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3.59 AVERAGE
3.59 AVERAGE
I listened to this on audiobook, and it was alright. I felt like it was trying to be an autobiography and a guide to mindfulness at the same time though and it didn't particularly master either. Also there were so many things that I assume were meant to be jokes in this book but I didn't laugh once unfortunately. It's probably a good start to mindfulness though and it's very conversational so I guess if mindfulness is daunting, then this might be an easy way to get into it. I had pretty much zero knowledge of Ruby Wax before reading this- I think I'd heard of her by name but I've never seen anything she's done so maybe if you already like her you'd enjoy this book more. Maybe it's also better in print form- I can't be sure.
I'm really surprised at how many positive reviews there are for this book - I have to say now I am not in agreement with general consensus. I can't remember why I bought this book (possibly because one of my friends gave it a high rating on GoodReads) but it has been sat gathering proverbial dust on my Kindle shelves for awhile, and became part of 'clean up Kindle' project.
The level of actual neuroscience in this book is fairly basic, and I have read better elsewhere. One of the things people highlighted is that it is accessible; personally, I found myself unable to relate to a lot of what Wax speaks about. She makes sweeping generalisations: 'we all feel...', but this felt very presumptuous. I don't, for example, share her burning jealousy for people around me. Similarly, my ambitious drive is not as strong as hers.
So, maybe this book just isn't right for me? Maybe, but I had other issues with it as well. Her need to insert jokes and puns felt awkward rather than amusing, and some of her comments broached into really inappropriate. Comedians, of course, are always towing this line (where else does humour come from?) but she seemed almost homophobic at times. Her flippancy towards some issues was also uncomfortable for me: it's good to make light of things, but not to the point where people feel belittled.
Overall, it is wonderful to see someone so clearly enthusiastic and benefitting from mindfulness, but being famous does not automatically make her a suitable candidate to write a book about it.
The level of actual neuroscience in this book is fairly basic, and I have read better elsewhere. One of the things people highlighted is that it is accessible; personally, I found myself unable to relate to a lot of what Wax speaks about. She makes sweeping generalisations: 'we all feel...', but this felt very presumptuous. I don't, for example, share her burning jealousy for people around me. Similarly, my ambitious drive is not as strong as hers.
So, maybe this book just isn't right for me? Maybe, but I had other issues with it as well. Her need to insert jokes and puns felt awkward rather than amusing, and some of her comments broached into really inappropriate. Comedians, of course, are always towing this line (where else does humour come from?) but she seemed almost homophobic at times. Her flippancy towards some issues was also uncomfortable for me: it's good to make light of things, but not to the point where people feel belittled.
Overall, it is wonderful to see someone so clearly enthusiastic and benefitting from mindfulness, but being famous does not automatically make her a suitable candidate to write a book about it.
Pretty interesting read. Will need to talk about this in depth in a video but I found it really comforting to read about what is actually happening in the brain when your anxiety levels are high and what your brain is attempting to do. Some of her points were a little over dramatic (solving war and poverty with mindfulness? Really?) and a lot of over-generalization but I LOVED learning about the brain again - didn't realise how much I missed Psychology!
(Probably the most effective mindfulness book I've come across, so cheers for that Ruby Wax)
(Probably the most effective mindfulness book I've come across, so cheers for that Ruby Wax)
What a beautiful book! Such wonderful words from the very gifted Ruby Wax. Full of practical applications on how to master the mind and achieve mindfulness. Thank you so much for you wisdom! 10/10 would recommed to anyone sane or otherwise!
It was mostly about the author, which would've been okay if it somewhat related more to the subject of the chapter. But it didn't feel connected. There's not a lot of going deep in to anything and a lot of jokes felt out of place/for the sake of joking. Only the final chapter is about mindfulness but I find it very difficult to read through her book.
First half of this book was REALLY annoying. The introduction started out fine. Was quite witty and funny and got my attention. However as it progressed on, it gets annoying because the author kept making snide remarks on EVERY page and just rambling on and on.
The next half was WAY better than the first. When it began talking about how the brain works etc. and also the last chapter was helpful as well when it comes to teaching us how to tame our minds and strategies we can try.
To anyone wanting to read this book, I suggest you jump straight to the last chapter when the coping mechanisms are taught and the second last chapter for how the mind works if you're into biology and human behavior.
The next half was WAY better than the first. When it began talking about how the brain works etc. and also the last chapter was helpful as well when it comes to teaching us how to tame our minds and strategies we can try.
To anyone wanting to read this book, I suggest you jump straight to the last chapter when the coping mechanisms are taught and the second last chapter for how the mind works if you're into biology and human behavior.
I originally read this book a few years ago when I was feeling normal, in my past I had had two depressive episodes and was curious as to what the book had to say. The book explains how the brain works and how mental health issues can develop and the science behind why mindfulness can be used as well as some exercises to put it into practice. I appreciated the science as I am engineer and am more interested in evidence than new age bullshit. The book convinced me enough that when I entered a third depressive episode almost a year later, mindfulness was one of the coping methods I turned to and is something I still practice to this day. The reason I only give this book three stars is that I found the writing style very jumpy and as a result it made it hard to recall the flow of ideas.
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
I don't know what I was expecting, but it certainly wasn't this. I guess I thought it was going to be some sort of memoir, but it turned out to be what I would call a self-help book. I have no interest in reading such books, and definitely not if they're written by people who (despite Wax's many references to her degrees) are not qualified to give people actual decent help.
I was really disappointed in the book overall. Although the last fifth had some useful information, the rest of it pretty much felt like the author spewing her own biases as "facts". Not to mention all the unsourced statements! At one point, the author brings up a fact she's read and adds "(don't ask me where)". The consistent lack of certainty in what she was saying made this a very distracting and unpleasant read (especially as there were some points I know she was wrong in).
Overall, I really don't recommend this book to anyone. It is incredibly judgemental and negative about humanity as a whole and everything useful that can be gleaned from it has also been described in better, more professional and/or funnier books.
Overall, I really don't recommend this book to anyone. It is incredibly judgemental and negative about humanity as a whole and everything useful that can be gleaned from it has also been described in better, more professional and/or funnier books.