this was not about the actual-overthink-anxiety-ridden type beat i thought it would be…
it’s the overload of information and how we receive and process info in the current landscape, which has severe changes but also tons of similarities w the “old” days.
overall nothing mind-blowing yet interesting, basically put the thinking process into words. funny and close to daily interactions than her cult book, but probably because i’m not involved w cults in my life.

This book is everything that I needed to kick start this year. I follow Amanda’s podcast and have been hearing about her new book and I am really glad I got to read it.
The chapters were divided into logical groupings and it was very fun to grasp all the knowledge. From page 1, it is super clear that a lot of love and research went into this book. Also excited to see her fiancée referred in various parts of the novel. All in all an amazing 5 star read.

Amanda Montell brings her sharp linguistic skills and sense of humor to her latest, The Age of Magical Overthinking. A look at cognitive biases in the modern age, this is part cultural criticism and part guide to having a brain in a time of way too much information.
I loved this! The tone is light and relatable, even as Montell tackles serious topics. As a therapist, I think this would actually be a great read for anyone who trends towards anxiety. Each bias is thoughtfully explained and well-researched, but it’s Montell’s humor and voice that makes this so compelling and readable.

In Montell’s third book, she explores the way we think, the amount of information we get, and why we do what we do, cognitively. This is written in an accessible tone, well-researched, and engaging, though I found it a little less focused than her other works. Overthinking is the theme, but it drifts beyond that - or perhaps, she doesn’t define it as crisply as I expected. This book is in many ways a springboard for other ideas, which lends itself to the fuzziness of focus. But it was enjoyable.

I camped out halfway through the final chapter of this book for a month because I DIDN’T WANT IT TO END. This book is like talking to your very intelligent friend about psychology. Amanda Montell’s style is stream of consciousness in a way that easy to follow and engaging even when the subject matter is complex.

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

The Age of Magical Overthinking is not Wordslut nor is it Cultish, but perhaps we shouldn't think of it that way. Perhaps this is a book entirely of its genre that happens to be written by a linguist.

The Age of Magical Overthinking reads something more akin to a memoir or a series of personal essays steeped in linguistics but firmly rooted in Amanda Montell's life. In that sense, it's vulnerable and beautiful and honest. Taken alongside her first two books—which were strikingly similar—this book stands out as slightly weaker. It is far more anecdotal, far less evidence-heavy. It, however, is not lacking evidence. Montell has conducted interviews and research and read countless books to define biases across the genre and help us explain our brains. The show's star is her vulnerability with her own biases, but those are not taken as deep as I wished. The research is the icing on the cake, but the cake just scratches the surface of what is possible.

I still very much enjoyed this book. Understanding why and how we have and produce biases is important. Montell's anecdotes did add a lot to my understanding of her research and how it might impact my life and my biases. I will gladly pick up every book Montell writes.

This book is a collection of essays that looks at humanity’s current ability to overthink absolutely everything and the cognitive biases that come along with that. I somehow missed this author’s first book on the language of cults but will definitely go back to it now. She writes in an engaging and personable way that made me nod my head at her conclusions. I can see this collection hitting the mark with many readers. I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley.

I have loved both of Amanda Montell's previous books, and while this is one is a bit different, I found it just as interesting.
Instead of a linguistic take, this book is more on the psychology of human nature. There is a stronger personal narrative element than in previous books as well, and I think it adds an extra empathetic layer to the book. I liked that the book was divided into different sections that overlapped but felt standalone, it felt almost like a podcast or series with each chapter exploring something new with a strong storytelling line to keep it from getting too dry or esoteric.
My only minor nitpick is that it would have been interesting to see the difference between neurotypical and neurodivergent brains in some of these situations since the top-down vs ground up processing would I think change some of these views.
I still enjoyed this book immensely - I learned a lot while laughing and commiserating which is what I hope for with every non-fiction book.

This ARC took me quite a long time to get through. Not because it was bad, but because it was absolutely excellent. I am always a bit leery about non-fiction that might swing to the side of self-help, but this book was solidly in the realm of self-realization. It didn't tell me *how* to think, but it shone a light on how I think.

While I have heard of many of these cognitive biases, I have never had them discussed in such a candid and relatable way. Having recently been diagnosed with OCD (okay so I guess not everyone thought like I did, as I had assumed...), the term "magical thinking" itself was new to me. So having not only the term but also the related cognitive biases so candidly illuminated, was very personally impactful.

Not only will I be recommending this book to anyone and everyone, but I will also be purchasing my physical copy to mark up and annotate for myself. It is a book that I will come back to regularly, and each time, a new section or paragraph will jump off the page.

Big thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for a free digital advanced reader copy. All opinions are my own and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

* THOUGHTS ABOUT *

The Age of Magical Overthinking by Amanda Montell

I really enjoyed Montell’s first two books—Wordslut and Cultish—and this book’s title and cover spoke to me. So I was thrilled to be approved for a digital ARC on NetGalley, and I couldn’t wait to dive in.

