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The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality
From the bestselling author of Cultish and host of the podcast Sounds Like a Cult, a delicious blend of cultural criticism and personal narrative that explores our cognitive biases and the power, disadvantages, and highlights of magical thinking.
Utilizing the linguistic insights of her “witty and brilliant” first book Wordslut and the sociological explorations of her breakout hit Cultish, Amanda Montell now turns her erudite eye to the inner workings of the human mind and its biases in her most personal and electrifying work yet.
“Magical thinking” can be broadly defined as the belief that one’s internal thoughts can affect unrelated events in the external Think of the conviction that one can manifest their way out of poverty, stave off cancer with positive vibes, thwart the apocalypse by learning to can their own peaches, or transform an unhealthy relationship to a glorious one with loyalty alone. In all its forms, magical thinking works in service of restoring agency amid chaos, but in The Age of Magical Overthinking, Montell argues that in the modern information age, our brain’s coping mechanisms have been overloaded, and our irrationality turned up to an eleven.
In a series of razor sharp, deeply funny chapters, Montell delves into a cornucopia of the cognitive biases that run rampant in our brains, from how the “Halo effect” cultivates worship (and hatred) of larger than life celebrities, to how the “Sunk Cost Fallacy” can keep us in detrimental relationships long after we’ve realized they’re not serving us. As she illuminates these concepts with her signature brilliance and wit, Montell’s prevailing message is one of hope, empathy, and ultimately forgiveness for our anxiety-addled human selves. If you have all but lost faith in our ability to reason, Montell aims to make some sense of the senseless. To crack open a window in our minds, and let a warm breeze in. To help quiet the cacophony for a while, or even hear a melody in it.
Utilizing the linguistic insights of her “witty and brilliant” first book Wordslut and the sociological explorations of her breakout hit Cultish, Amanda Montell now turns her erudite eye to the inner workings of the human mind and its biases in her most personal and electrifying work yet.
“Magical thinking” can be broadly defined as the belief that one’s internal thoughts can affect unrelated events in the external Think of the conviction that one can manifest their way out of poverty, stave off cancer with positive vibes, thwart the apocalypse by learning to can their own peaches, or transform an unhealthy relationship to a glorious one with loyalty alone. In all its forms, magical thinking works in service of restoring agency amid chaos, but in The Age of Magical Overthinking, Montell argues that in the modern information age, our brain’s coping mechanisms have been overloaded, and our irrationality turned up to an eleven.
In a series of razor sharp, deeply funny chapters, Montell delves into a cornucopia of the cognitive biases that run rampant in our brains, from how the “Halo effect” cultivates worship (and hatred) of larger than life celebrities, to how the “Sunk Cost Fallacy” can keep us in detrimental relationships long after we’ve realized they’re not serving us. As she illuminates these concepts with her signature brilliance and wit, Montell’s prevailing message is one of hope, empathy, and ultimately forgiveness for our anxiety-addled human selves. If you have all but lost faith in our ability to reason, Montell aims to make some sense of the senseless. To crack open a window in our minds, and let a warm breeze in. To help quiet the cacophony for a while, or even hear a melody in it.
272 pages, Hardcover
First published April 9, 2024
About the author
Amanda Montell
3 books2,622 followersAmanda Montell is a writer, linguist, and podcast host living in Los Angeles. She is the author of three nonfiction books, Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism, Wordslut: A Feminist Guide to Taking Back the English Language, and The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality (forthcoming April 9, 2024 from OneSignal). She is also a creator and host of the hit podcast, Sounds Like A Cult. Amanda’s books have earned praise from The Washington Post, The Atlantic, Kirkus Reviews, and more. Cultish was named a best book of 2021 by NPR, was shortlisted for several prizes including the Goodreads Choice Awards and getAbstract International Book Award, and is currently in development for television. Sounds Like A Cult won “Best Emerging Podcast” at the 2023 iHeart Radio Podcast Awards and was named a best podcast of 2022 by Vulture, Esquire, Marie Claire, and others.
Amanda’s essays and reporting have appeared in The New York Times, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, and elsewhere. She was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and holds a degree in linguistics from NYU. Find her on Instagram @amanda_montell or Substack at amandamontell.substack.com.
