Book Value

Leaders from the worlds of business, academia, entertainment and politics share what’s on their bedside table.

Kevin Love

Power forward Cleveland Cavaliers LINCOLN’S MELANCHOLY

My therapist recommended Lincoln’s Melancholy: How Depression Challenged a President and Fueled His

Greatness (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2005), by Joshua Wolf Shenk, and it’s had a profound effect. It’s a deep dive into the lifelong struggle with depression that helped shape Lincoln, one of the greatest American presidents. The book is filled with anecdotes about how Lincoln’s melancholy drove his creativity and wisdom, and how it affected his relationships and his presidency. Shenk regards that melancholy as multifaceted—something

that can be used as a potential advantage. Today we discount its benefits, but that dark side can be

used as fuel to achieve great things. I’ve been on that pendulum trying to find balance between the happy points and the lowest lows, which is why the book resonated with me. Lincoln was an unconventional president in a lot of ways, and his depression and his demons helped shape who he was—and drove him to

achieve greatness.