Notes on a Nervous Planet
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4.7 • 19 Ratings
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- $13.99
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- $13.99
Publisher Description
* New novel THE LIFE IMPOSSIBLE available in paperback now *
THE NUMBER ONE SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
The world is messing with our minds.
Rates of stress and anxiety are rising. A fast, nervous planet is creating fast and nervous lives. We are more connected, yet feel more alone. And we are encouraged to worry about everything from world politics to our body mass index.
– How can we stay sane on a planet that makes us mad?
– How do we stay human in a technological world?
– How do we feel happy when we are encouraged to be anxious?
After experiencing years of anxiety and panic attacks, these questions became urgent matters of life and death for Matt Haig. And he began to look for the link between what he felt and the world around him. Notes on a Nervous Planet is a personal and vital look at how to feel happy, human and whole in the twenty-first century.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
Modern life is bad for your health. When a Twitter argument edges Matt Haig towards anxiety, he begins to consider the psychological problems that can by caused by technology in the digital age. With the warmth, humour and confessional honesty that made Reasons to Stay Alive (his bestselling account of living with depression) so compelling, Haig explores the pressures generated by infinite choice, 24-hour newsreels and global connectivity. How, he wonders, can we best protect ourselves? His optimism and wisdom ensure this book will lift some of the stress from your shoulders.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Novelist and memoirist Haig (Reasons to Stay Alive) relates his experiences suffering from panic attacks and anxiety in this astute mix of self-help and memoir. Haig divides the book into small chapters (many less than a page) that delve into a single idea, like paying attention to the basics of good nutrition and sleep, or trying to understand the mind/body connection. Throughout, he asks the reader to consider the bigger picture: "Of course, in the cosmic perspective, the whole of human history has been fast." Wry and self-deprecating, Haig charms with his lighthearted tone: "We are mysterious. We don't know why we are here. We have to craft our own meaning. The mystery is tantalizing." While the work reads more like a collection of blog posts than a fully fleshed-out book, readers will appreciate Haig's approach to living in a playful yet thoughtful way. Switching seamlessly between light and serious, colloquial and formal, Haig's prose reflects his topic, whether it is 24-hour news and social media, or weightier topics such as inequality, addiction, and faith, with chapter titles such as "Places I have had panic attacks" and "How to own a smartphone and still be a functioning human being." By challenging readers to rethink their role in the modern world, Haig's book will embolden them to keep learning and pursuing their passions in order to ease anxiety.
