I really enjoyed Montell’s book about cults, and I thought this one was even better! The Age of Magical Thinking focuses on the cognitive biases that impact pretty much every facet of our lives, from our views on pop stars to our political ideologies to our relationships with others… and everything in between. Many of the ideas presented in the book seemed to come from research started for Cultish, and it was truly eye opening to see some of the recurring themes between both books.

I love Montell’s writing style, and she comes across as knowledgeable yet accessible. Many of the stories relating to different cognitive biases came from her own lived experience, which made the author feel relatable and not preachy. The ideas are steeped in research and eloquently articulated, and I think she did an excellent job shining light on many aspects of social culture and the collective human experience that many of us may not have considered previously.

Thank you so much to Atria and Netgalley for the advanced copy!

As someone who engages in magical overthinking frequently, this book really resonated me and validated a significant amount of the feelings I have and experience on a basis.

In "The Age of Magical Overthinking," Amanda Montell skillfully navigates the complex interplay between language, culture, and superstition in our contemporary world. Through a blend of personal anecdotes, linguistic research, and cultural analysis, Montell delves into the pervasive influence of magical thinking on our everyday lives.

Montell's exploration is both engaging and insightful, offering readers a nuanced understanding of how superstition shapes our perceptions and behaviors. She deftly traces the evolution of magical thinking from ancient traditions to modern-day rituals, shedding light on its enduring power in shaping human belief systems.

While occasionally veering into superficial analysis and tangential anecdotes, Montell's narrative remains compelling and thought-provoking. Her accessible prose invites readers to reconsider their own relationship with superstition, challenging us to confront the ways in which magical thinking influences our understanding of the world.

In conclusion, "The Age of Magical Overthinking" is a captivating examination of a phenomenon often dismissed or overlooked. Montell's blend of personal narrative and scholarly research offers a fresh perspective on the enduring influence of superstition in the modern age, leaving readers questioning the boundaries between magic and reality.

Amanda Montell is an auto-read author for me! She has a voice like no other in this generation. Her wit and on-site of language is unmatched in analyzing the woes of the modern world.

This book had interesting points, but overall was just mediocre. I didn't learn anything from it and it didn't discuss anything that made me stop and think. I was hoping for so much more, but just didn't love this one!

I love Amanda Montell's writing, and this is even better than Cultish! Montell builds upon the themes that made Cultish great; the impacts between human psychology, social media, the news, and more in the 21st century. I think everyone should read these books, and I while I haven't listened to her podcast, I will have to check it out. This book talks about cognitive distortions and how we are in an era where we are really beginning to see the effects of post-truth, where facts don't matter as much as how our brains process and interpret our world, and I think understanding this is the only way forward. Cults, MAGA, social media, populism, this book is super relevant and engrossing.

As a long time listener to Amanda’s podcast, “Sounds Like a Cult,” and a fan of her book Cultish—The Language of Fanaticism, I was excited to read and review her new title.

With researched insight, The Age of Magical Overthinking, was a fun description of how we humans and our poor brains have good off the rails. From conspiracy theories to Taylor Swift standom, she explores many ways in which the modern brain is at odds with the information overload provided by our current times.

As a bonus, Amanda weaves in personal anecdotes from her own life experiences. I can’t wait to listen to the audio version!

If you are a fan of the podcast 'Sounds like a Cult' like I am, then you will not be disappointed by Amanda Montell's latest addition to her growing work of literature. I devoured this book every chance I could get on my commute to and from work. I took quiet moments to reflect on how each chapter made me feel, especially the Taylor Swift one, and I came up for air as a different person. It is fascinating how language, psychology and sociology come together in this book. This would be an great addition to anyone's growing library. I know I can't wait to buy my copy!

I really enjoyed this book, even though I didn't totally understand a lot of the psychology behind it! I love how Montell creates digestible and relevant content that can otherwise be difficult to understand.

After reading Cultish and Wordslut, I didn't expect that it would get better than those but Montell has totally outdone herself with this one. It is absolutely brilliant and perfect. I loved that The Age of Magical Overthinking still approaches cultish behavior of today's world.

The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality

Reading anything by Amanda Montell makes me feel so much smarter than I truly am. 😭

Montell’s book challenges our relationship with cultural biases and the notion of language as a purely functional tool, arguing instead that it is contains layers of meaning, power, and influence. With use of engaging anecdotes, research studies, and personal reflections, she examines how language reflects and reinforces societal norms, stereotypes, and power dynamics. She also tackles the information overload we have on a daily basis thanks to the advances in technology and how that can be helpful but very damaging and anxiety inducing.

My favorite part of Montell’s writing is her ability to turn complex linguistic and sociological concepts into accessible and relatable narratives. Her writing style is just… *chefs kiss* honestly. Whether she’s exploring the evolution of slang, dissecting the language of self-help culture, or unpacking the nuances of gendered communication, Montell’s writing is engaging, informative, and thought-provoking. She starts the book off strong with chapter one-“Are You Our Mother, Taylor Swift: A note on the halo effect.”

This book is set for release on April 9, 2024! I highly recommend!!


Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC.

5 stars! Amazing, wonderful, enlightening!
First off, the cover is gorgeous. Like, absolutely stunning.

I love how Montell is able to use pop culture examples to make concepts more accessible. Taylor Swift and para-social relationships, a big wellness influencer and the alt-right pipeline, the sunk cost fallacy in relationships and over consumption/capitalism??! Brilliant!

