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lottie1803's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
lvrlvr's review against another edition
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Suicide attempt, and Panic attacks/disorders
findingthefantasticstory's review against another edition
dark
hopeful
informative
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
I just love Matt Haig so much. Reasons to Stay Alive basically saved me when my depression plummeted a few years ago. I've wanted to read Notes on a Nervous Planet for years but never got round to it until now.
Notes on a Nervous Planet deals with mental health in the modern age. He looks at how social media, the news, brands all use anxiety to get us to do what they want.
I love how Haig splits this up into very small chunks so it doesn't feel like the Gornal self help book. He also adds in a lot of personal stories about how he has dealt with his anxiety and depression in the modern world.
I just find him so relatable. I read his work and I'm like 'that's me'!
I would seriously recommend Notes on a Nervous Planet and Reasons to Stay Alive to anyone who struggles with their mental help. He has helped me a lot and he talks so much sense!
Notes on a Nervous Planet deals with mental health in the modern age. He looks at how social media, the news, brands all use anxiety to get us to do what they want.
I love how Haig splits this up into very small chunks so it doesn't feel like the Gornal self help book. He also adds in a lot of personal stories about how he has dealt with his anxiety and depression in the modern world.
I just find him so relatable. I read his work and I'm like 'that's me'!
I would seriously recommend Notes on a Nervous Planet and Reasons to Stay Alive to anyone who struggles with their mental help. He has helped me a lot and he talks so much sense!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
catherinemcfall's review against another edition
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
2.0
There are nice moments in this book that will be of comfort to those who have felt anxiety or stress in the modern world. I think the simplicity of the writing hasn't aged particularly well, and certain topics - like our use of social media and links to mental health - require more nuance than Haig is willing to give. As a book, it felt a bit like a messy first draft, which may be intentional, in that Haig argues for letting mess be mess. But it meant that much of the book felt obvious or repetitive, with some of the striking insights being when Haig quotes other writers rather than his own thoughts.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Suicide, Eating disorder, Addiction, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Suicidal thoughts
mcc004's review
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Suicide, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, and Mental illness
Moderate: Fatphobia
misty_nightmare's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Mental illness, and Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Bullying, Sexual harassment, Medical content, Alcohol, Alcoholism, Eating disorder, Addiction, and Body shaming
velsbooknook's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
inspiring
"Be kind to yourself. If the negatives of the work outweigh the positives of the money, don't do it. If someone is using their power to bully or harass you, don't stand for it. If you hate your, job, and can get away with walking out on your lunch break, walk out on your lunch break. And never go back."
After I experienced some severe panic attacks and waiting for my psychology appointment I was looking for a book that would make time pass a little quicker for me. Usually reading is my way to relax but I had some trouble staying focused so this book was just the right pick for me.
The chapters are short and the book gave a good look on life when times get rough.
I read The Midnight Library last year (and very much enjoyed it) and got this one shortly after. It was just waiting for me on my shelf for the right time.
The book shows many different moments in which anxiety can affect life but also how to cope with it. I just needed that little reminder that everything will be ok and that I'm already doing a very good job of taking care of my mental health.
I really love Haig's writing style and I found his look on life and his person very likeable. It was like sitting down with a friend sharing and evaluating some important moments in life.
I loved this book so much and found myself in the pages but also saw that I'm not alone and that is what I really needed rn.
It definitely won't be my last book by the author and I'm excited to pick up another one soon!
Highly recommend!
After I experienced some severe panic attacks and waiting for my psychology appointment I was looking for a book that would make time pass a little quicker for me. Usually reading is my way to relax but I had some trouble staying focused so this book was just the right pick for me.
The chapters are short and the book gave a good look on life when times get rough.
I read The Midnight Library last year (and very much enjoyed it) and got this one shortly after. It was just waiting for me on my shelf for the right time.
The book shows many different moments in which anxiety can affect life but also how to cope with it. I just needed that little reminder that everything will be ok and that I'm already doing a very good job of taking care of my mental health.
