Are you my mother, Amanda Montell? Reflections on The Age of Magical Overthinking

I have a crush on Amanda Montell. She is so many things I want to be. Published, for one. Published for thoughtful books. Work that is nonfiction but still engaging and full of personality—The Age of Magical Overthinking drew me in more quickly and deeply than anything I’ve read since Chanel Miller’s Know My Name.

Of course, I love “informal” and “personal” essays. I love narratives. But these were especially well done to my tastes. (Are you my mother, Amanda?)

Overall style and content notes

I love the way Montell writes. She crafts sentences that I read, reread, and wish I’d arranged myself. Her voice is authoritative—when she explains how confirmation bias or the illusory truth effect work, you believe her—yet The Age of Magical Overthinking feels more like grabbing coffee with a friend than attending a lecture.

She gently roasts certain beliefs and groups (astrology, “conspiracy therapist” followers on Instagram) without triggering immediate defensiveness. Her work is thoughtful, and …