The Age of Magical Overthinking Audiobook By Amanda Montell cover art

The Age of Magical Overthinking

Notes on Modern Irrationality

Preview

Try for $0.00
Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Age of Magical Overthinking

By: Amanda Montell
Narrated by: Amanda Montell
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $14.99

Buy for $14.99

Confirm purchase
Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.
Cancel

About this listen

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.

©2024 Amanda Montell (P)2024 Simon & Schuster Audio
Biographies & Memoirs Editor's Select Popular Culture Psychology Funny Witty
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

Interview: Amanda Montell explains why everyone is guilty of "Magical Overthinking"

I think a lot of us like to think that we aren't susceptible to misleading information or the charms of a cult leader...'
-0.00
  • The Age of Magical Overthinking
  • I think a lot of us like to think that we aren't susceptible to misleading information or the charms of a cult leader...'

Editorial Review

You’ll never look at a horoscope the same way again
I don’t believe in astrology, the law of attraction, or (most) conspiracy theories—but that doesn’t stop me from being obsessed with how many people do. And why not? Such supernatural thinking is practically de rigueur. Author, linguist, and podcast host Amanda Montell, writer of nonfiction hits Cultish and Wordslut, has a way with these topics, and her bracing take on today’s stickiest irrational beliefs—from influencer-peddled therapy speak to celebrity worship and positive thinking—might be her most brilliant yet. Drawing you in with personal stories, expert insights, and several cocktail parties’ worth of fun facts, Montell gradually reveals how the cognitive biases behind popular delusions spare no one, including her, me, and, yes, you. An infectious and engaging reader of her own work, Montell infuses The Age of Magical Overthinking with humor and passion, ensuring both die-hard skeptics and woo-woo acolytes will find something to love and learn within.. —Kat J., Audible Editor

What listeners say about The Age of Magical Overthinking

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    157
  • 4 Stars
    53
  • 3 Stars
    28
  • 2 Stars
    15
  • 1 Stars
    11
Performance
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    182
  • 4 Stars
    36
  • 3 Stars
    16
  • 2 Stars
    6
  • 1 Stars
    12
Story
  • 4 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    149
  • 4 Stars
    51
  • 3 Stars
    24
  • 2 Stars
    13
  • 1 Stars
    15

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Sorry. I could not make it out of the first chapter

I am pretty sure that I am not the target audience for this book. The premise seems good, but it does not start strong.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    2 out of 5 stars

This was a memoir pretending to be something more scientific

I get what she was trying to do but it fell flat because I didn’t pick up this book to hear personal stories from the author but I wanted to be well thorough researched book from someone that’s knowledgeable about the subject. The author was decidedly, not.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Nothing new

I really enjoyed her last book but found that while there were some interesting new points here, particularly about social media, the book was mostly rehashing a lot of pop psychology concepts.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Me encantó

Definitivamente es un gran libro, me motivó a comenzar a seguir a la escritora. Lo recomiendo.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    3 out of 5 stars

Not as magical as I had hoped

I almost turned this off early in my listen. I stuck it out. Some good stuff. Amid some meh stuff. I’m sure everyone will react personally to the anecdotes shared.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    4 out of 5 stars

Great concepts that needed to be explored deeper

I think another narrator would be beneficial as well as less personal fluff. I would have appreciated further explanation into the topics. Especially the topic of flow.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

timely, sincere and funny

We all can use help understanding our thoughts, biases and worries. Today’s contentious atmosphere makes matters worse. This book is a delightful way to contemplate how we can all do better

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Her voice!

I like the way Amanda Montell tells her stories. She helped me see how irrational we are as humans.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

educational

All three of her books were phenomenal. a deep dive into linguistics and current culture.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    5 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

Fascinating subject, engaging prose!

The writing is excellent, and the reading (in the audiobook version) is every bit as good!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!