Manufacturing Depression: The Secret History of a Modern Disease Book

Mr. Greenberg's book may not be the most concise or engagingly written on this topic, but he provides a detailed and interesting overview of the cultural evolution of our idea of depression. For that alone, I think it's a book well worth reading. I also have to agree with his view that while it may not be intentional, the big drug companies have and are continuing to take steps, through lobbying and direct-to-consumer advertising, to broaden the definition of depression and other "mental illnesses." That is not to say mental illness does not exist, or that depression is not a true illness, but rather that two things coexist: true mental illness, and the increasing pathologizing of the tail ends of the bell curve of normal human emotion and experience. To me, and Mr. Greenberg, this is a dangerous trend and one that we should be aware of and informed about.