by Rachel Brodsky

Remember back in college where the English professors would badger you to come up with the best paper thesis possible? Your thesis had to be focused, controversial, and most importantly, able to be proven and disproven. Well, we're happy to report that cultural commentator and science writer Ethan Watters has conjured up a thesis that meets these three points exactly. In his new book, Crazy Like Us, Watters discusses the notion that in addition to celebrity-worshipping and fast food, Americans have been exporting another one of their most popular resources to the rest of the world--our psychological issues.

Watters argues that because Americans are encouraged to list their psychological issues (including anything from post traumatic stress disorder to good old fashioned depression) to the nearest available therapist, not to mention the incredible Western onset of pill-popping, that citizens in other countries are beginning to emulate us because they think it's, well, cool.

Sound intriguing? Judge Watters' theory for yourself at the launch party for Crazy Like Us, this Thursday January 21 at the Booksmith.

What: Crazy Like Us: The Globalization of the American Psyche launch party
Where: The Booksmith
When: Thursday, January 21, 7:30pm
How Much: Free!