The Depths

The Evolutionary Origins of the Depression Epidemic

By: Jonathan Rottenberg

Narrated by: Walter Dixon

Nearly every depressed person is assured by doctors, well-meaning friends and family, the media, and ubiquitous advertisements that the underlying problem is a chemical imbalance. Such a simple defect should be fixable, yet despite all of the resources that have been devoted to finding a pharmacological solution, depression remains stubbornly widespread. Why are we losing this fight?

In this humane and illuminating challenge to defect models of depression, psychologist Jonathan Rottenberg argues that depression is a particularly severe outgrowth of our natural capacity for emotion. In other words, it is a low mood gone haywire. Drawing on recent developments in the science of mood - and his own harrowing depressive experience as a young adult - Rottenberg explains depression in evolutionary terms, showing how its dark pull arises from adaptations that evolved to help our ancestors ensure their survival. Moods, high and low, evolved to compel us to more efficiently pursue rewards. While this worked for our ancestors, our modern environment - in which daily survival is no longer a sole focus - makes it all too easy for low mood to slide into severe, long-lasting depression.

Weaving together experimental and epidemiological research, clinical observations, and the voices of individuals who have struggled with depression, The Depths offers a bold new account of why depression endures - and makes a strong case for de-stigmatizing this increasingly common condition. In so doing, Rottenberg offers hope in the form of his own and other patients’ recovery, and points the way toward new paths for treatment.

©2014 Jonathan Rottenberg (P)2014 Gildan Media LLC

Critic reviews

“In this provocative presentation of the natural history and evolution of depression, the bottom line is, strangely, both deflating and hopeful: ‘Low mood is both inescapable and sometimes useful.’” ( Booklist)

“An important contribution to [Rottenberg’s] stated aim of promoting ‘an adult national conversation about depression.’” ( Kirkus Reviews

Very insightful.

This is not a "get better - how to beat depression" or "dealing with a spouses depression" - it's an enlightening look on what depression and low mood *is*. What biological purpose low mood could have, how one could become depressed, how one might become better, what one should expect. It's realistic and beautiful and interesting and can teach you one or two things about how to live a happy life.

Great read for understanding

In my search to understanding what depression is. I find this book to be in incredibly insightful. It's fair. To sum things up. It gives you well balanced data to support and object many points of view on what depression is and ways it's being treated. It forces you to look at a bigger picture of understanding to broaden our scope of treatment and understanding.

The Narrator!

The music at the intro and end is jarringly weird juxtaposed to the content of the book, but that’s 10 seconds I can recover from. The narration however, was way intense. The pace! The infomercial theatricality! I had to slow it down to 0.8.
Content was good. Lost its thread and my interest after part 1.

Interesting analysis of depression

Narration: Acceptable, although speech rate is hurried and overwhelming.

Content: An empirically based interesting and useful analysis of depression….credible studies support the author’s analysis.

Conclusion: RECOMMENDED, despite the hurried speech rate. Perhaps listeners should slow rate to .75, which may facilitate understanding and contemplation.

Absolutely outstanding

The book provides an excellent analysis of the complexity of depression. The author is clearly an expert, any matches stories with research. The narrator speaks a bit too quickly, but I got used to it. Thank you for an excellent book.