The Age of Magical Overthinking

“Empathetic and enviously shrewd, The Age of Magical Overthinking will cleanse your beleaguered mind the was 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

“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

“Amanda Montell’s unbeatable intellect helps make human life much more interesting, and a little less baffling.” – MICHELLE TEA

“Reading The Age of Magical Overthinking feels like talking to a brilliant friend. With vulnerability, humour, 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 DRAKE

“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

“The Age of Magical Overthinking is a fantastic voyage into the furnace room of the modern mind. I emerged from these enlightening pages with a new understanding of my own cognitive biases, as well as an unbiased awe of Amanda Montell’s abundant gifts.” – MONA AWAD

Amanda is a writer, video content maker, and linguistics groupie living in Los Angeles. Her writing has appeared in Marie Claire, Woman’s Day, The Rumpus, and Time Out magazine, and she is a staff features editor at online beauty and health magazine Byrdie. Amanda is also the creator and host of The Dirty Word, a web series about language, gender, and pop culture, which airs on Wifey.tv and has been featured in Glamour, Bustle, Refinery29, Hello Giggles, and Bust Magazine. Amanda graduated magna cum laude from NYU with a degree in Linguistics. Find her on Instagram @amanda_montell (4.5k followers).