Hari, author of Chasing the Scream, changed the terms of the debate about addiction with his influential TED talk, “Everything You Think You Know About Addiction Is Wrong.” In his second book he uses his own experience with depression and anti-depressant medication as the starting point for a critique of current chemical-imbalance theories of mental illness. Asking if the growing levels of depression could be related to the conditions we live in, Hari talked to social scientists as well as psychologists. Finding a link between depression and external factors such as loneliness, work-based dissatisfaction, and other discontents of consumer culture, he reports from around the world on unconventional treatments—community volunteer projects instead of pills, non-hierarchical workplaces—that improve mental health by fostering a sense of empowerment. Hari will be in conversation with Andrew Sullivan, former editor of The New Republic, and the author or editor of six books.
