This turned out to be the book I never knew I needed. As a very science-minded person, it was a great experience being able to read a book on the topic of our behaviors and how they’re so easily and sometimes unconsciously influenced. Our anxious and over-stimulated social experiences and overall social culture has become all-consuming, and Amanda Montell’s input and voice on the topic reads like a knowledgeable and laid back, witty chat rather than research, which I both loved and respected. This is my first book I’ve read by her but after this experience I will definitely be seeking out her others!

4.5 - Amanda Montell, linguist and author of ‘Cultish’ and ‘Word Slut,’ is back with a new book that seems to have been plucked from the universe just for me. ‘The Age of Magical Overthinking’ is a hilarious blend of cultural criticism and anecdotes on how the modern age of information and cognitive biases shapes our thoughts.

In a series of approachable and funny essays, Montell discusses everything from celebrity stan culture and toxic positivity to the mental gymnastics of staying in a toxic relationship. My favourite chapter is ‘A Toxic Relationship Is Just A Cult of One’

I enjoyed this one a lot, it was topical and interesting. Like her other books, this one does not go into a lot of depth about any particular idea, instead choosing to address a vast number of topics briefly which I felt worked for this book. Even though selfishly, I would have loved more on specific topics like celebrity hero worship and a few of the other essays.

What works so well about Montell’s books is that she creates this atmosphere through her essays that feels like you’re chatting with your friends over brunch about anything and everything that’s caught your eye over the past week.

She’s not bringing in a lot of information that’s going to change your perspective, but she is bringing in theory and vocabulary, putting cohesive thoughts to the patterns of thought-behaviour you’ve probably already recognized. This is a fun collection of essays to read during breakfast or before bed and then later discuss with your friends.

This book was the perfect mix of pop culture, social science, and memoir. I really enjoyed revisiting all the cognitive biases I learned about in university, but presented in a much more fun and engaging way. This book was engaging to read, and never got dry or boring. I really enjoyed it. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a free e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I struggle to articulate why this book fell so flat with me, but the fact that I tried to pick it up and kept putting it down over 2 months speaks for itself. This has all the bones of a book I would like, and yet. It just never really makes interesting conclusions, and I was left with a general sense of "Why am I reading this?".

(4.5 stars)

It’ll be no surprise to anyone that I loved this book. Super fun and interesting look a biases. I loved what it had to say about manifestation, conspiracy theories, and celebrity worship.

Amanda Montell has done it again! I loved CULTISH, and THE AGE OF MAGICAL OVERTHINKING surpassed even my highest expectations. I've already quoted Montell's research in a newsletter and every conversation I've had with friends over the past week; I recapped every essay after I read it to my partner. Montell is so readable: every essay went down like water, expertly balanced with research and anecdote to keep it from feeling like either unapproachable science or self-indulgent memoir. Since finishing the book today, I've convinced two friends to purchase it, and I won't stop until everyone I know has read it to discuss.

As a chronic overthinker, this book was perfect for me. I found it deeply relatable and honestly comforting. It's always interesting to examine why we do the things we do and how things like social media and our growing connections affect us. I particularly enjoyed the chapter on the idea of Recency Illusion!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. Amanda Montell is one of the best non-fiction writers out there today. I loved her books Cultish and Wordslut not only for her ability to explore popular phenomena, but also for her ability to take complicated concepts and ideas and make them accessible for public consumption. She does it with such style and humor, often making references to popular culture or her own life and experiences. The Age of Magical Overthinking is also representative of this approach to her writing and analysis. This book examines different kinds of bias and explores how this affects our thinking, while also using specific examples from society, popular culture, and Montell’s own life and experiences. I think that this book got more personal than any of her previous books, and I really appreciated it, especially the chapter on sunk cost bias and Mr. Backpack (A Toxic Relationship is Just a Cult of One). Montell moves seamlessly from popular culture to peer reviewed research studies that explore and explain these biases, how they operate in our mind, and how they were discovered. Furthermore, she offers some examples of people who have worked to overcome their biases or how we can move beyond these biases. I wasn’t sure exactly what this book was at first—if it was a personal narrative, kind of like Joan Didion’s book from which is cites and adapts the title, or if it was more of a pop psychology book like her other writing. In some ways, it’s both, and this is definitely a strength of the book. Her candor and honest revelations are brave, funny, and meaningfully contribute to the book, helping us better understand these biases. I also appreciated how she framed many of the biases in the pandemic, often using recent events to share how the isolation and uncertainty brought about some of the worst in our biases and magical thinking. This is the kind of book that I would use a chapter in my writing course. It’s not only a great way to explain a psychological concept, but Montell explains and analyzes these concepts in such an entertaining and personal way, I know that my students would really engaged with these chapters.

