Lost Connections: Uncovering the Real Causes of Depression - and the Unexpected Solutions

Hari is a journalist who draws on interviews and information from experts and from people who have experienced anxiety and depression. He also blends empirical data with anecdote, both from his own life and the lives of others. How does this approach strengthen or weaken the main argument of Lost Connections? Use examples from the text.

Select one of Hari’s interviewees, like Joanne Cacciatore (47-53), Joe Phillips (73-76), Dr. Vincent Felitti (128-39), or Rachel Shubert (265-72). Why did Hari choose to interview them? How does the information or the personal stories they provide support the thesis of Lost Connections?

Choose one of the nine “disconnections” Hari lists. Choose a news story or work of fiction that illustrates the disconnection, and describe how the disconnection is illustrated and explored.

Pick one of the seven “reconnections.” Describe the reconnection in your own words. How is it something that activists or politicians could put into practice?

Hari discusses various communities when arguing for the importance of Human Connection, like the Berlin working-class neighborhood of Kotti (199-217), or the Amish community of Elkhart-LaGrange (223-29). How do these communities provide human connections? What would the ideal community look like for Hari?

In your own words, why has the explanation of depression as a problem caused by brain chemistry been so prevalent?

According to Lost Connections, what does a person need to have Purpose and Meaning? How can one achieve this?

What are “junk values?” How do they contribute to depression and anxiety?