Surviving Our Catastrophes
Resilience and Renewal from Hiroshima to the COVID-19 Pandemic
by Robert Jay Lifton
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Pub Date Sep 05 2023 | Archive Date Sep 05 2023
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Description
From the National Book Award winner, a powerful and timely rumination on how we can draw on historical examples of “survivor power” to understand the upheaval and death caused by the COVID-19 pandemic—and collectively heal
"Lifton shows us why we must confront reality in order to save democracy." —Peter Balakian, Pulitzer Prize–winning author of Ozone Journal
In this moving and ultimately hopeful meditation on the psychological aftermath of catastrophe, award-winning psychiatrist Robert Jay Lifton calls forth his life’s work to show us how to cope with the lasting effects and legacy of the COVID-19 pandemic. The result is a thought-provoking examination of life in the face of COVID-19 from one of the most profound thinkers of our time.
When the people of Hiroshima experienced the unspeakable horror of the atomic bombing, they responded by creating an activist “city of peace.” Survivors of the Nazi death camps took the lead in combating mass killing of any kind and converted their experience into art and literature that demonstrated the resilience of the human spirit. Drawing on the remarkably life-affirming responses of survivors of such atrocities, Lifton, “one of the world’s foremost thinkers on why we humans do such awful things to each other” (Bill Moyers), shows readers how we can carry on and live meaningful lives even in the face of the tragic and the absurd.
Surviving Our Catastrophes offers compelling examples of “survivor power” and makes clear that we will not move forward by denying the true extent of the pandemic’s destruction. Instead, we must truly reckon with COVID-19’s effects on ourselves and society—and find individual and collective forms of renewal.
Available Editions
| EDITION | Other Format |
| ISBN | 9781620978153 |
| PRICE | $24.99 (USD) |
| PAGES | 192 |
Available on NetGalley
Featured Reviews
Brandon W, Educator
This book is a great distillation of Lifton's life work. (In fact, I credit his Nazi Doctors book with helping me gain a deeper appreciation of the human side of history and helping me realize that history, in the end, is about people). This is a very personable book, as he combines his research on Hiroshima survivors with his reflections of living and surviving during COVID. As I read, I was really curious about what spurred him to write this book. Was it the struggle of managing to live through a pandemic? Was it a reflection of his work and research on humanity and its psychological condition? I feel like this book closes the door on a long, successful, and insightful career, but one that contributes much to the understanding of the human experience.
Lifton looks at all aspects of catastrophe and how people manage to persevere. In some instances, it is a harrowing read. In others, it conveys hope. One of the more insightful chapters, in my opinion, is "The Mourning Paradox" about the effects of Vietnam and connecting it to the way we deal with grief. It includes insights regarding COVID, the AIDS crisis, and Primo Levi's words about Auschwitz.
Surviving Our Catastrophes is one of Lifton's shorter works, but don't think you'll gobble this up in a short period of time. I encourage you to read it slowly, taking in his thoughts and conclusions, and gain a deeper understanding of how we manage to deal with the tragedies we face.
Amanda N, Reviewer
What a unique perspective this author has! Lifton has first hand experience working with survivors of Hiroshima and Vietnam and Covid-19. The longevity of his career is a gift to readers of this book. You get an understanding of the psychology that brings people from being victims to survivors as well as an understanding of how individuals and whole communities heal and move forward from catastrophes.
In addition to the individual and communal physchology, Lifton explores and explains the psychology behind Covid-deniers in the US and what that does to a society attempting to recover from the widespread deadly virus. This book is fascinating and insightful and I highly recommend it.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this book.
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