The Age of Magical Overthinking
Notes on Modern Irrationality
Ratings21
Average rating3.3
Readable and engaging, but I felt like Cultish had a lot to say about one concept whereas this had a medium-to-low amount to say about many concepts. Ended up skimming more than I'd usually like. Montell is still a boss.
Can't tell you what I learned... BUT The alliteration alone made me THROUGHLY enjoy this book.
There were moments where I was bored or confused but overall, a great listen and being read by the author makes it a special treat.
I've enjoyed the previous 2 books from this author (Wordslut and Cultish) and this was just as good!
Clearly very well researched and delivered in an enjoyable and accessible way, her style of non-fiction will always work for me.
I knew a little about some of the topics covered here but I liked learning more about them with the backing of research studies. Most were new to me and were eye opening (and definitely confirmed a lot of the reasons I dislike social media).
I have mixed feelings about this one but ultimately feel like I wanted to like it more than I actually did
Summary: In each chapter of this book, Amanda Montell addresses a different logical fallacy to which those of us living in the twenty-first century frequently fall victim. She explains the evolutionary advantage that she and other experts believe each fallacy gave our ancestors, and she goes on to explain why these fallacies no longer serve us and how we can avoid falling prey to them.
Some of Montell’s claims might be difficult for readers who are religious to fully agree with, but I think that all readers can benefit from understanding the ways in which we can fool ourselves.