From the Book - First edition.
Prelude: The cellist of Sarajevo
Introduction: The power of bittersweet
Part I: Sorrow and longing: How can we transform pain into creativity, transcendence, and love?. What is sadness good for? ; Why do we long for "perfect" and unconditional love? (and what does this have to do with our love of sad songs, rainy days, and even the divine?) ; Is creativity associated with sorrow, longing - and transcendence? ; How should we cope with lost love?
Part II: Winners and losers: How can we live and work authentically in a 'tyranny of positivity'?. How did a nation founded on so much heartache turn into a culture of normative smiles? ; How can we transcend enforced positivity in the workplace, and beyond?
Part III: Mortality, impermanence, and grief: How should we live, knowing that we and everyone we love will die?. Should we try to live forever? ; Should we try to "get over" grief and impermanence? ; Do we inherit the pain of our parents and ancestors? And, if so, can we transform it generations later? ; Coda: How to go home.