Well Beings

As James Riley points out in Well Beings, if the 1960s were about changing the world, the 1970s were about changing yourself. From ashrams to the wellness industry, from primal screaming to neoliberalism, Riley's fresh take on the 1970s lays bare the rampant culture of narcissism that characterised this decade. Wide-ranging and written with flair, this is an eye-opening account of 1970s culture. * Douglas Field *
Riley weaves an attractively readable story from hot tubs to high theory, via Hollywood movies and British sitcoms. And he urges us to continue taking the pursuit of well-being seriously despite the many disconcerting deviations along the way. Highly entertaining and enlightening. * Alastair J. Reid *
Having navigated us through the late 1960s' Bad Trip, James Riley now explores how the 1970s sought to make us Well Beings. Diving deep into the rich cultural resources of a much derided decade, Riley uncovers a complex history chartered towards self-discovery and a cure for our collective ills. * Matthew Worley, Professor of Modern History (University of Reading) *
James Riley 's new book is a cogent and provocative overview of the growth of the wellness movement in the 1970s that not only provides a comprehensive account of the cultural and political context for "wellness" but also pinpoints the origins of many of the attitudes that inform thinking about health and lifestyle today. Riley charts the malaisesand ennuiof a pivotal decade in a clear and witty narrative with a mordant sense of humour that will evoke moments of perhaps painful recognition in anyone who has sampled any of the plethora of philosophies and therapies whose development he describes. From gurus and encounter groups to flotation tanks and rebirthing, Riley's account is informed by an impressive breadth of research and provides real insight and understanding. * Judith Noble, Professor of Film and the Occult, Arts University Plymouth *
In this fantastically witty book, James Riley reminds us about the history and roots of wellbeing as a movement with its commercial appeal, absurdities and curiosities. * Thomas Roulet, Professor of Organisational Sociology & Leadership, University of Cambridge *
An engrossing, thought-provoking and entertaining study of the search for who we are and what makes us 'well' in body and mind. * The Spectator *
In his expansive study, Riley draws out the many historical roots and consequences of the 1970s inward turn ... Well Beings is a highly readable, alternative history * Manchester Review of Books *
A roaming, eclectictour of the 1970s via film, literature, and music ... Riley deftly shows how far we have drifted from the socially grounded culture of wellness that was prominent in the '70s * The Camera *
Riley is a well-read guide. The book deals with events, people, music and films from the 1970s, setting them in a longer-lived cultural context ... Well Beings illuminates, in particular, the idea of 'spiritual privilege'. * The Times Literary Supplement *
But what is wellness? And how can we understand its benefits while jettisoning the charlatans and pointless interventions? I found the answers - plus some fantastically weird anecdotes - in James Riley's engrossing and timely book ... In Well Beings, he reanimates the mood of the 1970s with a range of contemporary cultural resources from books, philosophy, politics, even popular British sitcoms of the time. * Financial Times *