The Joy of Pain

[An] enjoyable book... worth reading for its insights into the dark side of human nature and the delightful drawings that turn up periodically in the text. Created by the author's daughter, Rosanna Smith, these depictions-a tortoise raising its arm in victory, Aesop's ant and grasshopper sharing a meal- give the same sense of delight as those drawings that pepper the pages of The New Yorker The New York Times The Joy of Pain presents an enjoyable mix of evidence from experimental psychology, pop culture and literature. Wall Street Journal Smith's portrait of this complex response combines experimental studies with many well-chosen examples drawn from political scandals, biographies, reality-television shows, literature, sitcoms, cartoons and the observations of comedians and satirists. The Joy of Pain is a real joy to read - and completely painless. Nature Smith's The Joy of Pain: Schadenfreude and the Dark Side of Human Nature, just out from Oxford University Press, is an entertaining explanation of the phenomenon, told through accounts of research as well as Smith's personal experiences and observations of popular culture. Chronicle Review An accessible, fun, schadenfreudean romp through pop culture (a contestant embarrasses himself on American Idol), sports (an opponent suffers injury), politics (an economic crisis during the other guy's term), and, of course, religion (the downfall of an ultramoral Christian evangelist). Publishers Weekly Richard Smith's long-awaited book is a profound, thoughtful meditation on one of the most puzzling and disturbing forms of human emotion. Mixing scientific research, popular culture, striking anecdotes, and personal reflection, it is a stimulating, enjoyable, yet unsettling read. I recommend it to anyone with a serious interest in human emotion and motivation and to anyone with an abiding curiosity about the peculiar twists and turns of human nature. A very enjoyable read; this is the most comprehensive collection of Schadenfreude research to date. Interweaving the science with historical and fictional anecdotes, Smith contextualizes and thereby humanizes the experience of Schadenfreude - a feat unto itself. Readers will undoubtedly relish learning more about when and why another's pain can be cause for pleasure. Mina Cikara, Assistant Professor, Department of Social and Decision Sciences, Carnegie Mellon University Richard Smith's wonderful book gives us new insight into ourselves, and the 'dark' emotions of envy and schadenfreude that we all feel, but like to deny. The book is fun and easy to read, even as it gives us insight into some of our darker emotions. You will learn more about yourself and the world from this book than most any book you have read recently. If you want a book that can improve you as a person, this book is it. Although it focuses on dark emotions, it shows the reasons for these emotions, how very pervasive they are, and how they can be overcome. Ed Diener, Distinguished Professor of Psychology (Emeritus), University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Erudite. Enviable. Engaging stories from popular culture, fiction, history, daily life, sports, and science. This will be the book you wish you had written. But instead of schadenfreude, you will feel admiration and gratitude to the author for his profound contribution. Susan Fiske, Eugene Higgins Professor, Psychology & Public Affairs, Princeton University, author of Envy Up, Scorn Down