Mo Gawdat and Alice Law's "Unstressable: A Practical Guide to Stress-Free Living" presents itself as a comprehensive guide for managing stress through a blend of scientific research, personal anecdotes, and practical advice. The authors' backgrounds—Gawdat as an engineer and Law with her expertise in stress management—inform their approach of breaking down stress into manageable components and offering actionable strategies to address it.

On the positive side, the book is meticulously researched and covers a broad spectrum of stress-related issues. The classification of stress into categories affecting the mind, emotions, body, and soul provides a holistic view. However, the sheer volume of information can be overwhelming, making the book feel dense and, at times, repetitive. While the detailed approach may be beneficial for some, others might find it difficult to wade through the extensive content to find the most relevant points.

Moreover, the writing style occasionally suffers from run-on sentences and an overuse of mnemonic devices, which can distract from the main message. The advice, though practical, sometimes leans towards the generic "do this, not that" rhetoric, which may not be sensitive to readers dealing with chronic conditions. But overall, this will hopefully help readers to gain some real relief from stress.

Thank you to the publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to review a temporary digital ARC in exchange for an unbiased review.

"Unstressable" by Mo Gawdat is a reminder to slow, down, breathe and think before reacting. This is a well-researched guide to recognizing stress as it happens, mitigate its effects, and (perhaps) prevent it from happening next time in the same situation. The advice is practical and actionable.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Unstressable by Mo Gawdat is a guide to stress-free living. Who doesn't have stress. Mo and Alice have some good points. Think the book could have been scaled back a little bit. It has a lot of information, maybe a little too much. Sometimes it was a little overwhelming. Overall, I do think it is a great read and guide to stress free living.

I do think this one is a little hard to read in e-book format. There are a lot questions you need to answer and write down your thoughts. I plan on buying the book and re-reading it.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC Unstressable by Mo Gawdat, Egypt; Alice Law. #NetGalley

This book, which is separated into three parts: The Basics, A Language Course in Becoming Unstressable, and Putting It All Together, is chock full of information about stress and how to decrease stress in your life. I found this deep dive both wonderfully comprehensive and frustrating, because it made for a slow, repetitious read. At the end of each part, a summary is included, which makes it a good reference, but because so much information is included in each part, the summary doesn’t cover all the major points. While there are plenty of actionable suggestions about reducing stress, there are several plugs for buying paid subscription to the authors’ unstressable community. The authors provide lots of personal anecdotes about how embracing an “Unstressable” lifestyle has improved their lives and helped them cope with personal tragedies.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Thanks to St. Martin’s Essentials, an imprint of St. Martin’s Publishing Group, for providing an Advance Reader Copy via NetGalley.

When I started reading “Unstressable” I really didn’t like it. I kept going and am glad I did. It’s still not one I am sure I’ll recommend but there were at least some interesting nuggets of information throughout the last 2/3 of the book. The reason for the low rating is because I felt like there were way too many run-on sentences. This made it hard to follow what the author was trying to say. I also felt like there were too many mnemonic devices the authors made up. While each on their own could have been helpful, I got lost trying to remember what they all meant. I also felt there was a lot of “do this, not that” advice that wasn't practical and/or sensitive to individuals with chronic health conditions. These are often the people who need reign in stress the most and sometimes it felt like the authors minimized the fact we can’t always control how our body responds to stress. They did point out a few times the importance of seeking professional help in cases of trauma or PTSD so that was good at least. Finally, I found it confusing when the authors kept using “I” because I never knew which author was “speaking”.

All in all, while I think the authors had the best intentions in writing this book I am not sure I’ll be recommending it. The writing style felt like one extremely long blog post… I think that a significant portion of the book could have been trimmed out without taking away from the main points and would have made it a more engaging read.

Special thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a free, electronic ARC of this novel received in exchange for an honest review.
Expected publication date: April 30, 2024
Mo Gawdat is an engineer, who used to be the Chief Business Officer at Google. Big deal, right? Well, when Mo’s son died unexpectedly after a routine surgery, he began to question the choices he was making in his life. Pairing up with co-author Alice Law, he wrote “Unstressable: A Practical Guide to Stress-Free Living”, in order to reach a greater community and provide them with the tips needed to enjoy (and live) a stress-free life.
Sounds to good to be true, right? I have read many self-help and non-fiction books that focus on how to destress, reduce anxiety and live a calmer life. My diagnosed anxiety and Type A personality make the most “common” tension reducing methods null and void, as my brain will continue to race like a hamster in a wheel. But I keep trying, and when I got the chance to read “Unstressable” my only thought was- what do I have to lose?
Mo and Alice have both suffered the tragic loss of their fathers (and his son, for Mo, and sister, for Alice) from causes related to stress, and this was the turning point for both of them. “Unstressable” has a little bit of everything, for everyone, from the neuroscience and physics component of the brain and the human body right through to Reiki and the calming of the soul. Not every part will be relevant to everyone, but everyone will find something relevant within these pages.
The book is easy to read and generalizable, to people of all ages, stages and professions. For those of us who have tried therapy, there are a few tried and true tips that we will be familiar with, but Law and Gawdat provide some intriguing ideas as well, that seem worth trying.
I enjoyed the neuroscience aspect of the novel (less so the physics and the math) and although I am not a huge proponent of Eastern medicine, I was still able to find some useful strategies. The authors personify the brain, which was intriguing, using inner dialogue as a way to bring attention to areas of the body that we are lacking. For anyone who finds value in meditation and mindfulness, well, the authors have you covered there, too.
If nothing else, this book provides a unique way to look at stress itself and how it can show up in the body (and mind). It helped me reframe how I look at my inner conversations and self-awareness, and it even provided me with a few tips to try. I don’t see a complete cure to my medically-diagnosed anxiety (but the authors don’t claim to solve this, in their defense) but this book was definitely worth reading!

I found myself doing breathing exercises as I read, counting to 4 and trying to expand my capacity. "Learning to recognize the stress and to change course to remove it [..] is a skill." True. "Limit. Learn. Listen" was also helpful advice. I found this book highly practical, well researched, and well written. Thanks for the ARC, I highly recommend Unstressable!

Unstressable is essentially a workbook for your life. I found this book to be very useful. Who's not stressed out? This workbook gives you ideas on dealing with micro-stressers. I got this is an ebook format but wishes I had gotten a physical book. There were a lot of questions you need to answer or write down thoughts. Unstressable in my opinion be a great book to come back to over and over when needed.
Thank you NetGalley for this ARC Unstressable by Mo Gawdat, Egypt; Alice Law. #NetGalley

"Unstressable" by Mo Gawdat is a profound guide to navigating the complexities of modern life with grace and resilience. Gawdat, known for his insights on happiness and well-being, takes readers on a transformative journey toward a stress-free existence. The book skillfully combines scientific research, personal anecdotes, and practical advice to provide a holistic approach to stress management.

Gawdat's writing is both engaging and empathetic, making complex concepts accessible to a wide audience. He explores the root causes of stress and offers actionable strategies to cultivate a mindset that can withstand life's challenges. The author draws on his own experiences, including lessons learned from his time at Google X, adding authenticity to his words.

"Unstressable" is not just a self-help book; it's a thoughtful exploration of the human condition and a roadmap to a more fulfilling life. Gawdat's unique perspective, grounded in his engineering background and deep understanding of happiness science, sets this book apart. Whether you're facing professional pressures or personal struggles, "Unstressable" is a timely and invaluable resource for anyone seeking a balanced and harmonious life.