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trin's review against another edition
1.0
I read this because I have been anxious as hell (gosh I wonder why?) and a glance at the early chapter on goalposts (with their tendency to keep moving) felt helpful. But oh boy, did the warning bells start ringing early -- building to Kill Bill level sirens.
I have a lot of sympathy -- of empathy -- for Haig's history of anxiety and depression, but the privilege on display in this book is just off the charts. If I catalogued every boneheaded thing he said in this book, we'd be here for days, but (paraphrased) highlights include: "Just unplug for a while!" (I have a job?) "Hey, I know it's natural for women to hate their bodies, but did you know men hate their bodies now too?" (Lots to unpack there.) "I once visited a homeless shelter and it was very inspiring." (...Dude.) But my absolute favorite has to be (not paraphrased):
...
Okay, so. You're imagining an alternate history of WWII where smartphones existed to document the Holocaust, and your first thought here is that it would have been traumatic for the global witnesses? Not that this could have helped stop the atrocities? Not that part of why the Nazis were able to slaughter eleven million people is that they were able to do much of it in secret (or "secret"; people did know)? ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE? LISTEN TO THE WORDS COMING OUT OF YOUR MOUTH.
I can't even take the time to rebut this seriously, because I have already taken more time to think about it than Matt Haig did.
Runner up: the "Imagine" chapter (written before the celebrity "Imagine" video, but about as cringe), wherein Haig says, "Imagine if we had a day where we called human being human beings" and then spends two pages essentially letting us know that he "doesn't see color." I can't with this book.
I have a lot of sympathy -- of empathy -- for Haig's history of anxiety and depression, but the privilege on display in this book is just off the charts. If I catalogued every boneheaded thing he said in this book, we'd be here for days, but (paraphrased) highlights include: "Just unplug for a while!" (I have a job?) "Hey, I know it's natural for women to hate their bodies, but did you know men hate their bodies now too?" (Lots to unpack there.) "I once visited a homeless shelter and it was very inspiring." (...Dude.) But my absolute favorite has to be (not paraphrased):
Imagine, for instance, if there had been social media and camera phones during the Second World War. If people had seen, in full color, on smartphones, the consequences of every bomb, or the reality of every concentration camp, or the bloodied and mutilated bodies of soldiers, then the collective and psychological experience who have expanded the terror far beyond those who were experiencing it firsthand.
...
Okay, so. You're imagining an alternate history of WWII where smartphones existed to document the Holocaust, and your first thought here is that it would have been traumatic for the global witnesses? Not that this could have helped stop the atrocities? Not that part of why the Nazis were able to slaughter eleven million people is that they were able to do much of it in secret (or "secret"; people did know)? ARE YOU FUCKING INSANE? LISTEN TO THE WORDS COMING OUT OF YOUR MOUTH.
I can't even take the time to rebut this seriously, because I have already taken more time to think about it than Matt Haig did.
Runner up: the "Imagine" chapter (written before the celebrity "Imagine" video, but about as cringe), wherein Haig says, "Imagine if we had a day where we called human being human beings" and then spends two pages essentially letting us know that he "doesn't see color." I can't with this book.
brisingr's review against another edition
DNF after 50 pages. I just wasn't interested at all in whatever the book was trying to say.
amarettto's review against another edition
5.0
I've left this book on my coffee table rather than on my bookshelf because I have a feeling I'll be reaching for it often. My least favorite genre to read is self-help, but this read didn't feel like that at all. It was more to do with relating to someone else's personal experiences and felt like a conversation between you and him as to how he dealt with it and how you might be able to as well. Just knowing that a lot of what people prone to anxiety attacks feel is completely normal and felt by millions across the world is oddly comforting.
I started reading this book a few months ago, a few chapters at a time. Funnily enough, I found myself reaching for it only at times when I hit peak anxiety or depression, and realized that I started to use it as a comforting hug. I also liked that it's written in the form of short notes which made it easily digestible - something important when you're dealing with someone who is not in a calm state of mind and cannot deal with a loaded twenty-page chapter on how to stop being overwhelmed (When I said this to someone, he responded with "Ah, one-paragraph pages, aimed at the distracted millennial I see" - which I found amusing. It's kind of sad, but perhaps it's true!).
