How to Be Miserable

May 1, 2016

What makes this book from Paterson (Your Depression Map) so delightful is that the author's obvious use of reverse psychology actually works as readers can laugh at their own behaviors. For instance, Paterson says that if a person wants a miserable life, then he or she should eat junk food, dwell on what "could be," read online news in endless detail, and eliminate the word "no" from their vocabulary. Although most readers will be accustomed to positive and negative behavior patterns, this work outlines the results of their favorite excuses for not acting in mentally healthy ways. VERDICT Though somewhat contrived, this book allows readers an opportunity to contemplate in an engaging way that also gets to the point.

Copyright 2016 Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

March 21, 2016
Psychotherapist Paterson (Private Practice Made Simple), director of Changeways Clinic in Vancouver, offers an inventive, if strained, twist on the self-help genre. In his practice, he has come to the conclusion that many people are unhappy because of their lifestyles—whether that means not exercising enough, spending more time with screens than with people, or deriving satisfaction solely from work, among other common issues. Recognizing that many people are still unhappy despite the proliferation of self-help books, Paterson alters tactics by adopting the persona of a “tour guide to hell.” Rather than trying to make people happier, in this role he aims to make them feel worse, through 40 ready-to-use strategies. Readers can thus identify which tactics they already practice, and then adopt the opposite. The strategy that makes this book stand out also hinders its readability, as one can only read about poor life choices and go along with the pretense for a limited amount of time. That being said, Paterson’s unique premise at least encourages self-reflection, and for fed-up self-help readers, it may be the panacea they need.