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Sign up todayThe Age of Magical Overthinking
Notes on Modern Irrationality
Narrator
Amanda Montell
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Length
6 hours 5 minutes
Language
English
Bookseller recommendation
“Amanda Montell has a great way of burrowing into topics in unexpected ways, in a fashion that is akin to documentary maker David Farrier. This book examines a range of cognitive biases - such as the halo effect, sunk cost fallacy, confirmation bias, and more - and the various effects they have on our culture and society. It blends this research with personal anecdotes, grounding the data in lived experiences. Amanda narrates the audiobook herself, and she's an experienced podcaster so she's a pro at it.”
— Rachel • The Open Book
Bookseller recommendation
“I really enjoyed this collection of ponderings on current events and current thought processes. Amanda Montell has her finger on the pulse of society today! I listened to the author read this on Libro.fm! It felt like having a great conversation with a friend. ”
— Melanie • The Well-Read Moose
Bookseller recommendation
“Imagine if your best friend could channel Mary Roach to explain psycho-social phenomena, and you’d have Amanda Montell. Her explanations of cognitive biases are clear and relatable, and make this book not just a fascinating read, but a compass for our turbulent times.”
— Jennifer • Tattered Cover
Bookseller recommendation
“Part pop psychology, part memoir, the book examines modern cultural phenomena (standom, the proliferation of unlicensed mental health “gurus” on instagram) as well as Montell’s own life’s path by making reams of scientific studies accessible and relatable. I most enjoyed the chapters where she puts herself under the lens. I think this could be as a really useful gift to a new HS graduate as they make their way out in the world. Especially someone who took AP Psych!”
— Matthew • The Common Good
Bookseller recommendation
“It's possible that Amanda Montell is the only sane and rational human being writing right now. Her voice is a balm for the ever-present existential burn of the present day, a cursed time filled with instant backlash feedback loops, bad-faith takes, constant content consumption and deep, deep loneliness. Montell's essays are insightful yet accessible, with no overtly academic language or convoluted explanations. Her personal anecdotes are hilarious and endearing. Never have I consumed a non-fiction book with such feverish glee.”
— Ryan • Quail Ridge Books
Bookseller recommendation
“Exploring our current culture of overthinking and the language surrounding it, these essays are fascinating and enlightening. Peppered with anecdotes and self-evaluation, this is the book Montell was meant to write.”
— Mallory Melton • BookPeople
INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
From the bestselling author of Cultish and host of the podcast Sounds Like a Cult, a delicious blend of cultural criticism and personal narrative that explores our cognitive biases and the power, disadvantages, and highlights of magical thinking.
Utilizing the linguistic insights of her “witty and brilliant” (Blyth Roberson, author of America the Beautiful?) first book Wordslut and the sociological explorations of her breakout hit Cultish, Amanda Montell now turns her erudite eye to the inner workings of the human mind and its biases in her most personal and electrifying work yet.
“Magical thinking” can be broadly defined as the belief that one’s internal thoughts can affect unrelated events in the external world: think of the conviction that one can manifest their way out of poverty, stave off cancer with positive vibes, thwart the apocalypse by learning to can their own peaches, or transform an unhealthy relationship to a glorious one with loyalty alone. In all its forms, magical thinking works in service of restoring agency amid chaos, but in The Age of Magical Overthinking, Montell argues that in the modern information age, our brain’s coping mechanisms have been overloaded, and our irrationality turned up to an eleven.
In a series of razor sharp, deeply funny chapters, Montell delves into a cornucopia of the cognitive biases that run rampant in our brains, from how the “halo effect” cultivates worship (and hatred) of larger-than-life celebrities, to how the “sunk cost fallacy” can keep us in detrimental relationships long after we’ve realized they’re not serving us. As she illuminates these concepts with her signature brilliance and wit, Montell’s prevailing message is one of hope, empathy, and ultimately forgiveness for our anxiety-addled human selves. If you have all but lost faith in our ability to reason, Montell aims to make some sense of the senseless. To crack open a window in our minds, and let a warm breeze in. To help quiet the cacophony for a while, or even hear a melody in it.
Amanda Montell is a writer and linguist from Baltimore. She is the author of the acclaimed books Wordslut, Cultish, and The Age of Magical Overthinking. Along with hosting the podcast Sounds Like a Cult, her writing has also appeared in The New York Times, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, and more. She holds a degree in linguistics from NYU and lives in Los Angeles with her partner, plants, and pets. Find her on Instagram @Amanda_Montell.
Amanda Montell is a writer and linguist from Baltimore. She is the author of the acclaimed books Wordslut, Cultish, and The Age of Magical Overthinking. Along with hosting the podcast Sounds Like a Cult, her writing has also appeared in The New York Times, Marie Claire, Cosmopolitan, and more. She holds a degree in linguistics from NYU and lives in Los Angeles with her partner, plants, and pets. Find her on Instagram @Amanda_Montell.
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Reviews
"An engaging package suitable for anyone who wants to better understand the chaos of our modern society. Montell’s take on how irrationality went mainstream is informed by erudite wit and an eye for telling images."—Kirkus, starred review
“Written with wit, smarts, and self-deprecating charm, The Age of Magical Overthinking is at once a guidebook for the era of misinformation and an illuminating, palm-to-the-forehead reveal of the delusions that underlie our own beliefs. Rarely have so few pages explained so much, so entertainingly.”
—Mary Roach, New York Times bestselling author of Stiff, Gulp, and Fuzz
"Empathetic and enviously shrewd, The Age of Magical Overthinking will cleanse your beleaguered mind the way a Tiktok 'guru' never could. Amanda Montell is a relatable and often brazenly funny narrator, as she creates a blueprint to breaking our minds’ worst habits. Who knew there was a path out of the forest of brain rot!"
—Sabrina Imbler, author of How Far the Light Reaches
"Amanda Montell’s unbeatable intellect helps make human life much more interesting, and a little less baffling."
—Michelle Tea, author of Against Memoir, Knocking Myself Up, and more
"Reading The Age of Magical Overthinking feels like talking to a brilliant friend. With vulnerability, humor, and refreshing sincerity, Montell excavates everything from celebrity worship to toxic relationships to the allure of nostalgia. In readable, stylish prose, she offers nuanced insights into contemporary culture, all while giving the reader companionship and hope."
—Heather Radke, author of Butts: A Backstory and Radiolab reporter
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