<i>First, a thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read an eARC of this book.</i>

Montell does it again!

I was so torn between reading this ASAP and waiting for the ebook so I could hear Montell narrate (as I have loved doing the audio of all her books) and the audio book won in the end.

This book was so much more personal than her past pieces, and ina. Lot of ways it felt like a conversation between friends.

I really enjoyed this book and I am officially a Montell stan and will read whatever she puts out - but will also give her space to make mistakes and learn from them (yes, talk of fan/stan culture is part of this book!).

Starts off with “Are You Our Mother, Taylor Swift?”, you know I'm in the right place. I loved it! Even more than her previous work, Cultish. I love Amanda's mind and I'm just so happy to be in it. Reading her work feels like my daily coffee and newspaper.

She expresses so much of what I know and think (overthink about, shall I say) and what runs in your mind endlessly. I don't read too much nonfiction but Amanda's writing and work, I will. You learn so much and it just feels like you're reading endless thoughts. She does her research and her essays are well thought out and genuine, just like her.

The audiobook narrated by her? Can't recommend that route enough.

I read this on netgalley, and as I got closer to the end, I was really wishing I had it on paper. It's not what I expected, especially after loving her first book so much - it's got more examples of the daily life of a millennial and personal stories than I anticipated.

But I loved it. It's all about the biases that we have in our modern life and how we're dealing with them as a culture. It's got such a mix of data and personality that I was enthralled with the text. Her story of her ex and the overthinking that left her in that situation, the story of the seat cushion she made and why it matters, her story of the daily crush of social media and why we can't look away.

I need to recommend this to many of my friends who are in the same situation as me... With too much consumption and not enough creating.

An engaging book exploring cognitive biases in an accessible and entertaining format. This essay collection discusses some well-known psychological terms, such as confirmation bias, sunk cost fallacy, and imposter syndrome, in a fresh new light. Montell expertly weaves in personal anecdotes, and to me, her writing is strongest when she is being more vulnerable. I do wish that the essays felt more cohesive; I'm not sure I understood what the overall message was. Nonetheless, I did feel inspired to take a look at my own inherent biases and identify strategies for quieting my inner monologue through hands-on creativity. Also, I just have to say that the cover is stunning!

3.5
My first by this author and I plan to go back and read her previous non-fiction books. She brought up a plethora of ideas on how our society functions in a dis-functional or unusual way. I finished this a week ago and I'm now just writing the review and I have to say, I don't remember anything strongly that was written--let me go check again...

For example the weirdly connected vibes that people feel to Taylor Swift. How people become attached to online personas, or feel that they are their friends just because they watch them daily. The idea that we as people cling to conspiracy theories and why we do so. Confirmation bias and the dangers that can bring about.

A great, short book that is sure to keep you entertained and makes for great topical conversations, if you can remember them for a length of time (unlike me).

Also, isn't the cover just beautiful!?

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria books for this gifted e-copy of this book.

Honest, assertive and thought provoking. A read I didn’t know I needed until I read it.

Montell speaks on many topics that are prevalent in our modern, media heavy world. She doesn’t speak with a better-than-you, self help perspective but rather with a sense of vulnerability and relatability with her own experiences. My biggest take from this collection of essays is that we aren’t alone in feeling like it’s incredibly hard to just be in this world where everything is fast paced, and ever-changing.

An enjoyable read! When I first read the pitch for 'The Age of Magical Overthinking' I was worried this would fall into the melodramatic, woe-is-society, take that's all too common. But I was pleasantly surprised to see this a much more hopeful appraisal of humanity and our modern age. Montell effortlessly blended personal anecdotes with scientific studies and tough concepts to create something that's easily approachable for any kind of reader.
My only critique is that the ending felt too abrupt. The introduction was absolutely perfect at setting the stage for what was to come, and this book would have been better balanced with a comparable outro. Something to bring all these individual concepts together again and make a bigger pitch for what this all means to us as individuals.
I look forward to what Montell comes out with next!