Amanda’s essays and reporting have appeared in The New York Times, Harper’s Bazaar, Marie Claire, and elsewhere. She was born and raised in Baltimore, MD and holds a degree in linguistics from NYU. Find her on Instagram @amanda_montell or Substack at amandamontell.substack.com.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,126 reviews
May 10, 2024
I have so many thoughts about this and need to gather them together. But I just have a theory about the author that I need to work on.
If you thought you’d get a non fiction about the current state of chronically online overthjnkers, this is not it. It’s like a collection of essays that are memoir ish and then just talking about well known psychological concepts. It feels so disjointed. Again, I’m struggling to find the words. But I wanted to give the author another try because unlike most, I was underwhelmed with Cultish. And randomly every chapter seemed to allude back to cults?
I’ll end it with saying I think that the author parades as someone who knows more than they do. And Im not a fan
Edit: my wrap up that includes my rant about this book https://youtu.be/4FtvhB5X10E?si=S9aU3...
If you thought you’d get a non fiction about the current state of chronically online overthjnkers, this is not it. It’s like a collection of essays that are memoir ish and then just talking about well known psychological concepts. It feels so disjointed. Again, I’m struggling to find the words. But I wanted to give the author another try because unlike most, I was underwhelmed with Cultish. And randomly every chapter seemed to allude back to cults?
I’ll end it with saying I think that the author parades as someone who knows more than they do. And Im not a fan
Edit: my wrap up that includes my rant about this book https://youtu.be/4FtvhB5X10E?si=S9aU3...
November 30, 2023
I loved Montell’s previous book (Cultish) and I dare say this was even better. In The Age of Magical Overthinking, Montell breaks down the various cognitive biases that impact us in our post-COVID, hyper-online world. In “Are You Our Mother, Taylor Swift?”, she examines why we’re led to exalt public figures on a god-like level, and then get angry when they don’t match the impossibly-high pedestal they never asked to stand on in the first place. In “A Toxic Relationship is Just a Cult Of One”, she speaks about how social media makes us value the story of our lives more than the lived experience of it, and why we might invest even *more* energy and time into a situation that isn’t working just to maintain the narrative we’re trying to tell. If you’ve ever felt like the universe sent you a divinely ordained message in the form of a Tiktok tarot reading, felt super confident you can recreate that Pinterest DIY only to end up with a pile of garbage, or repeated a fact you heard without fully knowing if it's true, this book is FOR YOU. And, let’s be real, we’ve all been there.
Montell doesn’t speak about these things from a holier-than-thou, self-help and betterment perspective. She’s candid and genuine in these essays, speaking lots from her own experience. She talks first-hand about having been in a toxic relationship and not being able to leave, about getting sucked into the world of ‘beauty influencers’ and spending all her money on unnecessary products, about having a presence on social media even when she knows how harmful it can be. But she ties these experiences into a well-researched, well-articulated, and relatable piece of writing that perfectly captures our cultural moment, untangling the complicated web of why it feels so hard to just exist as a human being right now.
Montell doesn’t speak about these things from a holier-than-thou, self-help and betterment perspective. She’s candid and genuine in these essays, speaking lots from her own experience. She talks first-hand about having been in a toxic relationship and not being able to leave, about getting sucked into the world of ‘beauty influencers’ and spending all her money on unnecessary products, about having a presence on social media even when she knows how harmful it can be. But she ties these experiences into a well-researched, well-articulated, and relatable piece of writing that perfectly captures our cultural moment, untangling the complicated web of why it feels so hard to just exist as a human being right now.
Want to read
September 3, 2023as an ocd girly i need this immediately and literally can’t wait for it someone give me an arc
May 1, 2024
While this memoir-esque essay collection doesn't offer cutting edge, brand new insights, it's certainly smart, entertaining and timely. In eleven chapters, Montell ponders
- the halo effect
- proportionality bias
- sunk cost fallacy
- zero-sum bias
- survivorship biast
- recency illusion
- overconfidence bias
- illusory truth effect
- confirmation bias
- declinism
- IKEA effect.