I really love Haig's writing style and I found his look on life and his person very likeable. It was like sitting down with a friend sharing and evaluating some important moments in life.
I loved this book so much and found myself in the pages but also saw that I'm not alone and that is what I really needed rn.
It definitely won't be my last book by the author and I'm excited to pick up another one soon!
Highly recommend!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders, Mental illness, and Suicidal thoughts
mellowbread's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
fast-paced
5.0
I devoured this while standing up in the local Waterstones. I’m pretty sure everyone who passed by me was mildly irritated by how I was blocking the personal development section since I was leaning against the shelf. I’ve been feeling a mix of negative feelings, one of them anxiety, and this really confirmed and validated my habits of practicing digital and physical minimalism. I think there is a lot of humour interspersed throughout the mess of chapters that somehow have an easily understandable order. I think it encourages the reader to reflect on what content they are consuming, and how our mental health is affected by how messaging screams at us, telling us we’re not enough if we don’t have X. It felt really comforting knowing that I’m not the only one who struggles with this from time to time, and I will definitely re-read this when I need a slow-down life reminder.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism, Mental illness, Suicide attempt, and Suicidal thoughts
creativeworld's review against another edition
informative
medium-paced
3.5
It is certainly a good book and the writing style is interesting but I did get a little bored of the lists as they lost their impact in the last few chapters.
It is full of useful information for those suffering with mental illness.
It is full of useful information for those suffering with mental illness.
Content Warnings
Minor: Medical content, Alcoholism, Mental illness, Alcohol, Suicidal thoughts, and Panic attacks/disorders
helhas3letters's review
dark
hopeful
informative
reflective
fast-paced
2.5
In this book, Haig outlines why he thinks humans have become stressed out and anxious by default. He largely puts it down to overwhelm and overstimulation in the age of information, and a neglect for taking good care of ourselves. Throughout the book, he reflects on different aspects of modern life, using statistics and studies, personal anecdotes, and more poetic creative writing.
Haig is a really accessible writer and easy to read. My main gripe with Notes on a Nervous Planet is that although it points out some important issues and backs them up with evidence, it doesn't provide many solutions for them. I enjoyed the chapters that came after the outlining of certain problems, which provided a numbered list of 'things you can do to X'/'changes you can make to stop Y', but I would have liked those solutions to be explored a bit more.
I also think that although Haig overall made some really good points in this book, it was very broad and I wish it was more focused. He took on a massive topic and, although he did split it into sections, each of these sections could easily be a book in and of themselves.
I recommend this as a good overview or introduction to the topic. However, if you want more in-depth discussion on, for example, the effects that social media has on our brains, or what lack of sleep does to us and why it's so important, or why the news has us in a state of panic all the time, then I'd recommend picking up a more specific book. (E.g. Outraged by Ashley 'Dotty' Charles, Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, Factfulness by Hans Rosling.)
Haig is a really accessible writer and easy to read. My main gripe with Notes on a Nervous Planet is that although it points out some important issues and backs them up with evidence, it doesn't provide many solutions for them. I enjoyed the chapters that came after the outlining of certain problems, which provided a numbered list of 'things you can do to X'/'changes you can make to stop Y', but I would have liked those solutions to be explored a bit more.
I also think that although Haig overall made some really good points in this book, it was very broad and I wish it was more focused. He took on a massive topic and, although he did split it into sections, each of these sections could easily be a book in and of themselves.
I recommend this as a good overview or introduction to the topic. However, if you want more in-depth discussion on, for example, the effects that social media has on our brains, or what lack of sleep does to us and why it's so important, or why the news has us in a state of panic all the time, then I'd recommend picking up a more specific book. (E.g. Outraged by Ashley 'Dotty' Charles, Why We Sleep by Matthew Walker, Factfulness by Hans Rosling.)
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Mental illness, Alcohol, and Alcoholism
Minor: Suicide attempt, Suicidal thoughts, and Body shaming