Lost Connection by Johann Hari

A book about the cause of depression. He contends that, because the DSM has a "grief exception," they have admitted that life circumstance can cause symptoms matching depression. He makes a good case that depression can be caused by life circumstances, that depression, anxiety, and grief may be manifestations of one process, and that modern life is driving an increase in depression. He states that SSRI research was duplicitous and misleading.

His main point is that depression is caused by disconnection, and he writes about disconnection from meaningful work, loneliness, sharing contacts and values, intrinsic values vs. extrinsic values, materialism and separation from nature, junk values analogous to junk food, and envy.

Depression is caused by biological, psychological, and social factors. He gives examples of healing communities. The last part of the book was less interesting to me, dealing with meditation, hallucinogenic mushrooms, and social activism.