Chatter

There is still so much to learn about the human mind. It's capable of so much, some good and some bad. So what about when things go a bit wrong? "Chatter" is a light glance at what happens when our inner voice sets out to (it feels like) destroy us, and delivers some simple tools to get that voice back under control. Amazingly, these "tools" can be used immediately - and with immediate results. I really would like a more in-depth exploration of this subject.

My thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley. This review was written voluntarily and is entirely my own, unbiased, opinion.

Our minds rarely ever keep quiet. Day after day, it dredges up some past events or reminds us of some future. Some of us pay attention to these activities more than the others. Unfortunately, some of us also take these endless mind mutterings more seriously than we should... sometimes to the point of obsession.

Chatter by Ethan Kross brings a topic rarely discussed to the fore. This is an audiobook that looks at the advantages and disadvantages of the voices in our head. It explains ways they can sabotage us and what to do when it happens.

THINGS I LOVE ABOUT THE BOOK
There is a good depth of research that seems to have gone into this book and it shows. I loved listening to the case studies and various other examples of people who were stuck on the voices in there head. It was interesting learning what those voices kept repeating to them and how it affected their outlook on life.

The solutions the author proffers to the problem of overthinking aren't too dissimilar from meditation, but each one of these solutions stands on its own merits and are backed by years of research. Having said that, it is up to individuals to figure out what works for them.

DISLIKES
None.

WHO IS IT FOR?
Chatter by Ethan Kross is for people suffering from debilitating self-talk, restless mind, and lack of confidence. This book could be game-changer for them.

Many thanks to Random House UK for review copy.

‘The most important conversation you’ll have is with yourself’.

This book was fantastic! I absolutely love the subject matter the author covered and it was so so interesting. Everyone has an inner voice, but how much do we know about it? What can we understand from it? How can we draw from it? It’s such a common and well spread phenomenon yet individually understood very little! 

I love reading psychology books and all about the brain and have very rarely came across our inner voice and the science, psychology and application relating to it. It definitely made the book novel and different! Introspection is such a double edged sword and it was so interesting learning more about what goes on in our brains.

Hearing about the authors experiences in life and career were great as well as examples in the real world, in different people and within ourselves. For example, in athletes. There’s some amazing studies and research included too, which was amazingly communicated and written with plenty of examples of other works by renowned scientists and researchers in their field. I loved learning more about the science and I really learnt an awful lot from this book. 

I also thought the narrator was great and was very easy to listen to. I always worry listening to audiobooks of non fiction as sometimes the narration can be hard to listen to/ monotonous however this one was definitely not. It was effortless to the ears and I stayed focused and engaged enough throughout to take in the information and get into the subject. 

This is the sort of book that you read, and it continues with you after you’ve finished. You leave with active points for change when it comes to your inner voice and new tools for implementation are included too. 

This is such an important book for so many and I left with a completely different perspective on the ‘inner voice’. Both in understanding my own and that of others, how it can be turned to an advantage and learning its applications in things like sport, mental and physical health as well as what’s happening in ongoing research. 

Would definitely recommend!

I am always somewhat sceptical of books like this at first, fearing what I think of as 'the Malcolm Gladwell effect', where an author introduces a concept in chapter 1 that they themselves have coined (often their own wording of a phenomenon that other people have discovered) and then spends the next 300 pages listing story after story to show why they were right.

However, where 'Chatter' is different for me is in how the stories continue to deepen the concept and explore it at length, whilst looking regularly at the science that informs it (of which Ethan Kross is a central figure).

Kross' central idea, borne out of years of research, is that the inner monologue we experience in various forms is not only part of what makes us human, but is also what can lead to our greatest failures and successes.

In this sense, it becomes a muscle that we can train to help it become our best ally, and Kross explores both where the inner monologue's 'chatter' is too strong and overpowering, and it convinces us that we are worthless and/or prone to failure, but also how we can use it to reinforce positive messages, or even blank it out at specific moments.

This therefore tips this book into being a bit of a how-to guide as well as a fascinating look into research. For example, he looks at how rituals- whether religious, superstitious, cultural or seemingly bizarre- play an important role in supporting our ability to approach certain tasks at hand, from writing, to complex technical work, to high-pressure situations like fishing in shark-infested waters or playing professional sport.

Overall, I think this book is a neatly digestible joy, that is both quite challenging but also accessible. Experiencing it as an audiobook (with Kross himself reading it) is also quite interesting, as you can sometimes hear your inner monologue being pulled back into focus by the discussions. 

Thank you to Net Galley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this - a fresh new look at what's going on in our minds. The narration was good and clear, I'd recommend this.

Not only very interesting but also very useful. I found the research and breadth of examples engaging and the practical tips excellent. We all have inner chatter but do we know how to manage it to be a positive force? Not many of us I am guessing but this book will definitely help me and others.