An insightful study of the wellness industry that blends popular science, reporting, and personal recollections. After reading the introduction, I was expecting something in the vein of Bianca Bosker's hands-on approach, with the author going deeper and deeper down the rabbit hole of testing every possible product, treatment and practice, so I was a little disappointed when she (mostly) stayed level-headed. Still, I found her writing compelling.

Not being too familiar with various wellness products and services, I learned a lot of surprising facts. I was particularly captivated by the similarities between exercise classes like CrossFit or SoulCycle and organized religion. As the author writes, "Wellness will scrub your colon, your house, your conscience”.

Thanks to the publisher, Knopf, and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

Amy Larocca’s “How to Be Well” is an engaging and insightful guide to holistic wellness. I appreciate her honest tone and funny personal stories, although the writing could sometimes feel a bit longer than necessary. A tighter, more focused structure would have made the core message more impactful.

The history of wellness and mindfulness along with comparisons to the modern approach were fascinating, and this book is a compelling resource for those seeking a more balanced approach to healthcare.

How to Be Well: Without Spending All Your Money and Losing Your Mind by Amy Larocca is a thought-provoking dive into the massive (and often absurd) wellness industry. Larocca does a great job exploring how wellness has evolved from self-care to a billion-dollar machine, touching on everything from Pilates to biohacking to green juice enemas. It’s sharp, eye-opening, and at times laugh-out-loud funny.

Larocca excels at pulling back the curtain on wellness fads and exposing the class, gender, and racial dynamics that fuel the industry. Her background as a journalist shines through—there’s a lot of thoughtful analysis and well-researched history here. The book also raises important questions about why we keep chasing the following “miracle” cure and how wellness has become another way for women to feel they’re falling short.

But while the critique is strong, the book sometimes feels repetitive and scattered. Larocca spends much time unpacking the problem but less on what the average person can do about it. You might want more if you’re looking for practical advice or guidance on navigating the wellness world without losing your mind (and your wallet).

Overall, it’s a solid read if you’re interested in wellness's history and cultural critique. But if you’re looking for something actionable or deeply personal, this book might leave you feeling like it only scratched the surface. A good, not great, read.

To be completely fair, it's noted up front that I am not the intended reader for Amy Larocca's "How to Be Well: Without Spending All Your Money and Losing Your Mind."

Larocca has written "How to Be Well," by her own admission, for the women most significantly impacted by her relatively deep dive exploration of the multibillion dollar wellness industry and its epic promises and failure to deliver.

Peloton. Pilates. Biohacking. Colonics. Ashwagandha. Much more. Larocca explores this industry and how it became such an integrated part of women's lives. While Larocca dedicates one chapter to men specifically, the truth is the undeniable position she takes is that it's women who've been most impacted by this industry that puts profits before its promises.

For those who've spent extra cash for clean foods, charcoal toothpaste, juicing, detoxing, meditation, or any number of other "wellness" gimmicks, Larocca pulls back the veil and puts the magnifying glass on these various methods and techniques - often utilizing them herself - and ultimately comes to some sobering conclusions.

The truth is that Larocca spends very little time on actually "how to be well," instead exposing all the ways we convince ourselves we're on the road to wellness only to be disappointed with poor results, overblown promises, and mostly hype. If there's a lesson here, it's that wellness is less about spending your hard-earned cash on trendy gimmicks and more about actually learning about staying healthy, self-care, and living into a healthy body image.

As an adult male in my 50s with lifelong serious disabilities, "How to Be Well" was most certainly not written for me, however, I'd also say it'll have some appeal to anyone who's ever forked over way too much dough hoping for the miracle that never arrives.

I couldn't help but think there were places Larocca could have taken "How to be Well" rather than simply as a fairly straightforward journey through these very practices and products including an exploration of the prosperity theology that often lays underneath it all and, perhaps, some balanced exploration of those practices and products that do, in fact, empower our wellness (and they do exist).

"How to Be Well" is an engaging primer on the wellness industry and a great read for those caught in its cycle. While I didn't necessarily learn a whole lot new myself, I appreciated Larocca's efforts here and have no doubt the book will find its readers in a world that has truly losts its mind for all things "wellness."

I had mixed feelings about this book. On the one hand, I appreciated the author's deep dive into wellness history and how modern wellness became the beast it is today. But on the other, it made the pacing of the book really drag on and I wanted to get to the practical side of the book faster than it did.

The concept of this book is one I’ve been fascinated with for a while — how self care has become synonymous with an aesthetic and consumerism — so I was really excited to see that topic explored so concisely, researched, and organized. I had never thought of this as the new figure of the “ideal woman” but I definitely agree it is and found that angle to be really interesting. The book looked at both the medical and the social and I do think the author struck a good balance there.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this arc! really interesting and well-researched book! This author dismantles the facade the wellness industry has built to convince all of us, but especially women, that the key to health and wellbeing is to spend ever more money on their products. Eye opening and a good reminder to always do your research before falling for a sales gimmick.

Amy Larocca’s How To Be Well offers a fascinating and deeply researched critique of the modern wellness industry, peeling back the layers of its often dubious practices and unscientific claims. Through witty commentary and well-documented observations, Larocca delves into how wellness trends have shaped our collective thinking about health, especially for women. From biohacking to ashwagandha, she exposes the ways these trends capitalize on our insecurities and desires for self-improvement.

However, despite its engaging analysis, the book feels misnamed and misses the mark in delivering on its core promise: <i>how to be well</i>. Rather than providing actionable steps toward wellness, Larocca’s focus rests heavily on dismantling the trends she critiques. While her clear-eyed skepticism is refreshing, readers hoping for guidance on cultivating genuine health and well-being may walk away disappointed.

Ultimately, How To Be Well succeeds as a sharp cultural critique but falters in offering practical advice or solutions. It’s worth a read for those curious about the intersection of consumerism and wellness, but those seeking clarity or support in their personal health journey might want to look elsewhere.

Thank you to NetGalley, Amy Larocca, and Knopf for the eARC of this book.