As a huge fan of author Amanda Montell’s sophomore work Cultish, I couldn’t wait to lean more about the author herself through the lens of cognitive biases in The Age of Magical Overthinking. As with Montell’s previous books, Overthinking is at once thought-provoking and conversational, thoroughly-researched yet legitimately funny. For existing fans of Montell’s style, it’s a slam-dunk.

Does it deliver on the synopsis’ promise to ‘be her most personal work yet’? …Sure. It technically contains more personal anecdotes than her previous books, as she observes how the biases examined show up in her life — but it isn’t intimate in the way a memoir or personal essay collection is. I fully admit that I was the victim of my own expectations here, given how I interpreted the synopsis. Still, I’d caution that this straddling of genres might make Overthinking a less accessible entry point to Montell’s work than her tightly-focused previous works. Still, for fans of Montell or anyone for whom the topic appeals, The Age of Magical Overthinking is well worth the read. 4*.

Thank you to Atria Books and NetGalley for providing this e-arc.

My thanks to both NetGalley and the publisher Atria Books for an advance copy of this book that looks at the many things in society that effect and affect our lives, without our noticing, something that is becoming more apparent as time passes.

My aunt has always been the most open-minded person in our family. Well except for politics. She was always the first to spot a trend, or join a group about anything dealing with self-care. The was into hypnosis, self-hypnosis, biofeedback, isolation chambers, weekends in Sedona with shamans. Everything in a vague attempt to make her feel better. My aunt for all her talk about the power of the mind, never was happy with the people around her. COVID has restricted her travels, but the Internet has given her a lot more people to follow. And for all her talk about positive thinking, she still never has anything positive to say. I thought of my aunt quite a bit while reading this book, I will buy a copy for her when it comes out. The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality by Amanda Montell looks at why we keep looking for easy answers and magic cure-alls when the answers we seek are so much closer than we think.

Amanda Montell's previous book Cultish was a study on the use of language that certain groups use to control their followers, gain more, and keep them under a tight leash. This book is similar in a way, but is more based on the language that is used to make us as humans feel that easy solutions can be used on major problems. A lot of this is used to make people feel trapped in their situations, and that only be following a certain path can they escape their problems. The book is broken into essays on various themes, accompanied by stories from the authors life, or experiences. Relationships, jobs, finding oneself, and getting out of bad situations are just a few things covered by the essays. Montell discusses the language of influencers, and how there is so much noise, and disinformation being broadcast and absorbed by us that the little voice inside our heads is almost totally confused.

This is the second book by Amanda Montell I have read and this book really hits home. As stated I see a lot of my aunt in some of these subjects, but I also see a lot of my life and experiences also. In fact there are many people I know in a lot of these essays. What I enjoyed most was the human factor that Montell writes about. Discussing her life and mistakes, and even better getting ahead of them, really made a lot of the book relatable. Amanda Montell is a very good writer, with an understanding of human fallibility, and an ability to parse the language and messages that keep us lost in ourselves. I don't think I am breaking any taboos by saying the last couple of years have felt different. And it is nice to see that I am not alone, in thinking this.

Recommended for a better understanding of why your aunt is pushing another book on you that will change your life. This is an interesting book, and talks clearly and honestly about why a lot of people are feeling the way they do.

Thanks you NetGalley for allowing me to read this ARC. I found this book to be eye-opening and well researched. However, I found it difficult to comprehend and disorganized at time but not sure if that is just me. The subtopics of magical overthinking wasn’t what I was expecting but I found that I learned about society and who we are from many of the chapters. All that said it’s an interesting read!

In this collection of essays, the author seeks to make sense of the chaos of modern thinking through an examination of cognitive biases. Some of the essays worked better for me than others in connecting trends in modern life with the bias in question. I would have preferred fewer personal anecdotes and more research in general, because I feel that the point of examining cognitive biases is to focus on facts and critical thinking. But Montell's writing is very engaging and the topics she presents are absolutely timely.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC!

