Sometimes I worry that novels about the mind will be too cerebral for me and well... go over my head. However, this novel was not only relatable, but readable. I appreciated that it was written in such a way that it was helpful, but didn't feel like a self-help novel.

I like the idea of psychological distancing when having an issue. I also plan to use the advice to think through problems through an outsider's perspective or by using your first name to think through the issue.

I also love the suggestions given by the example cases: use a journal and have a strong support system.

I feel like I learned a lot from listening to it once through. Now, I am going to reread the physical copy and take notes so I can share my knowledge with others.

If you're looking for a book about your inner voice and tapping into your inner resilience, this is it!

A very useful, accessible book that helps manage the chatter in ones head. The first part of the book references studies that support techniques to manage the chatter in your mind. If you are really pressed for time, you can skip to the part of the book in titled “the tools“. It’s summarizes the techniques more succinctly. I highly recommend this book. Thanks to NetGalley for a complimentary copy of the book in exchange for my honest review.

Yet another pop psych book that attempts to provide insights on behavior change. This one takes a sharper focus on the narratives we build to understand our surroundings, reactions, and feelings. But the underlying studies and the tools discussed by the author is not really new to a reader of this genre. (Maybe the upcoming Kahneman book, Noise, offers something new). Typical of these books, reliance on Western studies is high; so are the sweeping generalizations that result from them. But if one can maintain a bit of skepticism, some of the anecdotes, studies, and tools can be a good way to reassess what one already knows. A good introduction to the field, if a reader is just starting this genre.

As someone who often suffers from debilitating anxiety, I was excited to read this book and help quell the "chatter" inside my own mind. Overall, it was a pretty good book. Kross is relatable and I found it interesting to learn how chatter can impact everyone quite drastically, even those who haven't previously suffered from mental health disorders. There were some helpful tips given at the end of the book. I felt like it fell a bit flat in the fact that they were not revolutionary, by any means, to me, and less than I expected. He was also a bit long winded at points. While the writing could have been a bit more focused, I still enjoyed reading about this topic and was happy to find a book on this subject.

Chatter is *the* guide to exploring the conversations we have with ourselves, both out loud and internal. As someone who talks to themselves on occasion, reading about why we do that was fascinating! I also was so glad to see the research about internal conversations presented in such a thoughtful and articulate way. For anyone who wrestles with self-talk internally, or who wonders about their habit of talking to themselves, Chatter will be a welcomed and insightful read. I loved, loved it and am doing .my best to make sure it's a highlighted nonfiction read!

CHATTER by Ethan Kross deals with "The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It." Kross, a professor at the University of Michigan and director of the Emotion & Self Control Laboratory, explores verbal development and emotional development, describing how "as toddlers, speaking to ourselves out loud helps us learn to control ourselves." He defines chatter as "consist[ing] of the cyclical negative thoughts and emotions that turn our singular capacity for introspection into a curse" and notes that "we spend one-third to one-half of our waking life not living in the present." Building on an understanding of what the inner voice really is and the extent to which it can harm our bodies, he turns to the most helpful part of the book: a summary of tools and "techniques [which] involve shifting the way we think to control the conversations we have." Kross divides these into three sections: "tools that you can implement on your own (e.g., reframe your experience as a challenge), tools that leverage your relationships with other people (both providing and receiving chatter support), and tools that involve your environment (e.g., create order, spend more time in green spaces)." Clearly of particular interest to our Psych students, CHATTER received starred reviews from both Kirkus and Publishers Weekly.

I highly recommend Chatter for those who get tired of hearing the endless rumblings in their head 24/7. Ethan Cross gives very practical and easy-to-follow suggestions on how to quiet the noise when it starts to get out of control.

"Our verbal stream of thought is so industrious that according to one study we internally talk to ourselves at a rate equivalent to speaking four thousand words per minute out loud. . . . The voice in your head is a very fast talker."

Kross organizes the book into tools you can implement on your own, tools that leverage your relationships with other people, and tools that involve your environment.

Here are a few of his tools about talking to yourself.

1. Talk to yourself using your name and the second-person "you"

2. Imagine advising a friend

3. Reframe your experience as a challenge

4. Remember your experience is normal

5. Think how you'll feel a year from now

6. Change your perspective to a fly on the wall

We can't (and shouldn't try) to totally silence our inner thoughts. But we can learn to use them more effectively. Chatter is a great place to start.

