraham Lincoln are discussed. "
— Calvin, 10/23/2012 -
" Kay Jamison is a psychiatrist who has published a great deal , much of it on manic depression or bipolar disorder, which she struggles with herself. She is a wonderful advocate for mental illness. This book tells of the upside, the creativity and contributions of the controlled manic, or hypothymic. "
— Joan, 9/23/2012 -
" After reading An Unquiet Mind, Exuberance was a no-brainer to pick up. Glad I did. "
— Dr., 9/4/2012 -
" I wanted this book to be better. It had such potential, but it really was just 300+ pages of examples of the same thing over and over again. And unfortunately, it was very poorly edited, so it was difficult to read on top of having limited content. "
— Karen, 8/4/2012 -
" Had to struggle to get through it. Just never captured my interest. Was that because my psychiatrist recommended it to me? I guess he thought I needed more passion in my life. But this book didn't do it. "
— Larry, 7/21/2012 -
" too much negativity with mental illness. she was trying to talk about the positive part of mental illness but it was so scientific. it still seemed negative even when she talked about the positive parts of mania. "
— Kelly, 6/29/2012 -
" I've read a lot of books by Jamison, and she is quite an intelligent woman. I think this is my favorite one by her because it's uplifting. "
— M., 11/13/2011 -
" If you suffer from bipolar depression or is close to someone who does, you NEED to read this book. "
— Ilse, 5/21/2011 -
" This book helped me come to grips with my mother's illness. It was a gift to learn more about the disease and that ourfamily was not alone in dealing with it. "
— Epic.rdr, 5/15/2011 -
" Really fascinating to hear from a psychiatrist that has bipolar disorder. "
— Lana, 5/1/2011 -
" A bit dated, but a seminal work in its field. A must read for anyone interested in the topic. A grown-up version of Tabitha Suzuma's "A Note of Madness," but not as well written. "
— Vicki, 4/30/2011 -
" I read this a couple years ago and was shocked after looking at a friend on goodreads that this wasn't on mine but I did read it and enjoyed it quite a lot. "
— Chamie, 4/29/2011 -
" An easy read and informative but somewhat dated in the medical aspects (makes sense for an autobiography). "
— Jeanette, 4/16/2011 -
" I never read biographies but somehow picked up this. Fascinating and powerful. "
— Carol, 4/14/2011 -
" The fact that Kay had suffered from this condition for so long, untreated, doesn't say much for modern psychology/psychiatry, does it? She also does not set a very good example as motivation for sufferers to take their medication. "
— Traveller, 4/13/2011 -
" Having had a father who suffered with bipolar disorder, this book truly helped me understand what he was going through. It was exactly what i needed to help the healing and grief process after he passed away. "
— Corinne, 4/8/2011 -
" Essential reading for anyone with a bipolaroid in his/her life. "
— Pamela, 4/7/2011
About Kay Redfield Jamison
Kay Redfield Jamison is the Dalio Family Professor in Mood Disorders and a professor of psychiatry at the Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, as well as an honorary professor of English at the University of St. Andrews in Scotland. She is the author of the national best sellers An Unquiet Mind, Night Falls Fast, and Touched with Fire and is coauthor of the standard medical text on manic-depressive illness, Manic-Depressive Illness: Bipolar Disorders and Recurrent Depression. Besides being a finalist for the 2018 Pulitzer Prize in Biography for Robert Lowell, Setting the River on Fire, she is a recipient of the Lewis Thomas Prize, the Rhoda and Barnard Sarnat International Prize in Mental Health from the National Academy of Medicine, and a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Fellowship.
About Anne Twomey
Anne Twomey is an accomplished actress of both stage and screen. Her Broadway credits include Orpheus Descending with Vanessa Redgrave, To Grandmother’s House We Go, and Nuts, for which she received a Tony nomination and a Theatre World Award. Her many television appearances include guest roles on Seinfeld, Law & Order: SVU, Spin City, and the Christopher Reeves’ movie-of-the-week Rear Window. She has also appeared in the films Picture Perfect and Orpheus Descending. Her audiobook narrations have won her five AudioFile Earphones Awards.