“The Age of Magical Overthinking”
By Amanda Montell
Publish Date: April 9,2024
Publisher:Atria Books/One Signal Publishers

I never say this- but when this book ended I audibly exclaimed “what?! It’s finished?! I wanted more!” But in the most absolute best way ever.
I read “Cultish: The Language of Fanaticism” by Amanda ( and if you haven’t, you really should) and LOVED it. It is one of my most memorable reads and I remember how it made me feel so introspective, I felt I became more aware of the language certain groups used, and I felt smarter and enjoyed the reading experience. So when I had the opportunity to review her next book I jumped on it!
Cognitive Biases- I learned a lot about them-as quoted from the intro to magical overthinking they are “self-deceptive thought patterns that developed due to our brains’ imperfect abilities to process information from the world around us”. Her writing style is so honest, and she credits her research well but she injects humor into each topic to make it an enjoyable and relatable read.
Example- Chapter 1 “Are you our mother Taylor Swift? A note on the Halo effect”. A great chapter on fandoms/ idol worship and the idea that we want to align ourselves with strong or attractive people because waaaaay back in the day it was associated with survival (among other reasons). She speaks on the sunk cost fallacy and why we choose to stay in toxic relationships and our attempts at loss aversion. The chapters on confirmation bias and the recency illusion ….. are MUST READS. I could show you all my highlights but then it’d be just like reading the book and I hate writing so…. When it comes out just read it, you won’t regret it. (And pick up Cultish too! …This was not a paid endorsement, I just genuinely enjoy her work!)

I really enjoyed this book. I thought the chapters were broken down into clear themes and concepts and it was clear many interviews and a ton of research was behind all of the anecdotal evidence used. At points the descriptive language becomes a little too flowery amid the complex ideas being presented, but overall it was entertaining and informative and fun.

I will start off by saying that I am partial to Amanda Montell. I love anything and everything she writes. So naturally I was very excited to see The Age Of Magical Overthinking pop up on Netgalley!

I originally thought this was going to be about something else - perhaps more about individual anxiety? But this was instead about how our thoughts and biases impact the world, which an interesting topic and I like how she tackled it. So much of it is relevant to day to day life that I can already see myself calling upon some of the points in regular conversation.

I think some of the chapters could have been built out a bit more, for example, speaking more about the fandom associated with Taylor Swift and the world she has created, but that’s just me being selfish and wanting more because I finished it in a couple sittings!! An enjoyable reading experience as always. Many thanks.

I was SOOO excited when I saw a new book from the author of Cultish. It's one of my favorite books ever!

The Age of Magical Overthinking will definitely make you overthink. In a good way! It made me question so many things, thoughts, and beliefs.

Some chapters will resonate more, some wont. Overall, a great nonfiction book!

Amanda Montell has a gift for turning seemingly low-brow ideas and phenomena into movements worthy of study. Montell is a linguist and dies not want you to forget it - peppering her chapters with new vocabulary words and her ever favorite "zeitgeist." While at times the wordiness can distract from her main point, this book is timely and poignant.

I wasn't entirely sure what to expect from the description of this book, but I quite enjoyed it! Each chapter presents a different cognitive bias and how it shows up in the modern age, with funny and relevant anecdotes that help explain the concept. I enjoyed Montell's writing style and the footnotes, and feel like she's the type of person I'd like to be friends with. Not sure I had any moments that will change my long-term thinking, but a fun read nonetheless.

Who doesn’t overthink?! I loved Cultish and Wordslut so once I saw this was available, I had to request it. I really enjoy Amanda Montell’s podcast and I would love to listen to her books on audiobook in the future! Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this arc ebook in exchange for an honest review all opinions expressed are my own.

Ok, I had no idea that the author of the book is the same person who is behind the Sounds Like a Cult podcast! Yay!
Loved the book, it is so well-written, the thoughts are so well-structured and so articulate. It makes so, so much sense and it is such a validating read!

I've loved both of Montell’s previous books ( Cultish and Wordslut) so I was so excited to see this one! This book is fantastic. I'd love to get the audioboook and listen to Montell read it to get even more of a look into her thoughts. Like her other books this one is well-research, well thought-out and puts into words so many of the ideas I relate to but have a difficult time explaining.. i.e the toxic world of ‘beauty influencers' and my wallet.
I definitely recommend this book!

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.

This was a very readable and enjoyable book. It is a nice follow up to Cultish. I really liked hearing an explanation of some of the things my brain does. It is also nice to know I am not the only one who's brain does them.

"The Age of Magical Overthinking" by Amanda Montell offers an insightful exploration of the human psyche within the context of today's social media-centric culture. The book is organized into chapters, each dedicated to a different psychological bias, fallacy, illusion, or effect. For those like myself, it's enlightening to find language for thoughts and experiences previously intangible. Montell's unique narrative style in this nonfiction work almost blurs the line with fiction, thanks to her engaging and distinctive voice. She skillfully integrates research and academic studies into the narrative, maintaining a light, conversational tone throughout. The inclusion of personal stories not only adds depth but also enhances the book's relatability, making complex concepts accessible and engaging to the reader.

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.