Loved, loved, loved this! I adore Sound Like a Cult, I enjoyed the audiobook of Cultish, and this book didn't disappoint! I particularly loved the chapter about sunk cost fallacy. I found this to be a super interesting and accessible read!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the ARC!

Love this human. As a big fan of “Cultish”, I’m not surprised at how great this book is. I love how each chapter focused on a form of bias or overthinking, paired with both psychology and pop culture. I felt like I was learning while I was laughing. It helped me understand why people do certain things, such as fall for misinformation or choose to continue bad relationships. Highly recommend!

I really dug Cultish a few years ago, and this blends the same voice that book had with a new topic - the various cognitive biases we experience on a day-to-day basis, in all their contemporary forms like calling pop stars "mother" and pop culture's current obsession with strip-mining the nostalgia of our youths. Prospective reader, I tore through this in a few sittings. It's chatty but knowledgeable, a real winning combination. I look forward to reading whatever Montell chooses to cover next.

As an avid fan of Amanda Montell's previous works, including "Cultish" and "Wordslut," I was over the moon to receive an advanced reader copy of her latest book, "The Age of Magical Overthinking." With her brilliant insights and engaging style, Montell has established herself as a shining star in the realm of cultural commentary.

However, my excitement quickly turned to disappointment as I delved into "The Age of Magical Overthinking." While I anticipated another binge-worthy read, I found myself struggling to connect with the writing. Unlike Montell's previous works, which were exciting and educational, this book left me feeling perplexed at times, unsure of its purpose and relevance to me as a reader.

Despite my eagerness to immerse myself in the book, I found it challenging to maintain interest, often reading in small portions at a time. Even then, I struggled to finish the book.

Moreover, the lack of storytelling and cohesion between chapters left me feeling adrift in a sea of potentially interesting ideas. Her neutral approach to tackling overthinking felt disconnected, lacking the depth and controversy I had anticipated. While Montell's wit still shines through in places, and the book's cover is undeniably gorgeous, I personally struggled to grasp the overarching theme or message.

Ultimately, "The Age of Magical Overthinking" fell short of my expectations. While it may still hold intrigue and provoke thought for some readers, I cannot wholeheartedly recommend it. Despite this disappointment, I remain a devoted fan of Amanda Montell and eagerly anticipate her future works.

Amanda Montell is back again with an incredibly well researched and written study on the sociological impact of language and its psychological impact on us as a society.. The Age of Magical Overthinking is a study on cognitive biases and how they consciously and subconsciously impact our modern media overconsumption frenzied culture. Montell’s storytelling is magical in of itself, as she weaves personal (and often hilarious) narrative and anecdotes with fascinating psychological and sociological research findings to provide the reader with a palatable thought provoking take on our current post-pandemic culture.

As someone who studied sociology and psychology; I know I have a biased interest in studies such as this but I have to applaud Montell’s ability in producing such a thought provoking and approachable case study on cognitive bias that will resonate with anyone that finds themselves doom scrolling and questioning the information overload that is shoved down our throats through social media, news outlets and even backyard barbeques.. Amanda Montell is a phenomenal story teller and is hands down my favorite non-fiction author.

