Schadenfreude

The Joy of Another's Misfortune

Nonfiction, Health & Well Being, Psychology, Social Psychology, Emotions
Cover of the book Schadenfreude by Tiffany Watt Smith, Little, Brown and Company
View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart
Author: Tiffany Watt Smith ISBN: 9780316470292
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company Publication: November 20, 2018
Imprint: Little, Brown Spark Language: English
Author: Tiffany Watt Smith
ISBN: 9780316470292
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Publication: November 20, 2018
Imprint: Little, Brown Spark
Language: English

An entertaining and insightful exploration of schadenfreude: the deliciously dark and complex joy we've all felt, from time to time, at news of others' misfortunes.

You might feel schadenfreude when...

  • the boss calls himself "Head of Pubic Services" on an important letter.
  • a cool guy swings back on his chair, and it tips over.
  • a Celebrity Vegan is caught in the cheese aisle.
  • an aggressive driver cuts you off - and then gets pulled over.
  • your co-worker heats up fish in the microwave, then gets food poisoning.
  • an urban unicyclist almost collides with a parked car.
  • someone cuts the line for the ATM - and then it swallows their card.
  • your effortlessly attractive friend gets dumped.

We all know the pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune. The Germans named this furtive delight in another's failure schadenfreude (from schaden damage, and freude, joy), and it has perplexed philosophers and psychologists for centuries. Why can it be so satisfying to witness another's distress? And what, if anything, should we do about it?

Schadenfreude illuminates this hidden emotion, inviting readers to reflect on its pleasures, and how we use other people's miseries to feel better about ourselves. Written in an exploratory, evocative form, it weaves examples from literature, philosophy, film, and music together with personal observation and historical and cultural analysis. And in today's world of polarized politics, twitter trolls and "sidebars of shame," it couldn't be timelier.

Engaging, insightful, and entertaining, Schadenfreude makes the case for thinking afresh about the role this much-maligned emotion plays in our lives -- perhaps even embracing it.

View on Amazon View on AbeBooks View on Kobo View on B.Depository View on eBay View on Walmart

An entertaining and insightful exploration of schadenfreude: the deliciously dark and complex joy we've all felt, from time to time, at news of others' misfortunes.

You might feel schadenfreude when...

We all know the pleasure felt at someone else's misfortune. The Germans named this furtive delight in another's failure schadenfreude (from schaden damage, and freude, joy), and it has perplexed philosophers and psychologists for centuries. Why can it be so satisfying to witness another's distress? And what, if anything, should we do about it?

Schadenfreude illuminates this hidden emotion, inviting readers to reflect on its pleasures, and how we use other people's miseries to feel better about ourselves. Written in an exploratory, evocative form, it weaves examples from literature, philosophy, film, and music together with personal observation and historical and cultural analysis. And in today's world of polarized politics, twitter trolls and "sidebars of shame," it couldn't be timelier.

Engaging, insightful, and entertaining, Schadenfreude makes the case for thinking afresh about the role this much-maligned emotion plays in our lives -- perhaps even embracing it.

More books from Little, Brown and Company

Cover of the book House of Rain by Tiffany Watt Smith
Cover of the book Where the Evidence Lies by Tiffany Watt Smith
Cover of the book Last Train to Memphis by Tiffany Watt Smith
Cover of the book Private L.A. by Tiffany Watt Smith
Cover of the book Papadaddy's Book for New Fathers by Tiffany Watt Smith
Cover of the book The Real Animal House by Tiffany Watt Smith
Cover of the book Cary Grant by Tiffany Watt Smith
Cover of the book CIRCE by Tiffany Watt Smith
Cover of the book No Better Friend by Tiffany Watt Smith
Cover of the book The Expectations by Tiffany Watt Smith
Cover of the book One World Trade Center by Tiffany Watt Smith
Cover of the book Middle School: Born to Rock by Tiffany Watt Smith
Cover of the book The Concrete Blonde by Tiffany Watt Smith
Cover of the book Feast Days by Tiffany Watt Smith
Cover of the book The Science of Game of Thrones by Tiffany Watt Smith
We use our own "cookies" and third party cookies to improve services and to see statistical information. By using this website, you agree to our Privacy Policy