In a culture obsessed with happiness, author Susan Cain makes a case for bittersweetness – an attitude that honors our sadness and desire – as the pathway to creative and spiritual wholeness.

Is your sadness connected to your ability to be creative?

Susan Cain is known for her research on introverts and her bestselling book Quiet, which celebrated introversion as a crucial counterbalance to an overstimulated society.

Cain's popular TED Talks about introverts and melancholy personalities have introduced millions of people to her research.

Fascinated by why people find joy in listening to sad music, Cain spent years researching the link between melancholy, spirituality, and creativity.

Through personal stories, interviews, statistics, and the ancient wisdom of various religious traditions, Bittersweet elevates melancholy as a fundamental part of creative and spiritual life.