Ehrenreich throughout is bracingly acidic and engaging, but also, shall we say, surprisingly “un-negative’’ in the face of so much smiley-faced idiocy. All she is ultimately asking for in a sane world is not gloominess or pessimism but simply “vigilant realism’’. Fat chance. Because it is all really about fear in the end: fear of death, of illness, of poverty. If you believe that you fundamentally deserve to be rich and happy and healthy, the long-established religions will be of little use to you. You will instead need all the preposterous motivational New Age CDs you can get your hands on. Self-help will probably be the only growth industry of this decade.