Good Mood: The New Psychology of Overcoming Depression. - book reviews

Business Economics, July, 1996 by Gerald L. Musgrave

Almost everyone in economics knows Julian Simon as the author of twenty professional books and numerous papers in economics. Policy wonks know him because of his internationally famous and winning bet with Stanford's Paul Ehrlich on the future scarcity of natural resources, as measured by commodity prices. But not one in a thousand knows Simon - the psychologist.

Amateur economists are usually crackpots. A sure sign is that they make little or no attempt to read the literature or subject their views to professional review. Simon's approach immediately separates him from intellectual amateurs. His work is documented, he cites the professional literature and he works in collaboration with health care professionals. Yet his approach is unique and recognized experts in the field endorse it. Economists have been charged with practicing intellectual imperialism in every field of social science. Now one of its leaders shines the light of reason onto psychology and psychiatry.

Good Mood is a self-help book for people suffering from depression. While I myself am not a suffer, as a health economist I can appreciate the huge economic cost and social problems this malady creates. It is the most prevalent form of mental disability, victimizing 10 percent of the adult population. It is more than a bad case of the blues. Some heart attacks are described as having a crushing 500-pound gorilla on your chest. Clinical depression is like having the beast on your mind. Milder forms are sadness for days or weeks at a time. Other manifestations are poor self-opinion, chronic fatigue, feelings of hopelessness, or helplessness. In Simon's own words, "I was almost continuously conscious of being miserable, and I almost continuously reflected on my worthlessness. I wished for death, and I refrained from killing myself only because I believed that my children needed me."

After years of fruitless professional help and thirteen long years of suffering, his own extensive research yielded an answer. Professor Simon discovered his own cure and "Within two miraculous weeks I banished my depression, and I have since been able to keep depression at bay." He does not offer miracle cures for everyone; only a charlatan would. However, he does present scientific evidence for the effectiveness of his approach.

Economics is never mentioned, but the economic way of thinking is certainly one basis of the approach. Because of this base, Simon's approach should be extraordinarily successful with individuals who are predisposed to this way of thinking. For example, one of the many ideas is that, although past events may have disturbed you, now you disturb yourself with your own thoughts. (How much closer could one get to the concept of sunk costs?) The corrective action he develops focuses on how you think today. One of his most effective tools is the Mood Ratio, calculated as the perceived state of oneself divided by a hypothetical benchmark state. If the numerator is low compared to the denominator, you have a "Rotten Ratio" and feel sad; if the denominator is low compared to the numerator, you have a "Rosy Ratio." He presents many insightful step-by-step ways to improve your ratio, by increasing the numerator and decreasing the denominator. As economists read the book, they will recognize many concepts, including utility and marginalsim. Rationalism and individual action are at the foundation of his approach.

My sketch of his methods does not do them justice. You have to read Good Mood to appreciate it. His language is smooth and soft. His style never condescends, because he understands the pain and misery of depression. Make a note of the book and someday a friend, a relative, or a colleague might greatly benefit from your recommendation. Better yet, buy it now and put it in your medicine cabinet along with the first-aid manual. You might save a life.

Gerald L. Musgrave Economics America, Inc.