What I particularly enjoyed is how she connects these, let's be real, rather well-known cognitive biases that amount to magical thinking to her personal life, pop culture and historic events, thus giving us entertaining examples that are often way too relatable: We might think that we're above these delusions, but then Montell tells her stories, and trust me, you'll also be like "oh no, I've been there". It's just a non-judgemental, frequently funny strategy to alert readers to tendencies that can also lead societies down dark, dangerous paths. To entertain an audience while almost secretly teaching lessons about cognitive shortcomings is an effective way to go: It's more empathetic than confrontative without rendering the inherent dangers of magical thinking harmless.
So yes, this isn't groundbreaking research or anything, but I liked the concept and enjoyed listening to the audio book.
- the halo effect
- proportionality bias
- sunk cost fallacy
- zero-sum bias
- survivorship biast
- recency illusion
- overconfidence bias
- illusory truth effect
- confirmation bias
- declinism
- IKEA effect.
What I particularly enjoyed is how she connects these, let's be real, rather well-known cognitive biases that amount to magical thinking to her personal life, pop culture and historic events, thus giving us entertaining examples that are often way too relatable: We might think that we're above these delusions, but then Montell tells her stories, and trust me, you'll also be like "oh no, I've been there". It's just a non-judgemental, frequently funny strategy to alert readers to tendencies that can also lead societies down dark, dangerous paths. To entertain an audience while almost secretly teaching lessons about cognitive shortcomings is an effective way to go: It's more empathetic than confrontative without rendering the inherent dangers of magical thinking harmless.
So yes, this isn't groundbreaking research or anything, but I liked the concept and enjoyed listening to the audio book.
April 20, 2024
Dnf at 37%.
This is mopey memoir masquerading as social science. I was a huge fan of Cultish and was excited to get to this book, but it is an exemplar of the very thing she is attacking. She rails against people who see something online and accept it as gospel but her level of rigor is barely better. While actually reading a study (as I assume she did) is better than circulating clickbait, it is only a skoosh better. She repeatedly cherry-picks research, generally relying upon a single study to support grand pronouncements about group dynamics in areas where a good amount of sound contradictory research and scholarship exists, and is never referred to. She also relies on a boatload of assumptions about human behavior she sets forth as universal, or at least typical, but which are not. As social science this is unforgivable.
If I read this as memoir or cultural criticism (which I see is what it is being advertised as, I had not read the blurb before starting this) the book is forgivable but lazy and out of touch. I am not one to rail against privilege displayed in a memoir. Privileged is not a corollary to happy, and being privileged does not mean that you are not interesting and/or do not have keen insights. And some might consider me privileged so I feel uncomfortable conceding that privilege makes a person's experiences and observations less than worthwhile. But even I was uncomfortable with references to her burning need to sojourn to Italy to find ballast. In the end, as memoir I found this boring and tone deaf and as cultural criticism it was a rehash of many things I have read before -- there is nothing fresh and little that is persuasive. This book is to cultural anthropology what GOOP is to epidemiology. A spectacular disappointment.
This is mopey memoir masquerading as social science. I was a huge fan of Cultish and was excited to get to this book, but it is an exemplar of the very thing she is attacking. She rails against people who see something online and accept it as gospel but her level of rigor is barely better. While actually reading a study (as I assume she did) is better than circulating clickbait, it is only a skoosh better. She repeatedly cherry-picks research, generally relying upon a single study to support grand pronouncements about group dynamics in areas where a good amount of sound contradictory research and scholarship exists, and is never referred to. She also relies on a boatload of assumptions about human behavior she sets forth as universal, or at least typical, but which are not. As social science this is unforgivable.
If I read this as memoir or cultural criticism (which I see is what it is being advertised as, I had not read the blurb before starting this) the book is forgivable but lazy and out of touch. I am not one to rail against privilege displayed in a memoir. Privileged is not a corollary to happy, and being privileged does not mean that you are not interesting and/or do not have keen insights. And some might consider me privileged so I feel uncomfortable conceding that privilege makes a person's experiences and observations less than worthwhile. But even I was uncomfortable with references to her burning need to sojourn to Italy to find ballast. In the end, as memoir I found this boring and tone deaf and as cultural criticism it was a rehash of many things I have read before -- there is nothing fresh and little that is persuasive. This book is to cultural anthropology what GOOP is to epidemiology. A spectacular disappointment.