My thanks to Net Galley and Crown Publishing for the review copy of this book.

If you think you're the only person who talks to themselves in their heads, I promise you, you're not. This book reassures anyone and everyone that having conversations with oneself in their heads, is completely normal and can actually be really helpful. I really enjoyed this book. The tips and tricks I learned from this book I will come back to all the time.

This book is a wonder for anyone interested in learning more about themselves, and how/why others tick. A beneficial resource for someone like myself who has studied psychology or someone who is interested in human nature.
It is written in easy to read (but perhaps slower if you like to take notes!) language, with many relatable stories and filled with research data that is interesting and learnable.
It covers so many fascinating topics from nature vs nurture, psychological threat and how it effects of bodies, the placebo effect, and tools to help us deal with our personal inner voice. There are many examples to help you better understand a partner, colleague or friend/family. I feel that this book also carries immense value if you are dealing with any kind of decision or crisis and offers tools for you to help (or at least better understand) someone else who is stuck/struggling.

I received an ARC copy from #NetGalley and cannot praise this book sufficiently. #Chatter

I usually really enjoy psychology and self-help books. This one fell squarely in the middle of those two genres. The idea of noticing and modifying the personal narrative we tell ourselves is timely and I'm glad the author is giving it the attention that it deserves.

The only thing that would have improved the story is probably reducing the stories and examples in favor of science or methodology. It felt like there could have been a better balance.

This book will be an easy and enjoyable read for most.

I found this to be an insightful and helpful book about our inner voice and what we can do to better control it. The combination of stories and research make it an interesting and readable nonfiction book. There are some practical strategies related to calming anxiety and increasing happiness.

Chatter is all that negative talk going on inside your head and Ethan Kross does an excellent job in explaining it and giving advise on not just understanding it but quieting it as well.
Fascinating books for those interested in the mind.
Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Kross has managed to do what I thought almost impossible: create a book that balances 'self-help' and scientific studies. Typically they veer either to over-reliance on studies; cramming study after study and providing little to no real world application. On the other side, you have books that make brief references to studies on the brain or human functioning or the stress response.
"Chatter" is full of information about the ways our own mind can trap us in thought patterns; or lock us into a narrow focus when what we need is a wider view of our issues. I'm not even going to fill this review with all the helpful tips; lucid explanations of the 'whys' of our psychology. Just read it.
Kross has crafted a book that appeals to science nerds and those looking for ways to calm ourselves, experience less anxiety and generally be happier. It's early but this will probably wind up on my list for best self-help of 2021.

This book is perfect for anyone that suffers from anxiety, like me. The author explains how to quiet that inner chatter and not allow it to dominate us. I learned a lot of helpful tips from this one.

Chatter by Ethan Kross is a non-fiction title from a psychologist and researcher who has dedicated their career to understanding self-talk and the methods to switching that voice from a critic to a coach. The book explores the purpose of our inner self-talk and what happens when it crosses into negative chatter. The author uses anecdotes to compare the results when our inner self-talk is harmful to us and when it is helpful. For example, the author contrasts the careers of Simone Biles and Rick Ankiel and how their inner talk contributed to their ability to perform a triple-double flip. The book also explores some ways to turn that negative chatter to a style of inner talk that is slower and compassionate.

The writing style was explained very well and the variety of stories and examples helped drive the authors argument. I do notice the structure of some sentences can be very long, commonly using "—" which reads long-winded. In fact, I notice the writing tends to read more like a scientific manuscript than a book at times but I am not sure other readers will notice this. The book shares actionable tips in some of the chapters which are helpful. For example, taking a walk to quiet the chatter. Importantly, the book includes a chapter dedicated to all the tools that the author shares in the book which is a great reference! This book is well-researched and the citations included at the end of the book are very helpful. Overall I recommend this book for those who want a deeper explanation on inner talk and want to geek out on more of the science aspects while learning some tips at the same time.

Many thanks to the publisher Crown Publishing and Netgalley for the ARC in return for an honest review.

Years ago, heck it’s been decades really, I used to say that if people knew what was happening in my head, it would be a hit television series! We all have those thoughts in our heads. The chatter in our heads can be calmed!

Chatter by Ethan Kross is an excellent summary of real life experiences and studies about the chatter in our heads as we go through different situations. It’s out together rather well and includes a shortened version at the back of the book for quick referencing.