Thank you so much to Atria Books and Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I have already purchased a physical version of this book so that I can highlight and tab the hell out of it because I foresee myself coming back to this one often.

Montell describes the current human experience like no other. Taylor Swift is sweeping our country and the first chapter is about that phenomenan, and I think so many readers will connect. As a magical overthinker, this was also self help for me, but is NOT self help in itself. And I love that.

🎉 Happy Publication Day, @amanda_montell 📖🎉

I’ve said it before: Amanda’s books are like hearing your really smart best friend talk about their field of expertise. It absolutely rings true with The Age of Magical Overthinking.

I was fortunate enough to get the advanced copy from @netgalley but I got so much out of this one that I pre-ordered a copy from @paperheartsbooks so I can mark it up and pass it around.

Examining cognitive biases has never been as important as it is during the age of chronic online-ness. Our minds are absolutely inundated with information. How do we base ourselves in reality when there’s so much swirling around us?

Online “psychology”, super fandoms, influencer culture, the health and wellness industry- it’s all vying for real estate in our heads. Amanda helps us break down the processes and slow it all down, so that we function and thrive in the Information Age. And she does so in a way that’s fun, relevant, poignant, and engaging.

thank you netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

I really enjoyed this book even more than Cultish. I feel like Amanda really put a lot of work into her research. This was fascinating to me because I do every one of the “magical overthinking” described.

I really enjoyed this much anticipated read from Amanda Montell. I was a huge fan of her first book and this one didn't disappoint. Montell does a great job making complex social theory concepts easy to digest with pop culture references. I also enjoyed her personal stories which were woven throughout, especially about her relationship with Mr. Backpack.

Thank you Netgalley & Atria/One Signal Publishers for the advanced reader copy.

This was one of my most anticipated reads. I am a HUGE fan of Montell’s previous book Cultish and I am forever recommending it to everyone.

Her distinct voice and humor are just as apparent in this new book. Reading her books always feels like having a conversation with my much smarter friend— but in the best possible way.

Something I really enjoyed about the book was how much personal stories and anecdotes Montell includes. For example, she has a chapter on sunk cost fallacy and she opens up about an emotionally abusive relationship and it was very relatable to me.

This book delves into cognitive biases, and I read a book that is referenced here called Mistakes Were Made, but Not By Me which is a great book but this one is so much more fun to read overall.

If you’re a fan of Cultish or like your non-fiction with some personality, check this one out.

Overall, I give this ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5) stars.

Montell explains how cognitive biases and fallacies (such as confirmation bias, sunk cost fallacy, halo effect, cause-and-effect relationships) apply in a time of digital information overload. This little book is fast paced with a different concept or two in every chapter including examples from Montell's life and research studies. Unlike some of Montell's previous work, I noticed a conscious effort to include researcher and stories from folks with marginalized identities, which I appreciate.

The biases and fallacies that Montell writes about have evolved over time to help humans survive; it is especially interesting to consider that they, along with humans, are still evolving. I would pair this book with McRaney's How Minds Change or Grant's Think Again.

thank you so much to Atria Books for the ARC of one of my most anticipated books of 2024 by one of my favorite authors!!

in her latest, amanda montell brings us a deeper look into our collective tendency to overthink. with all the information readily available at our literal fingertips, it's no surprise we're completely bombarded by thoughts. montell talks about everything plaguing the everyday mind: from UFOs/UAPs to celebrity worship to overconfidence biases & more. and it's not only what we're constantly thinking about that kept me hooked; it's also how montell relays the information. thinking about reading about thinking did admittedly lead me to some very philosophical rabbit holes, but this book ~ literally~ fed my thought.

montell's voice is such a treasure to our generation. after three whole books, it's safe to say i will be constantly thinking about this book & whatever else she decides to put out in the future.

the age of magical overthinking: notes on modern irrationality is out now!!