Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by laurieperry417
Notes on a Nervous Planet by Matt Haig
5.0
It took me several months to get through this book, but only because I was taking my time to really appreciate his perspective. I believe this is a book I will return to again and again. The next time I have to list my all-time favorite or most impactful books, Notes on a Nervous Planet will be on that list.
The author has experienced years of anxiety and panic attacks, and this book talks about the planet itself as suffering from the same things. Life in the 21st century is filled with anxiety-inducing craziness -- everything from the constant flow of news, to social media pressure to be perfect, to always being connected and "on," to the environment and the damage we are doing, to our truly messed up politics... and on and on.
Hmmm. I'm not doing a great job of explaining why I liked this book so much. After the year we've been through managing and understanding my daughter's anxiety and depression, this seems like it would not be a book that appeals to me, that I'd rather escape from anything related to anxiety. But I promise you, this book is not a laundry list of horrible things. Rather, the author has a way of putting it all into context, that everything that is happening in the world is impacting us as individuals, and he points to all of these factors as contributing to our own anxieties. (By the way, I have no doubt whatsoever that mental health has a strong genetic component, but there's also so much to be said about our daily life in this really crazy world.) He gently shows us that we have other options. We can unplug. We can change the way we perceive the world and the way we interact with the world.
His writing style is personable and approachable. If you are drawn to memoir and/or if you don't go running in the other direction at the words 'self-help,' perhaps this book is for you. This is not a religious or even spiritual book, but it touches on themes that are timeless and universal and connected to all of humanity. (I know, this is sounding weird. This isn't a book for everyone, I don't think.) The sections are composed of shorter essays, lists, conversations and notes. I think the next time I read this, and I am certain there will be several next times, I will probably mark it up with highlighter. There's so much here. If I could name only one book to have with me on a deserted island, it might be this one.
The author has experienced years of anxiety and panic attacks, and this book talks about the planet itself as suffering from the same things. Life in the 21st century is filled with anxiety-inducing craziness -- everything from the constant flow of news, to social media pressure to be perfect, to always being connected and "on," to the environment and the damage we are doing, to our truly messed up politics... and on and on.
Hmmm. I'm not doing a great job of explaining why I liked this book so much. After the year we've been through managing and understanding my daughter's anxiety and depression, this seems like it would not be a book that appeals to me, that I'd rather escape from anything related to anxiety. But I promise you, this book is not a laundry list of horrible things. Rather, the author has a way of putting it all into context, that everything that is happening in the world is impacting us as individuals, and he points to all of these factors as contributing to our own anxieties. (By the way, I have no doubt whatsoever that mental health has a strong genetic component, but there's also so much to be said about our daily life in this really crazy world.) He gently shows us that we have other options. We can unplug. We can change the way we perceive the world and the way we interact with the world.
His writing style is personable and approachable. If you are drawn to memoir and/or if you don't go running in the other direction at the words 'self-help,' perhaps this book is for you. This is not a religious or even spiritual book, but it touches on themes that are timeless and universal and connected to all of humanity. (I know, this is sounding weird. This isn't a book for everyone, I don't think.) The sections are composed of shorter essays, lists, conversations and notes. I think the next time I read this, and I am certain there will be several next times, I will probably mark it up with highlighter. There's so much here. If I could name only one book to have with me on a deserted island, it might be this one.