“[A] terrific new philosophical investigation . . . The great appeal to me of Wilson's view and this book [is] he is brave enough to admit that the work of trying to be a good person requires you to think very hard―yes, very honestly―about how you actually interact with others.” ―The New York Times Book Review

“Wilson has ultimately written a deeply personal book, almost a lifeline . . . An elliptical, provocative meditation that reads as much like a catharsis as a manifesto.” ―Kirkus

“A gifted, candid raconteur, [Wilson] serves up pithy and often playful writing… Readers should be left entertained and enlightened by Wilson's vast knowledge, immediacy, and honesty.” ―Publishers Weekly

“A leisurely, light-footed overview of our cultural obsession with doom, gloom, and gore.” ―Josh Rothman, The Boston Globe on Everyone Loves a Good Train Wreck

“In the teeming ranks of the American Professoriat, you could argue that Eric G. Wilson is among those most palpably needed by the world at large.” ―Jeff Simon, The Buffalo News on Everyone Loves a Good Train Wreck

“[Everyone Loves a Good Train Wreck] reassures: enjoying grotesque, horrible, frightening images is a natural impulse. From fairy tales to crime dramas, they hit us where we are most human.” ―Kate Tuttle, The Boston Globe on Everyone Loves a Good Train Wreck

“Mr. Wilson's case for the dark night of the soul brings a much needed corrective to today's mania for cheerfulness. One would almost say that, in its eloquent contrarianism and earnest search for meaning, Against Happiness lifts the spirits.” ―Colin McGinn, The Wall Street Journal on Against Happiness

“An impassioned, compelling, dare I say poetic, argument on behalf of those who ‘labor in the fields of sadness'. . .” ―Minneapolis Star Tribune on Against Happiness

“[Wilson has] the passionate soul of a nineteenth-century romantic who, made wise by encounters with his own personal darkness, invites readers to share his reverence for nature and exuberance for life. Providing a powerful literary complement to recent psychological discussions of melancholy . . . this selection is variously gloomy and ecstatic, infuriating and even inspiring.” ―Brendan Driscoll, Booklist on Against Happiness