Notes on a Nervous Planet
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4.3 • 27 Ratings
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- $3.99
Publisher Description
The instant #1 international bestseller from the beloved author of How to Stop Time and The Humans
The societies we are part of are increasingly making our minds ill. It very often feels that the way we live is almost engineered to make us unhappy. Whether it is our attitudes toward sleep, the marketing messages that inundate us daily, the constant and hysterical news cycle, social media or even the way we educate our children, we are programming ourselves to put our bodies and minds at odds and setting ourselves up with expectations for our lives that prevent our happiness.
When Matt became ill with panic disorder, anxiety and depression, it took him a long time to work out the ways the external world could impact his mental health in positive and negative ways. Notes on a Nervous Planet shares his journey back to happiness and all of the lessons that Matt learned along the way.
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.
