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Monkey Mind: A Memoir of Anxiety Audiobook
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(3.00) - 1,830 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In the insightful narrative tradition of Oliver Sacks, Monkey Mind is an uplifting, smart, and very funny memoir of life with anxiety—America’s most common psychological complaint.
We all think we know what being anxious feels like—it is the instinct that made us run from wolves in the prehistoric age and pushes us to perform in the modern one—but for forty million American adults, anxiety is an insidious condition that defines daily life. Yet no popular memoir has been written about that experience until now. Aaron Beck, the most influential doctor in modern psychotherapy, says that “Monkey Mind does for anxiety what William Styron’s Darkness Visible did for depression.”
In Monkey Mind, Daniel Smith brilliantly articulates what it is like to live with anxiety, defanging the disease with humor, traveling through its demonic layers, evocatively expressing both its painful internal coherence and its absurdities. He also draws on its most storied sufferers to trace anxiety’s intellectual history and its influence on our time. Here, finally, comes relief and recognition to millions of people who have wanted someone to put into words what they and their loved ones feel.
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"This is the semi-uncomfortable, semi-hilarious anatomy of an anxiety disorder as seen from the inside. Daniel Smith moves gracefully through his life story, all the while creating unforgettable profiles of his mother, an anxiety sufferer turned psychotherapist, his employer (The Atlantic), his therapist(s), and others. The sympathy we feel for him is akin to horror. As he learns to conquer this disabling problem, step by step, we rejoice."
— Emily (4 out of 5 stars)
Quotes
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“You don’t need a Jewish mother, or a profound sweating problem, to feel Daniel Smith’s pain in Monkey Mind. His memoir treats what must be the essential ailment of our time—anxiety—and it does so with wisdom, honesty, and the kind of belly laughs that can only come from troubles transformed.”
— Chad Harbach, New York Times bestselling author of The Art of Fielding -
“I don’t know Daniel Smith, but I do want to give him a hug. His book is so bracingly honest, so hilarious, so sharp, it’s clear there’s one thing he doesn’t have to be anxious about: whether or not he’s a great writer.”
— A. J. Jacobs, New York Times bestselling author of The Year of Living Biblically -
“Daniel Smith maps the jagged contours of anxiety with such insight, humor, and compassion that the result is, oddly, calming. There are countless gems in these pages, including a fresh take on the psychopathology of chronic nail biting, an ill-fated ménage à trois—and the funniest perspiration scene since Albert Brooks’ sweaty performance in Broadcast News. Read this book. You have nothing to lose but your heart palpitations, and your Xanax habit.”
— Eric Weiner, New York Times bestselling author of The Geography of Bliss -
“Smith does a skillful job of dissecting the mechanics of anxiety as well as placing the reader in his fitful shoes.”
— Publishers Weekly -
“Intimate, compelling memoir exploring the boundaries of the author’s severe anxiety…A true treasure-trove of insight laced with humor and polished prose.”
— Kirkus Reviews (starred review) -
“The book is one man’s story, but at its core, it’s about all of us, and anyone who reads it should find a few takeaways.”
— Booklist -
“I read Monkey Mind with admiration for its bravery and clarity. Daniel Smith’s anxiety is matched by a wonderful sense of the comic, and it is this which makes Monkey Mind not only a dark, pain-filled book but a hilariously funny one too. I broke out into explosive laughter again and again.”
— Oliver Sacks, bestselling author of The Mind's Eye -
“Daniel Smith has written a wise, funny book, a great mix of startling memoir and fascinating medical and literary history, all of it delivered with humor and a true generosity of spirit.”
— Sam Lipsyte, author of Home Land and The Ask -
“Monkey Mind does for anxiety what William Styron’s Darkness Visible did for depression.”
— Aaron T. Beck, award-winning psychiatrist widely regarded as the father of cognitive therapy -
“Monkey Mind is fleet, funny, and productively exhausting.”
— New York Times
Awards
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Publishers Weekly Pick of the Week
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A New York Times bestseller
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Winner of the AudioFile Earphones Award
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A New York Times Editor’s Choice of the Wek
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An Indie Next List Pick
Monkey Mind Listener Reviews
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" Way too "me" to have an unbiased view without causing a panic attack. "
— Caroline, 2/20/2014 -
" I wish I could rate it 2.5 stars. In my opinion, smith misses the focal point of his own book, which he breezes past in about 8-10 pages toward the very end. It's here, in describing his therapeutic process and how he finally learned to manage his anxiety, that he finds the topic that he should have focused on. Instead, we are led through a more generalized memoir of his life, which I kind of felt belonged in a separate book. In the end, I am just left feeling annoyed by his rambling, his mommy issues, and his sexism. "
— Eli, 2/20/2014 -
" Good book. Really well written. Just found it hard to relate to the level of anxiety being described. That's not a criticism of the book, just the reason I didn't give it a higher score. "
— Michael, 1/28/2014 -
" Hilariously written, easy to relate to. "
— Allison, 1/26/2014 -
" I enjoyed this book because, as someone who suffers from anxiety (and is struggling to be a writer) it was nice to see someone in the same situation succeed in certain ways. Although there were moments I found myself not entirely engaged, I found this account to be informative, amusing, and heartening, and I would suggest anyone who either knows someone suffering or is a sufferer of anxiety to give it a chance. "
— Allison, 1/18/2014 -
" Good, but too long. And could have dealt without the long section on Philip Roth. "
— Jen, 1/15/2014 -
" OMG I feel like I've got a whining monkey living with me everytime I read a paragraph of this. I doubt I'll finish it "
— Becky, 1/11/2014 -
" a little short of descriptions of what helped him tackle his anxiety...which is what I was looking for. "
— Terri, 1/10/2014 -
" An valuable read for those who need to understand the chronically anxious. Not full of good explanation and tools until the latter third. Stories written with great comic flair. "
— Dancerhjr, 1/3/2014 -
" a humourous account about living with anxiety and panic attacks---I would recommend it for anyone interested in the topic of anxiety. "
— Brenda, 11/21/2013 -
" Funny and honest, Daniel Smith describes life with anxiety as a stressful, yet fulfilling journey! "
— Brionna, 10/23/2013 -
" His personal story was very helpful in understanding the nitty-gritty,day-to-day sometimes quite sad, realities of anxiety. "
— Trish, 10/6/2013 -
" How about ADD, rather than Anxiety. This book was so hard to follow. "
— Julie, 8/10/2013 -
" I found this book to not really be my type. I was hoping for a few laughs, but it fell short of that for me. "
— Melissa, 4/27/2013 -
" Well written and a must read for anyone that struggles with anxiety. It is hilarious, heart wrenching, and hopeful. I loved it! Recommended that my husband read it to get some insight on my plight. "
— Maria, 11/24/2012 -
" This book about anxiety was very uncomfortable to read. It gave me anxiety. "
— Jeanne, 10/20/2012 -
" It's always difficult to determine what a memoir is going to read like and this is no exception. The author describes his life in a very readable and funny way. I was personally hoping for a little more of the anxiety issues- but that's me. First-reads book. "
— Jill, 9/2/2012
About Daniel Smith
Daniel B. Smith is the author of Muses, Madmen, and Prophets and a contributor to numerous publications, including the American Scholar, Atlantic, New York Times Magazine, and Slate.
About Richard Powers
Richard Powers has published thirteen novels. He is a MacArthur Fellow and received the National Book Award. He won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction for The Overstory, and Bewilderment was shortlisted for the Booker Prize.