February 4, 2024
I feel like this is a generous 3, but I could see others enjoying this a lot more than I did. Had this book been committed to being a memoir or short-essays, I may have gone in with different expectations, but instead I was anticipating a deep-dive into biases and paradigms. I got... mostly what felt like Amanda Montell defining one of those things, quoting a few scientists/artists/celebrities on the matter, then relating the concept back to her life in some way. Ultimately, the chapters didn't really commit in any one direction either - are these biases good? Bad? Human nature? Things we can work on? ... 🤷♀️
Oh well.
Oh well.
April 23, 2024
Going to save my thoughts for my podcast and maybe some truly unhinged videos. It’s both a 2.5 and 4.5 ⭐️
April 27, 2024
What do people want from Amanda Montell? It’s been interesting to read the reviews from the people who think she’s the Messiah of Knowledge and the people who think she’s an Antichrist Fraud, and there seems to be little in between! It’s pretty fascinating and the kind of thing she might write about herself!
Me, I’m a more middle-of-the-road Montell fan, and I think I’m also a Montell completest? - in any case, I’ve read all her books and listened to most of her podcast episodes. My take on her is that she is like the very excellent college professor or AP high school teacher you either had, or you never had but sorely wanted, especially to learn about cultural criticism type stuff. She is great at taking basic popular social science concepts and frameworks, including from linguistics, psychology, and gender studies, and applying them broadly to relevant pop culture, social media, and other human interest topics at kind of a sophisticated 101 survey class level with an appropriate modicum of self-disclosure for relatability and humor. That’s her niche, and she doesn’t claim otherwise, and in my opinion, it’s a valid one. I’d rather people learn or review the kinds of things she writes about than never engage with them at all. She gets people excited about and connected to these concepts, and encouraging that engagement is a legitimate talent and can only be a good thing. Anything that can help people critique and more critically consume media and their own thinking and habits - I just don’t think that can really be a bad thing.
I noticed that some people find her somehow overly critical or perhaps superior or something, and I have to say I don’t get that vibe. Of note, I’ve only listened to Montell on audio or podcast, and perhaps that’s why I have never gotten that impression. She reads her own works, and as such, her tone always seems very good-hearted toward others and benevolent and if anything, self-deprecating. If she can be a bit too much of a “we guy,” to appropriate a SATC term, I think it’s because she is only genuinely intrigued in the human condition and some of the commonalities and preoccupations and anxieties we share, although I find she is also consistently able to acknowledge her own privilege and different lived experience. I just don’t have any problems with her, and I like what she is doing. Overall, she may not be for everyone, but I can totally get why some people are quite happy to be assigned to Professor Montell’s section or classroom!
For background, the order in which I’ve personally preferred her books is: Cultish; The Age of Magical Overthinking; Wordslut. And, I love the podcast.
Me, I’m a more middle-of-the-road Montell fan, and I think I’m also a Montell completest? - in any case, I’ve read all her books and listened to most of her podcast episodes. My take on her is that she is like the very excellent college professor or AP high school teacher you either had, or you never had but sorely wanted, especially to learn about cultural criticism type stuff. She is great at taking basic popular social science concepts and frameworks, including from linguistics, psychology, and gender studies, and applying them broadly to relevant pop culture, social media, and other human interest topics at kind of a sophisticated 101 survey class level with an appropriate modicum of self-disclosure for relatability and humor. That’s her niche, and she doesn’t claim otherwise, and in my opinion, it’s a valid one. I’d rather people learn or review the kinds of things she writes about than never engage with them at all. She gets people excited about and connected to these concepts, and encouraging that engagement is a legitimate talent and can only be a good thing. Anything that can help people critique and more critically consume media and their own thinking and habits - I just don’t think that can really be a bad thing.
I noticed that some people find her somehow overly critical or perhaps superior or something, and I have to say I don’t get that vibe. Of note, I’ve only listened to Montell on audio or podcast, and perhaps that’s why I have never gotten that impression. She reads her own works, and as such, her tone always seems very good-hearted toward others and benevolent and if anything, self-deprecating. If she can be a bit too much of a “we guy,” to appropriate a SATC term, I think it’s because she is only genuinely intrigued in the human condition and some of the commonalities and preoccupations and anxieties we share, although I find she is also consistently able to acknowledge her own privilege and different lived experience. I just don’t have any problems with her, and I like what she is doing. Overall, she may not be for everyone, but I can totally get why some people are quite happy to be assigned to Professor Montell’s section or classroom!
