I'm a fan. This is my fourth Ehrenreich. I am politically and culturally on her side and yet . . .
And yet I'm going to say something a bit negative. Bear with me. As Ms. Ehrenreich points out, bearers of bad news often don't fare well.

My first objection is to the conclusion, namely that we become realistic, as if this is both possible, and a matter of will. I believe our view of the world is necessarily distorted by our culture and our personal psychology. To believe one can read this book and reply "Yeah--I will look at things clearly from now on." is, pardon the expression, overly optimistic. I wonder if there have been studies of what percent of people see themselves as realists and what exactly those people's points of view are.

My second objection is to Ms. Ehrenreich's bias against introspection. It's as if she thinks looking inward and making adjustments to one's point of view is always an exercise in self-delusion. She thinks one naturally sees the truth if one doesn't tamper with the apparatus. I believe there's a lot to be gained by exploring one's inner world, knowing thyself, as it used to be called. Not that this is easily undertaken and isn't in danger of become an opportunity for some sort of Calvinist self-hate, but but that's no reason to reject it out of hand. The unexamined life has been accused of not being worth living, and though that may be a bit of overstatement, it is more true than the converse.

Also, in some cases (certainly not MOST) getting fired, or even cancer can improve a person's life. People get stuck in a rut and sometimes only force can get them unstuck. (I could tell anecdotes but I'm not that kind of a guy.)

Behind the demand that others be positive (Ms. E mentions this but I think it could use more emphasis) is often the message "I don't care about you." along with "If you don't tell me your troubles, I can continue to be my own center of attention."

To end on a positive note, I appreciated the history of "new thought," Christian Science, Positive Psychology, business coaching and the various strains of positivity all brought together where they can be looked at for what they are.