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bobthebookerer 's review for:
Chatter
by Ethan Kross
I am always somewhat sceptical of books like this at first, fearing what I think of as 'the Malcolm Gladwell effect', where an author introduces a concept in chapter 1 that they themselves have coined (often their own wording of a phenomenon that other people have discovered) and then spends the next 300 pages listing story after story to show why they were right.
However, where 'Chatter' is different for me is in how the stories continue to deepen the concept and explore it at length, whilst looking regularly at the science that informs it (of which Ethan Kross is a central figure).
Kross' central idea, borne out of years of research, is that the inner monologue we experience in various forms is not only part of what makes us human, but is also what can lead to our greatest failures and successes.
In this sense, it becomes a muscle that we can train to help it become our best ally, and Kross explores both where the inner monologue's 'chatter' is too strong and overpowering, and it convinces us that we are worthless and/or prone to failure, but also how we can use it to reinforce positive messages, or even blank it out at specific moments.
This therefore tips this book into being a bit of a how-to guide as well as a fascinating look into research. For example, he looks at how rituals- whether religious, superstitious, cultural or seemingly bizarre- play an important role in supporting our ability to approach certain tasks at hand, from writing, to complex technical work, to high-pressure situations like fishing in shark-infested waters or playing professional sport.
Overall, I think this book is a neatly digestible joy, that is both quite challenging but also accessible. Experiencing it as an audiobook (with Kross himself reading it) is also quite interesting, as you can sometimes hear your inner monologue being pulled back into focus by the discussions.
Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.
However, where 'Chatter' is different for me is in how the stories continue to deepen the concept and explore it at length, whilst looking regularly at the science that informs it (of which Ethan Kross is a central figure).
Kross' central idea, borne out of years of research, is that the inner monologue we experience in various forms is not only part of what makes us human, but is also what can lead to our greatest failures and successes.
In this sense, it becomes a muscle that we can train to help it become our best ally, and Kross explores both where the inner monologue's 'chatter' is too strong and overpowering, and it convinces us that we are worthless and/or prone to failure, but also how we can use it to reinforce positive messages, or even blank it out at specific moments.
This therefore tips this book into being a bit of a how-to guide as well as a fascinating look into research. For example, he looks at how rituals- whether religious, superstitious, cultural or seemingly bizarre- play an important role in supporting our ability to approach certain tasks at hand, from writing, to complex technical work, to high-pressure situations like fishing in shark-infested waters or playing professional sport.
Overall, I think this book is a neatly digestible joy, that is both quite challenging but also accessible. Experiencing it as an audiobook (with Kross himself reading it) is also quite interesting, as you can sometimes hear your inner monologue being pulled back into focus by the discussions.
Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.