For background, the order in which I’ve personally preferred her books is: Cultish; The Age of Magical Overthinking; Wordslut. And, I love the podcast.
March 24, 2024
I'm really torn on my feelings for this one. I really enjoyed Amanda Montell's previous book 'Cultish' and was very excited to pick this one up.
In The Age of Magical Overthinking, Montell describes multiple types of cognitive biases that we face today in the digital age - from celebrity worship to overactive fight or flight response. With each chapter covering a different topic, there were a lot of thought provoking ideas & topics for discussion.
Overall, this book felt like it was lacking a conclusion or overall connectivity between the chapters. A lot of the chapters almost felt incomplete & left me wishing there were more things said on particular topics. As with any collection of essays, stories, etc. some will be better than others and it's up to you to decide what you might enjoy.
Montell is certainly a talented author and this is a book that a lot of people will be able to resonate with and relate to - for me, it was just okay.
Thank you to NetGalley & Atria Books for providing me with an electronic ARC of this book to review.
In The Age of Magical Overthinking, Montell describes multiple types of cognitive biases that we face today in the digital age - from celebrity worship to overactive fight or flight response. With each chapter covering a different topic, there were a lot of thought provoking ideas & topics for discussion.
Overall, this book felt like it was lacking a conclusion or overall connectivity between the chapters. A lot of the chapters almost felt incomplete & left me wishing there were more things said on particular topics. As with any collection of essays, stories, etc. some will be better than others and it's up to you to decide what you might enjoy.
Montell is certainly a talented author and this is a book that a lot of people will be able to resonate with and relate to - for me, it was just okay.
Thank you to NetGalley & Atria Books for providing me with an electronic ARC of this book to review.
February 27, 2024
this was my version of the daily morning newspaper with a cup of coffee
February 13, 2024
Amanda Montell has done it again! I've read her other two books and am a regular listener of her podcast, Sounds Like a Cult, so when I heard this book was coming out, I knew I had to check it out as soon as possible! In the Age of Magical Overthinking, Montell has tackled various components of our social media-centric culture and explored how our cognitive biases reinforce and influence how we interact with our surroundings.
I also really love Montell's writing style and her ability to combine non-fiction and personal anecdotes. Montell is able to articulate these complex topics and present them in a digestible way all while weaving in layers of thorough research (and pop culture elements) around each topic.
Although I was gifted a copy of a digital ARC, I intend on purchasing a physical copy of this book as well. I continually come back to Montell's books sometimes for a full reread and other times to reread a particular section. I imagine that I will do the same with this book.
I absolutely recommend this book for anyone who is interested in modern overthinking, irrationality, cognitive biases, and learning more about the collective human experience. I also think that Montell's books are a great place to start for anyone looking to incorporate more nonfiction into their reading habits.
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
I also really love Montell's writing style and her ability to combine non-fiction and personal anecdotes. Montell is able to articulate these complex topics and present them in a digestible way all while weaving in layers of thorough research (and pop culture elements) around each topic.
Although I was gifted a copy of a digital ARC, I intend on purchasing a physical copy of this book as well. I continually come back to Montell's books sometimes for a full reread and other times to reread a particular section. I imagine that I will do the same with this book.
I absolutely recommend this book for anyone who is interested in modern overthinking, irrationality, cognitive biases, and learning more about the collective human experience. I also think that Montell's books are a great place to start for anyone looking to incorporate more nonfiction into their reading habits.
Thank you to the publisher and to NetGalley for providing an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.
April 19, 2024
I have not read Cultish, so maybe my expectations are miscalibrated, but this book strikes me as both scattered and short on research.
In only chapter 2, which is titled “I Swear I Manifested This,” Montell mentions in passing: the fact that educated women are the most likely to believe New Age mysticism; Aboriginal understandings of harmony with the world; manifestation as a pipeline to QANON; and a ton of other stuff. And like, if you can weave all that together in one chapter with a clear through line, that’s awesome. But I feel like all of these things could be a chapter on their own! They could be their own books! And instead they each just get a cursory mention.
