First, We Make the Beast Beautiful: A new story about anxiety

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This was actually a highly interesting, but yet for me, a calming audiobook at a time when high stress is normally the case .... at Christmas time, when most people are running around I just sat quietly for a change, relaxed and just listened, giggling and laughing at the high wit that needs be, in a book like this. The author does touch briefly on other things, like sugar, and how this effects the body and mind, but the majority was about plain old anxiety.

First, We Make the Beast Beautiful: A new story about anxiety

I think the key takeaways from the book are that Wilson learnt that meditation, exercise and ‘sitting with her discomfort’ were her invaluable tools for healing, moving away from impulsivity and the desire to flee when things got difficult. And I get that. Mindfulness and understanding helps, that isn’t ground-breaking news but Wilson’s story sure does highlight that very well. There is a manic energy to Wilson’s writing that is both fascinating and exhausting in equal measures. I recognised a lot of myself through her vivid, honest accounts of life in an anxious mind. The idea for a book about anxiety came to Wilson a couple of years ago when she was on a panel at the Melbourne writers’ festival: “I was talking about sugar but all the questions were about anxiety. People are desperate to have a deep and proper and real conversation about anxiety.”Anxiety is a very lonely condition but I feel like there’s a yearning out there to connect over it,” Wilson says. The best book on living with anxiety that I’ve ever read, and I have (unfortunately) read many. Sarah is full of expert advice while remaining grounded and incredibly human. Her vulnerability is her strength. And after reading, it will hopefully be yours too.”

First, We Make the Beast Beautiful: A New Story About Anxiety

First, We Make the Beast Beautiful is a book with a big heart, paving the way for richer, kinder and wiser conversations about anxiety. A witty, well-researched, and often insightful book about negotiating a new relationship to anxiety. Andrew SolomanNot sure how Sarah, with financial and professional status, has not dealt with her trauma properly. If you told me it was in fact a compilation of a whole lot of her blog posts (which I know it is not) I would not be at all surprised.

First, We Make the Beast Beautiful - First Steps ED Book Review: First, We Make the Beast Beautiful - First Steps ED

This book isn't for everybody, but it was 100% for me. It seems people didn't like the meandering structure or the conversational style, which is a-ok, obviously. You do you. But I wanted to write a review because I found the book SO beautiful and helpful, and I was sceptical before buying it, so I wanted to speak directly to my fellow sceptics. An affecting memoir of coping with anxiety over a busy lifetime. […] Those who endure anxiety will find Wilson’s thoughtful, often funny self-analysis to be just the right companion and affirmation.”— Kirkus Other than the ethical problems above I enjoyed some of the reading. She mentions some techniques and ways of thinking that are really helpful. Again, a resource list would have been wonderful for people who want to know more about it. What I didn't enjoy was her writing style and inserting random stories about herself or 'some friend' who did this or that. It felt disjointed and again, more memoir-like than really wanting to assist people with their anxiety or telling 'a new story'. For me it was frustrating to read and took away from the points she did make very well.Probably the best book on living with anxiety that I’ve ever read, and I have (unfortunately) read many. Sarah is full of expert advice while remaining grounded and incredibly human. Her vulnerability is her strength. And after reading, it will hopefully be yours too. Mark Manson This was free through my library and listened by Bolinda Borrow Box, my libraries recommended listening app.

First, We Make the Beast Beautiful by Sarah Wilson - Waterstones First, We Make the Beast Beautiful by Sarah Wilson - Waterstones

I've struggled with anxiety and depression for more than 55 years. Seen my share of shrinks and took my share of meds. I've read lots of books but none of them helped, especially books written by well-meaning people but people who either haven't had the experiences they write about, or don't want to air their laundry out. Her most recent book, This One Wild and Precious Life , won the US Gold Nautilus Prize, and she has ranked in the top 200 most influential authors in the world (two years in a row). I applaud her bravery and honesty as some aspects of the book are very hard to read. Evisceratingly honest, one might say. Some of her ideas, and approaches and themes about anxiety's manifestations and how to manage and even live with it are excellent and I think will be (largely) helpful to many readers.This is more of a 'I've been there' type of book, more of a memoire actually offering first hand experience for enduring anxiety as an integral part of your life, if you're looking for a thesis or a self help book for anxiety then this is not the book for you. Despite being full of enough disclaimers and references to cover everyone involved legally, I think this is still a pretty risky read. Wilson’s premise of “my many significant mental health diagnoses all just boil down to anxiety!”, never really defining what “anxiety” is, claiming that maladaptive coping strategies are actually okay (my bulimia helps me manage my anxiety!) and that people are over medicated and should not take medication (except for when they need to, but then stop, and then start again when inevitably have a mental health flare up) is convoluted and misguided at best, and damaging at worst. I’ve put together this ace book club reading guideto help support these great discussions and get things flowing. My anti-anxiety e-book Sarah Wilson—bestselling author and entrepreneur, intrepid solver of problems and investigator of how to live a better life—has helped over 1.2 million people across the world to quit sugar. She has also been an anxiety sufferer her whole life.