Exuberance: The Passion for Life
by Kay Redfield Jamison
Published by Vintage Books
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Reviewed by Mayra Calvani
Albert Einstein had it. Teddy Roosevelt had it. Even Mary Poppins and Snoopy had it.
Have you ever wondered what exuberance is, and why so many gifted or highly successful people have it? Is exuberance only seen in humans, or also in animals? Can it be measured? If exuberance is a "passion for life," why is it linked to depression and suicide? Is exuberance an inheritable trait, or a contagious mood?
Author Kay Redfield Jamison, Professor of Psychiatry at Johns Hopkins
University School of Medicine, answers these questions and more in this brilliant work which explores the essence of exuberance at its core.
"Exuberance is a psychological state characterized by high mood and high energy," writes Jamison, "its origins come from the natural world, where its meaning centers on abundance, liveliness, and fertility. It is a more physically alert and active state than joy and of longer duration than ecstasy."
According to the author, exuberant people are often ridiculed for their buoyancy and exhilaration,yet exuberance plays an essential role in creativity and leadership.
What's more, exuberance may very well play a part in the survival of the species itself because exuberant people are usually energetic, enthusiastic, optimistic and socially outgoing, traits which increase their attractiveness to the opposite sex. Yet, exuberance has a dark, dangerous side. In fact, too much of it can lead to madness.
Jamison investigates exuberance as seen throughout the ages and within different contexts like the animal world, literature, music, art, science, politics and religion. She takes famous people and characters and uses them as examples, using many quotes and references from famous sources.
Armchair Interviews says: The book is filled with fascinating facts and insights about the human mind, and was clearly researched extensively. Though Jamison writes with surprising grace and enthusiasm, this work is still a heavy read, but one which will be
relished by serious readers of psychology. Highly recommended.