A review by beccasllibrary
The Age of Magical Overthinking: Notes on Modern Irrationality by Amanda Montell

3.5

If you are considering this book as the sequel to Cultish you will be disappointed, I do believe that this book has an audience and that it is enjoyable but it is a diversion from Montel's previous works. Montel does not attempt to say anything transformative about the topic of cognitive biases but rather uses a cognitive bias as the theming for each essay consisting primarily of anecdotes about a time when Montel has felt disconnected and disjointed in her own life and uses the research to explain these seemingly irrational reactions to herself and the audience. Some research and interviews are done but they seem more so a means to frame the anecdotes and examples that follow. I wish this had been marketed as personal essays rather than research, but even when these expectations are clearly laid out, it is still difficult to separate this book from Montel's previous works which were far more transformative to an outsider of their respective field. Ultimately, Montel can not tell us much we have never heard about the sum cost fallacy in the every day life of an online individual because most of us have already lived the examples she provides. If you enjoy Montel's writing, I urge you to pick this up not as a means to learn something that will permanently change your perspective on the mind, but rather a series of stories told through the unique lens of cognition rather than chronology. I do not think this book does anything particularly new besides give me another way to enjoy Montel's writing style, most of the stories she tells are relatable to the point of not feeling notable but as this is meant to expose a collective online experience that is reasonable. Listening to this while cooking, cleaning, etc for a few hours felt like chatting with a friend or listening to a podcast and I think that is the ideal way to consume this book. I did not learn much but I enjoyed my time with it.