Author Description

Product Description Drawing on a wealth of his own research and the work of other Lincoln scholars, Shenk reveals how the sixteenth president harnessed his depression to fuel his astonishing success. Lincoln found the solace and tactics he needed to deal with the nation's worst crisis in the coping strategies he developed over a lifetime of persevering through depressive episodes and personal tragedies. With empathy and authority gained from his own experience with depression, Shenk crafts a nuanced, revelatory account of Lincoln and his legacy, and in the process unveils a wholly new perspective on how our greatest president guided America through its greatest turmoil. Review "Lincoln's Melancholy is an extraordinary story, for the depth of its scholarship and the lure of its style."-- "Mike Wallace, cohost of 60 Minutes" "[Shenk argues] with uncommon common sense, a rare understanding of historical context, and a close reading of the primary sources."-- "Library Journal (starred review)" "A fresh, fascinating, provocative psychohistory."-- "San Francisco Chronicle" "A profoundly human and psychologically important examination of the melancholy that so pervaded Lincoln's life...Remarkable."-- "Kay Redfield Jamison, PhD, professor of psychiatry at Johns Hopkins School of Medicine and author of An Unquiet Mind" "A significant contribution to the study of Lincoln and his battle with depression that will resonate with contemporary Americans...Inspirational."-- "Kirkus Reviews (starred review)" "Compelling...An estimable contribution to the Lincoln literature."-- "Booklist" "Intellectually energetic...By treating Lincoln from this angle, Shenk does gain a dimension that not all Lincoln books achieve."-- "Washington Post" "It contains some extremely beautiful prose and fine political rhetoric and leaves one feeling close to Lincoln,