Have you ever thought why every thing feels so insane lately? Why is the universe sending an urgent message via a vague TikTok, and why are so many people inclined to believe that you have to use the sound to “claim” it, an action that conveniently boosts the video in the illusive algorithm? Why did an author, who shall not be named, bomb a fellow debut author with fake one star reviews?

These questions and many, many more will be answered in “The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality” by Amanda Montell. This book delves into 11 cognitive biases she sees as contributors to modern irrationality. When our monkey brains, optimized to survive life or death situations, interact with new age technology from the safety of our couches…weird shit happens. Montell expertly interweaves her personal experience and research in a lighthearted, accessible way. Those who often struggle to engage with nonfiction (hi 🙋🏼‍♀️) need not worry. This book feels like a conversation with your really smart friend who, annoyingly, also has a great sense of humor.

It seems that people are more disjointed than ever, or maybe that’s the declinism speaking (“Nostalgia Porn: notes on declinism” is one of the chapters that resonated most with me). Montell brings levity to the chaos of the modern era. If you’ve ever wondered why smart people such as yourself behave illogically, you may find yourself resonating with some of the chapters. Let me be clear, this is not a self help book, but an opportunity to reflect on the unconscious reasons people behave the way they do. It reminded me to give grace to others and myself. It’s okay to live in the gray. I don’t need to renounce my Swiftie status just because I am critical of her rise to billionaire status. I did not manifest a parking ticket because I was in a bad headspace after a car accident. I was just stressed, late to class, and parked in a questionable (nonexistent) parking space. I highly recommend The Age of Magical Overthinking to all my fellow over-thinkers.

I loved this book! Equal parts self-help and social commentary, I think I have a friend crush on Amanda Montell. She has the perfect balance of sassy/funny quips, personal anecdotes, and well-researched terminology to feel relatable yet almost professorial in her knowledge. This was my first book of hers but I'll definitely be going back and reading Cultish.

This book also serves as a good source of book recs. The different chapters were filled with books and references, varying from well known fiction to more obscure but relevant non-fiction and self-help titles. I'll definitely be checking some of those out as well.

so cohesive, so relatable, so informative. LOVED IT. so much more personal than Montell’s earlier works, which made it that much better.

I'll admit, this is my first true introduction to Amanda Montell. I'd heard plenty about her from others, specifically how brilliant her other book "Cultish" is, as well as generally positive reviews about her podcast.

I can certainly see the allure. In "The Age of Magical Overthinking", Montell delves into various topics that relate in one way or another to biases we all encounter and experience in daily life. I found many of the topics interesting in theory, however, the style of the writing didn't really work for me. This book reads somewhat like half blog half critical think-piece. There were a lot of sprinkled researched topics with personal anecdotes that I think would just work better in another format, or perhaps would work better for other readers. I also found it hard to really grasp the driving point concerning what she was trying to say about each area of bias. It felt at times like long-form rambles.

Perhaps a little bit of a more personal nit-pick, but I found the chapter titles really cringy - like, "Are You Our Mother, Taylor Swift"? It just wasn't what I was anticipating from a book that was geared toward this topic. I hope to find more enjoyment in Montell's other works, but this one was just not for me.

This turned out to be the book I never knew I needed. As a very science-minded person, it was a great experience being able to read a book on the topic of our behaviors and how they’re so easily and sometimes unconsciously influenced. Our anxious and over-stimulated social experiences and overall social culture has become all-consuming, and Amanda Montell’s input and voice on the topic reads like a knowledgeable and laid back, witty chat rather than research, which I both loved and respected. This is my first book I’ve read by her but after this experience I will definitely be seeking out her others!

4.5 - Amanda Montell, linguist and author of ‘Cultish’ and ‘Word Slut,’ is back with a new book that seems to have been plucked from the universe just for me. ‘The Age of Magical Overthinking’ is a hilarious blend of cultural criticism and anecdotes on how the modern age of information and cognitive biases shapes our thoughts.