At times when I had no one to talk to and no one to tell me that what I'm feeling is okay and that everything will be okay, or when I wanted this without having to actually have a human conversation, this book jumped to my rescue and gave me that. The world is a confusing and incredibly overwhelming place and the weight of expectation is at times too heavy to bear. This book taught me that the things that give me anxiety - aside from the obvious ones I can recognize - are sometimes hidden in everyday pressures that exacerbate the problem. Recognition is the first step, and it taught me ways to breathe in a world like that and how to pull through. More than anything, it taught me that I'm normal for thinking or feeling a lot of what I do and for that I'm grateful. This book is now my security blanket :)
I started reading this book a few months ago, a few chapters at a time. Funnily enough, I found myself reaching for it only at times when I hit peak anxiety or depression, and realized that I started to use it as a comforting hug. I also liked that it's written in the form of short notes which made it easily digestible - something important when you're dealing with someone who is not in a calm state of mind and cannot deal with a loaded twenty-page chapter on how to stop being overwhelmed (When I said this to someone, he responded with "Ah, one-paragraph pages, aimed at the distracted millennial I see" - which I found amusing. It's kind of sad, but perhaps it's true!).
At times when I had no one to talk to and no one to tell me that what I'm feeling is okay and that everything will be okay, or when I wanted this without having to actually have a human conversation, this book jumped to my rescue and gave me that. The world is a confusing and incredibly overwhelming place and the weight of expectation is at times too heavy to bear. This book taught me that the things that give me anxiety - aside from the obvious ones I can recognize - are sometimes hidden in everyday pressures that exacerbate the problem. Recognition is the first step, and it taught me ways to breathe in a world like that and how to pull through. More than anything, it taught me that I'm normal for thinking or feeling a lot of what I do and for that I'm grateful. This book is now my security blanket :)
intheskywmegan's review against another edition
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
4.5
kimmieg's review against another edition
5.0
I kept thinking “well duh…! That makes perfect sense” (about why people are anxious)
inessova's review against another edition
4.0
When I'm really enjoying a book, and think "this book is great", I always check the 1 star reviews. I like to be aware of the things I missed, and other people's opinions that differ from mine.
And this was no different. And while I understand why some readers didn't like the book, I have to disagree. Purely because it resonated with me, and my personal experience.
I didn't have any expectations when I started it. I didn't know what I will be getting, only the the title and the fact that Matt Haig wrote it, made me buy it.
* What I loved about it
- the self reflection
- it makes you aware of what you're unconsciously doing that is negatively affecting your psyche
- it made me feel understood, and less lonely
* What I liked less
- the lack of structure
- the repetition : certain ideas were repeated many many times
And this was no different. And while I understand why some readers didn't like the book, I have to disagree. Purely because it resonated with me, and my personal experience.
I didn't have any expectations when I started it. I didn't know what I will be getting, only the the title and the fact that Matt Haig wrote it, made me buy it.
* What I loved about it
- the self reflection
- it makes you aware of what you're unconsciously doing that is negatively affecting your psyche
- it made me feel understood, and less lonely
* What I liked less
- the lack of structure
- the repetition : certain ideas were repeated many many times
lizee59402's review against another edition
5.0
This book is another great nonfiction read from Haig. I loved the rawness of his writing and his ability to share what depression and anxiety feeling like on the truest level. I also love the tips to disconnect from the technology and consumerism we have been conditioned to want in this modern world. Especially during a time of social distancing, I have found his words helpful to reconnect with myself rather than rely on my devices to keep me company.
juneholm's review against another edition
4.0
En bok jeg tror de aller fleste har godt av å lese. Mye sier seg selv, men likevel er det fint å få påminnere som man kan reflektere over. Boken vil bidra til større bevissthet rundt tanker, følelser og valg vi står overfor i dette århundret.
chelseaburns's review against another edition
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
slow-paced
3.0