While I enjoyed aspects of this book, I don’t think the book’s contents are as “electrifying” as the publisher’s description suggests. To me, this mostly read like a ho-hum pop-psychology book crossed with a self-help book.

I thought the final essay, which discusses “the IKEA effect”—people’s propensity to over-value things we create or have a hand in creating—was her strongest. In this essay, Montell did a good job of balancing supporting research with personal narrative and outside anecdotes. In other essays, even though there were some highlight-worthy lines, that balance felt off.

Montell has a fun voice, and one thing about books (particularly self-help type books) is that they might hit a reader as “blah” or “aha!” depending on where the reader is at in their life. I’ve read positive reviews on this one from other readers, so if the topic interests you, I think it’s worth trying! But I’d more enthusiastically steer you toward her first two books, where Montell’s linguistic insight shines.

Thank you so much to @onesignalpub, @atriabooks, @simonandschuster, and @netgalley for the digital ARC! I really enjoyed having the chance to read this one.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria/One Signal Publishers for this e-ARC. I adored Cultish, Montell's last book. Her academic background brings such a refreshing look at pop culture. She's well researched, funny, and entertaining. Although I wish her chapters were more cohesive like her journey through cults in the modern world, I still really enjoyed this read. I always applaud solid attempts to preserve the zeitgeist and this one is well-executed.

I loved this author’s previous book (Cultish) and I had high hopes for this one! I think it may have been even better! In The Age of Magical Overthinking, Amanda Montell discusses the various cognitive biases that have impacted us in a post-COVID world where everyone is EXTREMELY online. I particularly liked the essay entitled "Are You Our Mother, Taylor Swift?" where she examines our god complex with celebrities like Taylor Swift (very relevant right now). I like the way Amanda Montell combines non-fiction writing with personal experience to create an engaging piece of non-fiction work.

Pop psychology meets pop culture! In each chapter, Amanda Montell explores a different cognitive bias that's affected our collective thinking in the modern age; she interweaves anecdotes from her own life, examples from pop culture, and carefully curated academic research to explore each. I first learned about Montell's work through her podcast Sounds Like A Cult, and The Age of Magical Overthinking has the same conversational and playful yet thoughtful approach! While I was familiar with many of the psychological studies and academic research that Montell leverages to make her points about modern-day cognitive biases and irrational thinking, I enjoyed how she tied it all together in an approachable and entertaining way! Overall, a great and fun non-fiction read from a talented linguist and writer!

Thanks to NetGalley for this ARC! This was an engaging exploration of the cognitive biases at the heart of modern irrationality. As with Montell’s other books, going back to Wordslut, this text very naturally incorporated the author’s own experiences, pop culture references, and historical analogies. Overall, it was fun, informative, down-to-earth, and thought-provoking!

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.

This was a fun, quick read about common logical fallacies and while none of it was necessarily new information, it was still interesting to read. A good intro to nonfiction for people who aren't normally into nonfiction!

~ARC provided by NetGalley~

I'm going to sound like I'm exaggerating, but this book should be required reading. In "The Age of Magical Overthinking," Ashley Montell breaks down different cognitive biases that shape how we view the world around us. How we think about and frame things has so much to do with how we move through the world, but has little to do with the outcome--despite what we want to believe. Certain chapters, like the one on the sunk cost fallacy and survivorship bias, literally made me implement immediate changes in the way I think or construct narratives about my life. Even the last chapter, on the Ikea effect, made me experience putting together a piece of furniture with my partner last night a totally different experience. Even though I read an advanced copy, I pre-ordered a hard copy of the book, because I know this is something I'll want to share and reread when I need to. The human experience is chaotic and unpredictable, even though our brains crave symmetry, manifestation, and narratives that align with our pre-existing beliefs.

If you, too, are an anxious millennial who feels like they can barely keep their head above water, pre-order/put on hold/keep an eye out for this book in April. I cannot stress enough how powerful this book is.

fantastically done on the problems of this celeb-filled, social media oriented digital age. i quite enjoyed the read. thanks for the arc.

Love Montell’s previous works so was very excited to see a new one by her. Each chapter Montell goes through a different cognitive bias bringing in her experiences of a toxic relationship, her work in the beauty industry etc. This books is well laid out, throughly researched and very approachable and relatable. Highly recommend

The Age of Magical Overthinking is a deep dive into the human condition in our current social media obsessed world. Each chapter discusses a different bias, fallacy, illusion or effect. If you’re like me, then these chapters put words to ideas or concepts I experience but couldn’t put words to.

Amanda Montell has such a distinct writing style and voice in this nonfiction book that makes it read like fiction. She presents facts and notes studies seamlessly while still making it seem casual and conversational. The personal anecdotes she includes makes it all feel so relatable.

Some of my favorite chapters were “A Toxic Relationship is Just a Cult of One: a note on the sunk cost fallacy” and “The Scammer Within: a note on overconfidence bias.”