In a series of approachable and funny essays, Montell discusses everything from celebrity stan culture and toxic positivity to the mental gymnastics of staying in a toxic relationship. My favourite chapter is ‘A Toxic Relationship Is Just A Cult of One’

I enjoyed this one a lot, it was topical and interesting. Like her other books, this one does not go into a lot of depth about any particular idea, instead choosing to address a vast number of topics briefly which I felt worked for this book. Even though selfishly, I would have loved more on specific topics like celebrity hero worship and a few of the other essays.

What works so well about Montell’s books is that she creates this atmosphere through her essays that feels like you’re chatting with your friends over brunch about anything and everything that’s caught your eye over the past week.

She’s not bringing in a lot of information that’s going to change your perspective, but she is bringing in theory and vocabulary, putting cohesive thoughts to the patterns of thought-behaviour you’ve probably already recognized. This is a fun collection of essays to read during breakfast or before bed and then later discuss with your friends.

This book was the perfect mix of pop culture, social science, and memoir. I really enjoyed revisiting all the cognitive biases I learned about in university, but presented in a much more fun and engaging way. This book was engaging to read, and never got dry or boring. I really enjoyed it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I struggle to articulate why this book fell so flat with me, but the fact that I tried to pick it up and kept putting it down over 2 months speaks for itself. This has all the bones of a book I would like, and yet. It just never really makes interesting conclusions, and I was left with a general sense of "Why am I reading this?".

(4.5 stars)

It’ll be no surprise to anyone that I loved this book. Super fun and interesting look a biases. I loved what it had to say about manifestation, conspiracy theories, and celebrity worship.

Amanda Montell has done it again! I loved CULTISH, and THE AGE OF MAGICAL OVERTHINKING surpassed even my highest expectations. I've already quoted Montell's research in a newsletter and every conversation I've had with friends over the past week; I recapped every essay after I read it to my partner. Montell is so readable: every essay went down like water, expertly balanced with research and anecdote to keep it from feeling like either unapproachable science or self-indulgent memoir. Since finishing the book today, I've convinced two friends to purchase it, and I won't stop until everyone I know has read it to discuss.

As a chronic overthinker, this book was perfect for me. I found it deeply relatable and honestly comforting. It's always interesting to examine why we do the things we do and how things like social media and our growing connections affect us. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on the idea of Recency Illusion!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. Amanda Montell is one of the best non-fiction writers out there today. I loved her books Cultish and Wordslut not only for her ability to explore popular phenomena, but also for her ability to take complicated concepts and ideas and make them accessible for public consumption. She does it with such style and humor, often making references to popular culture or her own life and experiences. The Age of Magical Overthinking is also representative of this approach to her writing and analysis. This book examines different kinds of bias and explores how this affects our thinking, while also using specific examples from society, popular culture, and Montell’s own life and experiences. I think that this book got more personal than any of her previous books, and I really appreciated it, especially the chapter on sunk cost bias and Mr. Backpack (A Toxic Relationship is Just a Cult of One). Montell moves seamlessly from popular culture to peer reviewed research studies that explore and explain these biases, how they operate in our mind, and how they were discovered. Furthermore, she offers some examples of people who have worked to overcome their biases or how we can move beyond these biases. I wasn’t sure exactly what this book was at first—if it was a personal narrative, kind of like Joan Didion’s book from which is cites and adapts the title, or if it was more of a pop psychology book like her other writing. In some ways, it’s both, and this is definitely a strength of the book. Her candor and honest revelations are brave, funny, and meaningfully contribute to the book, helping us better understand these biases. I also appreciated how she framed many of the biases in the pandemic, often using recent events to share how the isolation and uncertainty brought about some of the worst in our biases and magical thinking. This is the kind of book that I would use a chapter in my writing course. It’s not only a great way to explain a psychological concept, but Montell explains and analyzes these concepts in such an entertaining and personal way, I know that my students would really engaged with these chapters.

Loved, loved, loved this! I adore Sound Like a Cult, I enjoyed the audiobook of Cultish, and this book didn't disappoint! I particularly loved the chapter about sunk cost fallacy. I found this to be a super interesting and accessible read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!