Polls report that 73% of Americans believe people are born good. Coupled with the narcissistic mandate to "find oneself," this current American ethos has created a society of self-absorbed, uninformed, and overly optimistic individuals. At the same time, however, there is a growing sense of dissatisfaction-faced with the imbalance of wealth and declining education and moral standards, Americans are left with the impression that things are not as good as they seem. In Blessed are the Cynical, Mark Ellingsen contends that American optimism and dissatisfaction are directly linked. Ellingsen believes that our problems and failure to solve them are primarily caused by society's naively optimistic view of human nature. He argues that America's therapeutic, feel-good culture has corrupted politics, education, and business, and shows how a renewal of Christian values can bring America back to its biblical and Constitutional roots and help us find fresh ways of addressing our social problems. Blessed are the Cynical should foster debate among political and social analysts, cultural leaders, and members of the Christian community. Straightforward and fascinating, it is an erudite analysis of American culture that will appeal to socially conscious Christians.