I liked his first book a bit better. This was enjoyable, but a little more disjointed than Reasons to Stay Alive and read more like short stores. Would definitely recommend to people who have depression and/or anxiety.

I've already had Matt Haig on the podcast as a guest to talk about this book, but I just have to say that this was an absolutely incredible read. Such a wonderful follow-up to Reasons to Stay Alive. It felt like he was reading my mind at times.

Very glad to have read this book, and very proud to have helped more people discover it already.

I really did enjoy this book a lot. I liked the almost-random nature of the topics. It reminded me very much of how an anxious mind jumps around constantly assessing the world around it. The writing is smooth and a pleasure to read. I have already purchased copies for my library as we have a popular mental health collection, and this will fit nicely.

NOTES ON A NERVOUS PLANET is another excellent work by Matt Haig (Reasons to Stay Alive). He returns to the discussion of mental health, but focuses on stepping away from technology and the frenetic pace of modern life. He says "we have to remember:
There is no shame in not watching news.
There is no shame in not going on Twitter.
There is no shame in disconnecting."

Haig offers numerous suggestions and writes in a calm, comforting voice. He parallels much of the work on stress management and technology addiction that we have been discussing (such as Twenge's iGen). I particularly liked his poignant observations about education: "we are being taught a kind of reverse mindfulness. A kind of Future Studies where – via the guise of mathematics, or literature, or history, or computer programming, or French – we are being taught to think of a time different to the time we are in. Exam time. Job time. When-we-are-grown-up-time."

Noting that "it sometimes feels as if we have temporarily solved the problem of scarcity and replaced it with the problem of excess," he also echoes comments in the recent New York Times article from Cal Newport on "Steve Jobs Never Wanted Us to Use our iPhones like This." Throughout, Haig is courageous in confronting his (and readers') anxiety: "Worry is a small, sweet word that sounds like you could keep an eye on it." NOTES ON A NERVOUS PLANET is a very accessible text which asks some tough questions ("How do you stay human in a world of change?") which Kirkus described as an "often wise and inspiring self-help title."

Links in live post:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?time_continue=1&v=3E7hkPZ-HTk
https://www.nytimes.com/2019/01/25/opinion/sunday/steve-jobs-never-wanted-us-to-use-our-iphones-like-this.html

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an advance copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I have read several of this author's previous books, including Reasons to Stay Alive. This book seems an unnecessary follow up to that. The author tends to ramble and there is no order to what he is saying. He does, however, make some strong points that make you think, and for that this book gets 3 stars.

"If the whole planet is having a kind of collective breakdown, then unhealthy behaviour fits right in. When normality becomes madness, the only way to find sanity is by daring to be different"-Matt Haig

I loved this book. As someone who has dealt with anxiety for a long time it is heartening to know as Haig puts it that the chaotic changes in our world have, "arrived faster than our minds and bodies expected." We are simply overwhelmed with information and stimulation. It's no wonder we are struggling to adapt.

The format of this book reminded me a lot of Anne Lamott, essays and thoughts on a theme. I found it deeply helpful and encouraging. (ARC/NetGalley)

A sequel of sorts to Matt Haig's excellent Reasons to Stay Alive, this one focused on the related issue of anxiety rather than depression. The book goes beyond the personal to address our anxiety-ridden our culture is thanks to the Internet and advertising. Part memoir, part-self-help book, part-cultural criticism, Haig provides useful advice and observations that many will find valuable.

[I received an advanced e-galley of this book through Netgalley.]