When I was asked to review this book, I was hesitant as I don’t normally read non-fiction books – being forced to read them at University has put me off. But like a lot of people, I felt that I could actually benefit from learning about ‘mindfulness.’
Mindfulness is a word I’ve heard bandied around, but I’ve never really quite gotten what it’s all about. I was worried that a book about the mind would be full of scary terminology and concepts I couldn’t understand. However, this is a book full of comedy, insight and brave stories of Wax’s own struggles.
The books tagline ‘500 years ago no-one died of stress: we invented this concept, and now we let it rule us.’ will appeal to many readers. We’ve all felt stress at some stage in our lives so Ruby’s premise – the more evolved and advanced the human race gets, the more stress we accumulate – seems particularly apt. She jests that at some point we may start to lose our humanity and become ‘cyborgs, with an imprint of an ‘Apple’ where our hearts used to be.’ Ruby’s ability to picture paint and drag the concepts of ‘mindfulness’ out of academia and into our imaginations, make this book a hugely accessible read.
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I particularly like her idea about us having had a critic installed in our heads that recites the law of civilisation, ‘You have to go to school and succeed, you have to be the best parent in the world, to be successful you’ve got to have lots of money, you have to be pretty and use makeup to look the best you can.’ It’s very sad when you think about it, and it’s no wonder that we are all stressed and need a book like this.
I love Ruby Wax’s desire to make us realise that we don’t need that critical voice in our head. Wouldn’t it be better to have a voice telling us, ‘I am doing a wonderful job and may I say how attractive you are today?”. I think this book will appeal to people that struggle with low self-confidence and those that want to know how to be happier. Frazzled is a really uplifting book which conveys some very powerful messages. It is easy to read and relate to, and it will really get you thinking about the world we live in and the changes you can make to be happier in it.
Ruby Wax is known for her comedy and television career. She is an inspiration to many for her admission of the mental health problems she has struggled with and the campaigning she does.
Fascinated with the brain, Ruby studied Psychotherapy and gained a Masters in Mindfulness-based Cognitive Behavioural Therapy at Oxford University.
Watch more of Ruby Wax’s interactive videos here. These are split into episodes based on what stresses you in relation to motherhood, studying and work.
If you are interested to get a copy for yourself, click the link below: A Mindfulness Guide for the Frazzled
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The Codpast is a multimedia production from www.extraordinaire.tv
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