In my years of experience working with Army soldiers as they transition out of the military and as they go through medical retirement boards, I have met many soldiers who suffer from Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder and other behavior health diagnoses. They often have this chatter in their heads. I recommend this book for all of them and for their therapists, social workers, and psychologists.

A digital ARC of Chatter by Ethan Kross was provided complimentary by Crown Publishing via NetGalley. A review is not required, but I know it can help authors and readers alike. I give this book 4 out of 5 tiaras. It has great information and useful tools to calm the chatter in my head. Now to put it all into practice!

Kross, Ethan. Chatter: The Voice in Our Head, Why It Matters, and How to Harness It. 158.1
Everyone talks to themselves. “Chatter” is when that voice inside our heads becomes anxious or destructive. At its worst it can be debilitating. Not a lot of psychology-speak here. Kross’s writing is very accessible even when discussing research examples. These examples serve to clarify the author’s suppositions. Ideas are clearly explained and, most helpful, the author gives tools for dealing with negative thought spirals (or “chatter”) in our daily lives.

Is there a right and wrong way to talk to yourself? This book answers this question about communicating with yourself and the path is to look inside and listen for the answer. Kross defines “chatter” as cyclical negative thoughts and emotions. Steering these negative thoughts back to positive thoughts is quite a process but a good one! If you’ve struggled with this kind of chatter, negative verbal streaming (who hasn’t right?) then this read will bring you to a new place of understanding and awareness. An important book, Kross’ exploration here reminds us that negative chatter feeds stress. One suggestion is to add distance to this chatter. Stepping back for a wider perspective can be helpful but there are more worthy tools in this toolbox that Kross has created. There is also the force of Nature that can calm and reset the mind. Mind magic and rituals can bring deeper meaning to the self to a positive thinking state. I found this book to open a lot of windows and tactics on this kind of negative self-talk. One thing I was curious about is anger and how that plays into the chatter voice going on. Kross hit on the emotion of anger rather lightly; I would have like to have more about anger but maybe that’s another book. This book has practical strategies, fascinating case histories, and impressive research. The best thing I liked was the fact that Kross has struggled with his own chatter and that personal experience established solid credibility. Recommended. Paula Cappa is an avid book reviewer and an award-winning supernatural mystery author of novels and short stories.

A fantastic collection of practical tips for handling our own inner voice, support others coping with that ever pervasive chatter. Ethan Kross uses Chatter to begin a much needed conversation about how to harness the impact and power of our inner monologue. Chatter offers practical insights into growth and development through compelling and highly accessible story telling. While it reads very academic it still maintains an approachable and accessible style. For anyone whose curious about the mind. Will join some of my favorites!

Game-changer.

Chatter is one of those rare reads that you don’t’ want to end. One of those books you love so much you need the print and audio version.
The author introduces us to unproductive and consequential ways our thoughts can turn on us and distract us from our lives. It is immediately relatable. This book is a first of its kind to get at what is a constant for all of us — a personal interpreter helping us make sense of things — in the author’s words, that inner voice that allows us “storify” life.

Offering a groundswell of compelling research to back up what is seemingly simple but profound — we are offered numerous opportunities to consider flipping on our mental reset. We are the proud owners of the neurological machinery to deploy self-distancing strategies to combat the repetitive thoughts that sabotage our capacities to address focused tasks. Chapter two introduces some research that should give us all pause — our cells interpret psychological threats as viscerally hostile as being physically attacked.
The author then gives up tactical strategies to deploy to zoom out when Chatter causes us to lose perspective. The practical strategies offered are what make this book such a game-changer. A significant a-ha moment for me while reading Chapter five was realizing that the go-to strategy many of us use when we’ve experienced something hard or emotional may exacerbate chatter. Co-rumination makes us feel worse as the author proves insight into how our emotional memories are governed by associationism. Chapter 6 brings our attention to the vast superpowers of awe — it diminishes one’s self-interest and decenters our inner voice onto something indescribable. The chapter opened with fascinating research about green spaces and the benefits of nature walks.

The conclusion brought me to tears of gratitude. I listened to the author share the story about his student at an Ed Summit in Philly. It was one of the most consequential shifts to date in my inner voice — “Tammy, you can share this knowledge.” I’m now in a doctoral program to investigate how social science tools can help me share with others the tremendously empowering realization that our beliefs are malleable!