Bryce Bradshaw
English IA
9/24/19
I thought Lost Connections was an okay book. When we as a class voted, I had hoped it would be something interesting. This book was not in my top five books to read. I personally don’t like books that are assigned to be read but I’ve been surprised by some books I previously had no interest in. Lost Connections had some interesting moments but if you haven’t experienced crippling depression or anxiety, it’s just a book that drags on with chapters that seem to repeat the same structure.
Lost Connections does however have some useful advice for those who feel like work is meaningless. Meaningless work is a cause of depression, Johann Hari writes that because “A common symptom of depression is something called “derealization”-which is where you feel like nothing you are doing is authentic or real”(Hari 64). Hari’s solution to this is becoming part of a democratic cooperative. A democratic cooperative helps fight depression by allowing reconnection, “You are reconnected to your work, because you feel you are choosing it, you can see the difference it makes, and you directly benefit from the work you do”(Hari 208).
In conclusion Lost Connections is an average book. If you are depressed or anxious however this book can help you immensely. There are many lessons one can take away from this book that will help them grow as a person mentally.
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