Introduction
Chapter 1 The Highs of Superiority
Chapter 2 Looking Up by Looking Down
Chapter 3 Others Must Fail
Chapter 4 Looking Out for #1
Chapter 5 Deserved Suffering is Sweet
Chapter 6 Suffering Gets Personal
Chapter 7 Humilitainment
Chapter 8 What Would Lincoln Do?
Chapter 9 Envy Turns to Pleasure
Chapter 10 Subterranean Thrills
Chapter 11 Dark Pleasures Unleashed
Conclusion
Richard H. Smith is Professor of Psychology at the University of Kentucky. He has published articles on various social emotions such as envy and shame and has pioneered experimental work on schadenfreude. His book Envy: Theory and Research was published by Oxford University Press in 2008.
"[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." --Roy
F. Baumeister, author of Willpower: Rediscovering the Greatest
Human Strength
"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
"I am grateful that a credible scientist has endeavored to approach
this controversial subject. I don't think that I am overreaching
when I state that all human beings on earth should understand this
concept and acknowledge that it is a part of the human condition,
no matter how much we try to deny it. [...] Smith's easy-to-read
and entertaining volume begins a dialog that should take place in
the United States and around the globe. [...] The Joy of
Pain has potential for wide application in academia, particularly
the social sciences. However, specialty courses such as ethics in
public health and medicine would also benefit from frank
discussions of this
subject. The text is written in a conversational style, giving it
mainstream popular appeal. Every sentient being should read it as
an introduction to self-examination." -Tanya Telfair LeBlanc,
PsycCRITIQUES
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