The rest of the book is similarly all over the place. Again, I appreciate that Montell is trying to tie together a lot of disparate ideas, but she frequently does not cement the connections.
Thank you to Atria for providing a review copy.
In only chapter 2, which is titled “I Swear I Manifested This,” Montell mentions in passing: the fact that educated women are the most likely to believe New Age mysticism; Aboriginal understandings of harmony with the world; manifestation as a pipeline to QANON; and a ton of other stuff. And like, if you can weave all that together in one chapter with a clear through line, that’s awesome. But I feel like all of these things could be a chapter on their own! They could be their own books! And instead they each just get a cursory mention.
The rest of the book is similarly all over the place. Again, I appreciate that Montell is trying to tie together a lot of disparate ideas, but she frequently does not cement the connections.
Thank you to Atria for providing a review copy.
Read
May 11, 2024i don’t think i’m an overthinker🤔 also i’m not sure if this is really about overthinking🤔 but my goal is reading 50 nonfiction this year and this is my second book so far😔 plus it has a nice cover😍 so let’s see what is it about👀
April 16, 2024
After how much I enjoyed Cultish, I was really let down by this one. If you've taken a PSYCH 101 class, none of the insight into biases will be new to you. This book veers into memoir and personal anecdote far more than is warranted. While I recommended Cultish to anyone who would listen, I will caution readers against this one. I think Montell is less aware of her own biases than she pretends and this is not her area of expertise.
April 26, 2024
Self obsessed writer. I thought this was going to be based on research but every single story was about herself. I do wish I had $3,500 so I could go on her next writer’s workshop in Italy (lol). Maybe I’d understand her world better. This is so out of touch for me, I can’t even begin to imagine being able to “escape” to Italy when things get tough. Who is this book even written for?
April 18, 2024
you could watch like five tiktok’s and garner the same level of nuance this book has to offer
January 15, 2024
4.25 / I enjoyed this a LOT! Amanda Montell takes each essay to show how a different cognitive bias shows up in the modern age. (Manifesting & proportionality bias, toxic relationships & sunk cost fallacy, fandoms & the halo effect, etc). She does so with empathy, relatability, historical context, and really interesting sources! My favorite fun fact is from a study with 3,500 knitters, which found that 81% of them who had depression reporting feeling happy or “very happy” post knitting. Takeaways: read this book & learn to knit!
Want to read
November 2, 2023
May 1, 2024
✧.* this was like 50% social science, 40% Memoir and 10% gen z and millennial pop culture references
I enjoyed it but I think if you want some thing more scientific and less memoir maybe this wouldn't be for you. Also if you have any knowledge on biases you probably won't learn anything new...
I enjoyed it but I think if you want some thing more scientific and less memoir maybe this wouldn't be for you. Also if you have any knowledge on biases you probably won't learn anything new...
April 24, 2024
When I discovered Amanda Mantell’s new book, I rushed to secure a copy in order to see some of her latest thoughts. Having loved her previous two books, I was sure this would be another great read and I was not disappointed. Mantell seeks to explore the mind’s tendency to overthink, as well as the societal means by which it is overtaxed and sent on the path towards hyper-stimulation. With great commentary and witty asides, Mantell does a stellar job at exploring some highly technical and analytical topics while keeping it digestible for the layperson who needs a good laugh along the way!
While Amanda Montell captivated readers with her two previous publications, they pale in comparison to the exploration of the mind’s wiring and how biases help to rewire things for individuals in such a way that they are unaware of being duped. Montell does so by synthesising a number of these preconceived notions and ideas through filters of sociological influences and societal norms, while also peppering the tome with her own experiences, so as to keep the reader feeling grounded and as though they are not alone in the revelations. Montell has a witty way of telling her reader about things that trick the mind, shedding light on the numerous examples, while enveloping it in fact and study-based information.
The premise of the book, ‘magical thinking’ comes from the idea that internal thoughts and sentiments can help to create changes in the outside world. Manifesting something simply by casting light on it inside one’s mind to ensure it happens might seem silly to those who are peering in, but Montell explores how we all do it to some degree or another. Social media helps push the idea that we can change things simply by wanting to do so, or that our thoughts are an ever-evolving set of newly intuited thoughts is a falsehood that is not corrected at any point. Montell seeks to advise the reader of how these influences shape our lives and how we are duping ourselves into thinking we can simply ‘choose’ our pathway by manifesting that it happens.