It’s enjoyable and the writing really flows. After reading Cultish last year, I knew I had to pick this one up. It didn’t disappoint.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for my advanced digital copy!

I've loved Montell's work since Cultish. I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Receiving an advanced copy was a delightful surprise. I believe both existing fans and newcomers will find it equally enjoyable.

part psych textbook, part cultural critique. while this did make me realize i've never had an original thought in my life (due to the brain being somewhat predictable, even all these years later), it also gave me a sense of community with my fellow anxious, nostalgic, overconfident but also imposter-syndromey girlies.

montell has a way of making complicated things sound simple. never did i ever think i'd be dropping the phrase "dunning-kruger effect" on a hinge date but there i was, this past friday night, mansplaining psychology to a guy who was mansplaining the BBC to me.

big big fan of montell after reading Cultish, even bigger fan now. anything that makes me understand my weird little brain better is an A in my book.

Who taught Amanda Montell to write like this!!! I will read anything she writes and love it!! I swear I highlighted half of the book.

This is a dense book, but not in a bad way at all! Montell backs up everything with facts and citations which I loved, but it definitely required me to read quietly and focus which I think is helpful to know going into it!

I really feel like everyone should read all of Montell's books! I always leave the book thinking of things in a new light.

I really enjoyed this book, and the perspective that Amanda Montell brings to a wide range of cognitive biases.

From the halo effect, to the sunk cost fallacy, and overconfidence bias, Montell goes in depth with sharp wit, real world examples, incredible pop culture knowledge, and a lot of heart. In some chapters she shares personal examples, as well as expert opinions and research.

Each chapter gave me a lot to reflect on - in my own life, but also in regard to our world generally. The chapter on sunk cost fallacy made me reflect on jobs and relationships I stayed in a little too long, and appreciate the reminder to forgive ourselves whilst building a life that’s so full and completely our own. And I still have lots to ponder on my relationship with social media, urgency and importance thanks to chapter 6, “Time to Spiral”.

Her other book Cultish has been on my TBR for awhile, and I feel like I definitely need to go back and read it!

Huge thanks to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing me with an eARC in exchange for my honest review.

Current, smart, and funny insight or musings about how we're all grasping at any little explanation for why the world is the way it is. The author is very relatable and pokes fun at herself to deliver her soothing message: it's all going to be okay, breathe, and try not to be too anxious.

I was given an advance readers copy of The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality by Amanda Montell and I'm so happy I was able to get an early copy because I could not put this book down.

The content of the book is extremely similar to her book Cultish, except this time she's discussing why our brains are the way they are. She talks about the different biases everyone is prone to and gives insight into how they come about. She also talks about how she herself has fallen trap to these biases, and how it led her to where she is today.

The thing I loved most about Magical Overthinking was that despite being about the fact that the way we think is a problem in society, and that even if the roots make complete sense it no longer makes sense today, she never comes across as judgmental. This feels like you sitting down with your grad student friend who's telling you about her thesis, what she's learned, and it's comforting. I never felt lectured or talked down to, rather, I felt like it was an old friend having a conversation with me.

So many portions of this book resonated with me. I could think of exact moments of what she was explaining from others or myself. If you enjoyed Cultish, you'll enjoy The Age of Magical Overthinking.

Admittedly, this book isn't what I expected. I thought it would be less scholarly and more memoir. So this definitely colors my opinions on the book.

This book is well researched and dives into a lot of the pop-psychology of our times. It is full of pop culture references that makes this feel fresh and modern. Amanda Montell has a great sense of humor that doesn't feel patronizing as you go through the different thinking of our times. She has a great, distinctive voice.

However, I did find myself getting lost in the chapters. I don't know if it was the length or the jargon, but it didn't hold my attention enough in the middle of the chapters to always thread together. Sometimes the metaphors didn't land (or maybe it was the sheer number of them).

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria for the ARC!

Shout out to NetGalley for the ARC! Much appreciated!

Now then...in the words of Larry David: "Good not great."

I've been a devotee of Amanda Montell for years (and I quote "Cultish" on a weekly basis), but this one left me...tepid.

Granted, my own confirmation bias may have set me up for disappointment: I was AMPED for her sardonic anecdotes but mildly overwhelmed by the psychosocial jargon. Her works are always cerebral, but this time there's a notable shift to the clinical lens.

Don't get me wrong, my dormant memories of psych lectures tingled awake when learning about the "halo effect, absorption addiction model(s), recency illusion, proportionality bias" and my personal favorite: "the Dunning-Kruger effect." Many of these chapters were"signifier-signified" coded (always helpful and appreciated...soooo apologies from my 20-year-old self to Saussure).

In short, The Age of Magical Overthinking has SUCH merit, and I deeply respect the (3?) years Montell dedicated to crafting it. Especially considering the inclusion of hyper-contemporary culture war topics: declinism, the glamorization of The Dark Ages, and the absolutely bananas - and transphobic - grammar debate. Speaking of: "...People would get terribly bent out of shape over the blasphemous new idea of using 'they' as a singular pronoun, despite the fact this usage can be found in writings as old as the fourteenth century. Chaucer, Shakespeare, and Austen were all fans of singular 'they.'"

::insert Dunning-Kruger effect vibes here:: iykyk.

This was a greatly enjoyable and informative book! I really like Amanda Montell and will automatically read anything she writes.
The only downsides is that the book felt a little rambling and all over the place at times, and I wish there had been a conclusion chapter to tie everything together.