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A review by erikaellr
First, We Make the Beast Beautiful: A New Journey Through Anxiety by Sarah Wilson
4.0
A lot of the criticism that I've read for this book is that it fails to be things that, honestly, I don't think it's even trying to be. This book has some elements of the science of anxiety and self-help, but if you're looking for a self-help book, or a rigorous scientific explanation of anxiety and its treatment, this isn't it.
This book, instead, is a memoir of the author learning about what helps and what doesn't for her anxiety, and learning to appreciate and even love her relationship with her anxiety. It's also a fond and knowing love letter to anyone else running around, sometimes in circles, on their own path with anxiety. I listened to the audiobook, which the author narrates herself, and I loved it - I don't think reading the text would have felt as personal and intimate. My experience of the book was listening to a friend commiserate, tell her story, share tips and encouragement, and mostly, just express curiosity and appreciation and love, and welcome me to feel those things too, about the ways in which our brains work that we so often greet with angst and meta-anxiety instead of curiosity and acceptance and fondness. I will definitely re-listen to parts of the book here and there, anytime I feel like it would be nice to just take a break and get coffee with a slightly crazy, sometimes hyperbolic, but actually fairly grounded, and wholly likeable Australian friend.
This book, instead, is a memoir of the author learning about what helps and what doesn't for her anxiety, and learning to appreciate and even love her relationship with her anxiety. It's also a fond and knowing love letter to anyone else running around, sometimes in circles, on their own path with anxiety. I listened to the audiobook, which the author narrates herself, and I loved it - I don't think reading the text would have felt as personal and intimate. My experience of the book was listening to a friend commiserate, tell her story, share tips and encouragement, and mostly, just express curiosity and appreciation and love, and welcome me to feel those things too, about the ways in which our brains work that we so often greet with angst and meta-anxiety instead of curiosity and acceptance and fondness. I will definitely re-listen to parts of the book here and there, anytime I feel like it would be nice to just take a break and get coffee with a slightly crazy, sometimes hyperbolic, but actually fairly grounded, and wholly likeable Australian friend.