Perhaps one of the most salient aspects of the book is Montell’s argument that the modern Information Age has flooded the brain with stimuli and factoids that it can no longer cope with ease, forcing the brain to snatch a few tidbits and scurry away for protection. Overstimulation and constant changes to the norm make it hard to truly find the path down which we ought to stroll, which can lead to the need to be praised or fit into a specific box. Montell does not dismiss the reader who feels this or even those she uses as examples, but rather explain it as a means to an end.
Montell’s writing is easy to comprehend and well-balanced in the chapters presented. Her ideas are both clear and easy to digest, while also pushing the envelope to challenge the attentive reader. Using many sources to substantiate her ideas, Montell develops themes in her chapters and argues them effectively, so as to ensure the reader can follow the thread and apply things from earlier in the book to the latter chapters. This cogent approach left me feeling not only educated, but feeling as though I could actually take something way from the book and apply it in future. While this might not be the subject matter for everyone, I cannot say enough about Montell’s work or how much I admire her for being so well-grounded in her arguments or daily living. I am eager to see where she will take readers next and know that I will be queued up, ready to participate once more.
Kudos, Madam Mantell, for a highly engaging book that I will surely share with others.
Love/hate the review? An ever-growing collection of others appears at:
http://pecheyponderings.wordpress.com/
While Amanda Montell captivated readers with her two previous publications, they pale in comparison to the exploration of the mind’s wiring and how biases help to rewire things for individuals in such a way that they are unaware of being duped. Montell does so by synthesising a number of these preconceived notions and ideas through filters of sociological influences and societal norms, while also peppering the tome with her own experiences, so as to keep the reader feeling grounded and as though they are not alone in the revelations. Montell has a witty way of telling her reader about things that trick the mind, shedding light on the numerous examples, while enveloping it in fact and study-based information.
The premise of the book, ‘magical thinking’ comes from the idea that internal thoughts and sentiments can help to create changes in the outside world. Manifesting something simply by casting light on it inside one’s mind to ensure it happens might seem silly to those who are peering in, but Montell explores how we all do it to some degree or another. Social media helps push the idea that we can change things simply by wanting to do so, or that our thoughts are an ever-evolving set of newly intuited thoughts is a falsehood that is not corrected at any point. Montell seeks to advise the reader of how these influences shape our lives and how we are duping ourselves into thinking we can simply ‘choose’ our pathway by manifesting that it happens.
Perhaps one of the most salient aspects of the book is Montell’s argument that the modern Information Age has flooded the brain with stimuli and factoids that it can no longer cope with ease, forcing the brain to snatch a few tidbits and scurry away for protection. Overstimulation and constant changes to the norm make it hard to truly find the path down which we ought to stroll, which can lead to the need to be praised or fit into a specific box. Montell does not dismiss the reader who feels this or even those she uses as examples, but rather explain it as a means to an end.
Montell’s writing is easy to comprehend and well-balanced in the chapters presented. Her ideas are both clear and easy to digest, while also pushing the envelope to challenge the attentive reader. Using many sources to substantiate her ideas, Montell develops themes in her chapters and argues them effectively, so as to ensure the reader can follow the thread and apply things from earlier in the book to the latter chapters. This cogent approach left me feeling not only educated, but feeling as though I could actually take something way from the book and apply it in future. While this might not be the subject matter for everyone, I cannot say enough about Montell’s work or how much I admire her for being so well-grounded in her arguments or daily living. I am eager to see where she will take readers next and know that I will be queued up, ready to participate once more.
Kudos, Madam Mantell, for a highly engaging book that I will surely share with others.
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May 2, 2024
Okay so I may have prematurely announced this as five stars (mainly bc the first chapter was my favorite) but I'm going to sleep on it to make sure I'm not just on a book high. I listened to the whole thing in one go, and it just felt really relevant to my everyday life. She explores concepts of cognitive bias in the real world, including in her own life, and all in her pop culture, talkative style.
For a more serious version of this book with more explanation of concepts, The End of Bias: A Beginning was very, very good, and I definitely gave that one a full five stars.
