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bookherd's review
3.0
I loved the concept of this book, a critique of the societal command to "be well" (or at least *try* to be well) that people in the West live under now. Cederstrom's argument is that the wellness command actually imposes guilt and stress on us, makes us narcissistic and takes our attention away from problems that may be more important to solve. In the course of the book he also points out that the motivation behind encouraging people to be well or pursue wellness is not a concern with the actual well being of the people being "encouraged" (or coerced, as the case may be), but the realization that healthy people are more productive, less expensive employees.
All of this resonates with me and I started reading with glee. I was disappointed by sloppiness in places, though. Although the book has a notes section, some assertions that should have had sources cited did not. Unfortunately this made a couple of the middle chapters seem more like polemic than argument.
Overall, though, the critique is good. The last two chapters on electronically assisted control and on people who try to wriggle loose from the wellness command are especially good. I'm glad this book was written!
All of this resonates with me and I started reading with glee. I was disappointed by sloppiness in places, though. Although the book has a notes section, some assertions that should have had sources cited did not. Unfortunately this made a couple of the middle chapters seem more like polemic than argument.
Overall, though, the critique is good. The last two chapters on electronically assisted control and on people who try to wriggle loose from the wellness command are especially good. I'm glad this book was written!
chairmanbernanke's review against another edition
2.0
Identifies some issues in modern society and individual lifestyles but doesn’t propose many real solutions or offer an especially thorough discussion.
madamegeneva's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.25
This wasn’t a *bad* book, I think I was just spoiled by “The Wellness Trap” and “American Detox” - two books about the toxicity of the wellness industry that I read recently and loved.
The authors do have a different approach to the previously mentioned titles, which meant it was still interesting to read, and I did enjoy it overall - there were just some moments where my eyes glazed over a wee bit.
The authors do have a different approach to the previously mentioned titles, which meant it was still interesting to read, and I did enjoy it overall - there were just some moments where my eyes glazed over a wee bit.
Content Warnings
Minor: Eating disorder
pear34's review against another edition
4.0
Provocative, eye-opening, bracing. A must read for fellow health nuts.
ladamic's review against another edition
4.0
I knew I was in trouble when the authors quoted Žižek five pages in. But that was what made the book so interesting too: that it referenced a lot of other writing. The arguments presented were... argumentative, and as such I doubt that they are palatable in their entirety to anyone, but they are great for spurring reflection on organizational and individual (self)involvement in our wellness/fitness.
soniacaillou's review against another edition
5.0
Essentiel, ce rappel que les injonctions au bonheur, à se détendre, à être en forme, au développement personnel... ne sont que la facette de notre société qui essaie de contrebalancer cette frénésie commerciale, financière, statistique...
orangejenny's review against another edition
3.0
Worthwhile subject matter. Disappointed because I was expecting it to be more health-focused - really, I was hoping it would be something of a sequel to the excellent Against Health, which it references a few times - but it was more a critique of self-improvement in general. It did make strong and persuasive connections between self-improvement pressures, capitalist economies, and weakening social structures.
kaarna's review against another edition
4.0
3,5 stars, mainly for content. It was not badly written but the main point for me was the idea of the wellness syndrome and its effects on society.
I was really inspired by some of the chapters. I enjoyed reading critique on mindfulness, self-monitoring, and firm-based wellness programs. I would criticize the authors' experience and knowledge on fat acceptance, or rather the lack of knowledge on body positivity. The movement, I feel, has long since moved on from fat acceptance to body positivity, and it is therefore unwise to write about the former without including the latter. This, in turn, made me question the authors' knowledge on barebacking culture, though I can't claim to have enough knowledge on that myself to judge their knowledge level.
But these last two things were only used as examples of resistance of the wellness syndrome in the last chapter before the conclusion. The main chapters themselves were wonderful. The ones criticizing the hype around wellness, search for happiness in all cost, or using all your life searching for ways to be more productive. And explaining how this all tied in with neoliberal capitalism and its values and valuelessness. How politics can be made empty so that everything is personal and nothing is political, so that your only way of making any changes is to make changes to your own body.
And still we have to fight for bodily autonomy, especially for women, trans people, disabled people and sex workers. *While* we fight capitalism and liberalism. While we fight to keep things political, to keep the political decisions and their consequences reported, to keep people informed, and to keep them/us motivated enough to keep on fighting. To keep them/us believing in the power we have to change things.
Well, this has long since ceased to be a book review. I think someone can read this book from a less political point of view, too. I can't.
I was really inspired by some of the chapters. I enjoyed reading critique on mindfulness, self-monitoring, and firm-based wellness programs. I would criticize the authors' experience and knowledge on fat acceptance, or rather the lack of knowledge on body positivity. The movement, I feel, has long since moved on from fat acceptance to body positivity, and it is therefore unwise to write about the former without including the latter. This, in turn, made me question the authors' knowledge on barebacking culture, though I can't claim to have enough knowledge on that myself to judge their knowledge level.
But these last two things were only used as examples of resistance of the wellness syndrome in the last chapter before the conclusion. The main chapters themselves were wonderful. The ones criticizing the hype around wellness, search for happiness in all cost, or using all your life searching for ways to be more productive. And explaining how this all tied in with neoliberal capitalism and its values and valuelessness. How politics can be made empty so that everything is personal and nothing is political, so that your only way of making any changes is to make changes to your own body.
And still we have to fight for bodily autonomy, especially for women, trans people, disabled people and sex workers. *While* we fight capitalism and liberalism. While we fight to keep things political, to keep the political decisions and their consequences reported, to keep people informed, and to keep them/us motivated enough to keep on fighting. To keep them/us believing in the power we have to change things.
Well, this has long since ceased to be a book review. I think someone can read this book from a less political point of view, too. I can't.
davenash's review against another edition
4.0
This books explains why the self-help, fit, happiness craze is a problem. We are creating a narcissistic autistic hedonistic society. We've made fitness, happiness, and success an ideology. Those who are not are flawed. That's exemplified first with smoking - its not that smoking is bad but smokers are bad. So are fat people, unemployed people and poor people - that is a major problem with the biomorality of the self help craze.
Self help craze started in the 20s and 30s with Norman Vincent Peal, Dale Carnegie, and Napoleon Hill. it continues on with wellness, mindfulness, and the Secret.
The books debunks the fake science behind all these gurus.
I read alot of these books.
They are empty and fake.
No I know that it wasn't me, it was them.
I feel happy or I should say content.
Self help craze started in the 20s and 30s with Norman Vincent Peal, Dale Carnegie, and Napoleon Hill. it continues on with wellness, mindfulness, and the Secret.
The books debunks the fake science behind all these gurus.
I read alot of these books.
They are empty and fake.
No I know that it wasn't me, it was them.
I feel happy or I should say content.