[4.5 stars, probably rounded up]
For a more serious version of this book with more explanation of concepts, The End of Bias: A Beginning was very, very good, and I definitely gave that one a full five stars.
[4.5 stars, probably rounded up]
April 9, 2024
all of these essays felt like spoofs of sex and the city episodes (mr. backpack!?). reading the sentence "paying a wealthy stranger $26 a month for their dubious online manifestation course is just a version of Stockholm syndrome" almost took my fucking head off. good book to read if you want a reminder that people can literally just say anything
March 16, 2024
After previously enjoying Cultish and Wordslut by Amanda Montell, I knew The Magical Age Of Overthinking would be a book for me. I love Montell’s unique style of linguistics nonfiction that combines linguistics, history, research statistics, pop culture, and her own personal anecdotes. This book is no exception. I learned a lot about cognitive bias in our current society without ever feeling like I was in a boring classroom setting. As I was reading, I felt like I was having a personal/relatable/thought-provoking conversation with a dear friend about celebrity worship, manifestation, toxic relationships, social media, anxiety, aliens, dinosaurs, and coping mechanisms of the modern human brain (and way more in only 272 pages). Shoutout to NetGalley and Atria Books for giving me the eARC of an author I will continue to read for years to come. Look out for this book publishing April 9!
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April 12, 2024I will read every book Amanda Montell ever writes. I blew through this one and it was astounding. She gives so much illumination to multiple social phenomenon that leave us unmoored in our chaotic and complex present moment.
May 15, 2024
meh
too much about her boyfriend casey, not enough of a cohesive purpose
too much about her boyfriend casey, not enough of a cohesive purpose
February 13, 2024
Interesting, well researched and often funny, but slightly different from what I had expected.
Thank you Simon & Schuster US and Edelweiss for the ARC.
Thank you Simon & Schuster US and Edelweiss for the ARC.
May 21, 2024
I love Amanda Montell’s writing. I enjoy her thought process and I think it’s because it’s what most of us podcast-listening, chatGPT-engaging, constantly talking and injecting ourselves & lives into conversation, chronically online, perpetually questioning and wondering where it’s all gonna go, type of folks are thinking about all the time. Her books are things to talk about and argue over, it’s always a fun and accessible read.
The book feels like 2024: all the good, bad, and disjointedness it contains. What’s a better time than now… as crazy as now can feel? She talks about that in the book— check the chapter on Nostalgia/Declinism. It’s one of my faves.
I had so many highlights and shared so much of it with the people in my orbit. It also came into my life at a perfect time where I’m thinking deeply about the ways that biases exist for individuals and myself. It’s good. It’s interesting. This book is one of those you have to judge for what it is specifically.
The book feels like 2024: all the good, bad, and disjointedness it contains. What’s a better time than now… as crazy as now can feel? She talks about that in the book— check the chapter on Nostalgia/Declinism. It’s one of my faves.
I had so many highlights and shared so much of it with the people in my orbit. It also came into my life at a perfect time where I’m thinking deeply about the ways that biases exist for individuals and myself. It’s good. It’s interesting. This book is one of those you have to judge for what it is specifically.
April 18, 2024
I listened to the audiobook in one go and it was an enjoyable blend of explanation of cognitive biases in a personal and current cultural context.
If you are familiar with cognitive biases this is a nice addition using them in contemporary phenomena.
If you are familiar with cognitive biases this is a nice addition using them in contemporary phenomena.
November 17, 2023
I love a book that makes me giggle but also makes me feel smarter, and no one does it better than Amanda Montell. I did not want this to end and I was so sad when it did.
April 23, 2024
Great book! Highly recommend to anyone interested in learning more about cognitive biases! (And who doesn’t wanna commit to Thinking Fast and Slow by Kahneman which is yes much more detailed but also much more academic and denser)
With my own background I knew most of what the author was talking about (down to the exact studies she was citing), which is why I didn’t take as much away from the book as I wished but I loved the way she drew connections between the biases and our everyday life in an extremely skilled and relatable manner - hat off for that! 👏🏻
With my own background I knew most of what the author was talking about (down to the exact studies she was citing), which is why I didn’t take as much away from the book as I wished but I loved the way she drew connections between the biases and our everyday life in an extremely skilled and relatable manner - hat off for that! 👏🏻
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