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Sane New World
- Taming the Mind
- Narrated by: Ruby Wax
- Length: 6 hrs and 27 mins
- Categories: Health & Wellness, Psychology & Mental Health
Non-member price: $29.65
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no thanks
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Dear Listener, I know what you're thinking, is it some kind of macabre joke? How can Ruby Wax write a book about good news when the world is facing the worst disaster since the Plague? Let me explain. I began writing in 2018, back when the world's worries were somewhat different. Climate change, greedy bankers, exam results, crap politicians, mental health: these are still huge issues, but even the ancient soothsayers reading pig entrails couldn't have predicted this. This is my new mission: to share the green shoots of hope peeping through the soil of civilisation.
-
-
another brilliant book!
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Overall
-
Performance
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In this Audible Original, Ruby Wax hunts down her heroes - brain scientists - in the UK and across America, to learn more about what makes us tick: why we get stressed, how we feel pain, what makes us addicted - and has a lot of fun along the way. She faces death with Past Mortems author Carla Valentine, explores how video games affect our attention with gamification expert Gabe Zichermann, and discovers the benefits of vaginal smearing with Professor Tim Spector. Natural Born Learners author Alex Beard reveals what teenagers really need to know for a good education and visitors to a New York soup kitchen help Ruby confront her fear of compassion.
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Overall
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Performance
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Funny, clever and insightful
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- By: Ruby Wax
- Narrated by: Ruby Wax
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-
The Psychopath Test
- By: Jon Ronson
- Narrated by: Jon Ronson
- Length: 7 hrs and 33 mins
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-
Overall
-
Performance
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This is a story about madness. It all starts when journalist Jon Ronson is contacted by a leading neurologist. She and several colleagues have recently received a cryptically puzzling book in the mail, and Jon is challenged to solve the mystery behind it. As he searches for the answer, Jon soon finds himself, unexpectedly, on an utterly compelling and often unbelievable adventure into the world of madness.
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-
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When Jo Brand hosted Have I Got News For You late last year, her calm explanation of the effects of sexism on women to a bemused all-male cast turned into a viral phenomenon. There has been a whole tradition of books over hundreds of years where a father shares his wisdom with his son - started by Lord Chesterfield in the 18th century - while women have been silent (aka bullied into thinking their advice wasn't worth writing down). This book puts a stop to all that.
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no thanks
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Publisher's Summary
Ruby Wax - comedian, writer and mental health campaigner - shows us how our minds can jeopardize our sanity. With her own periods of depression and now a Masters from Oxford in Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy to draw from, she explains how our busy, chattering, self-critical thoughts drive us to anxiety and stress.
If we are to break the cycle, we need to understand how our brains work, rewire our thinking and find calm in a frenetic world. Helping you become the master, not the slave, of your mind, here is the manual to saner living.
Critic Reviews
"In Sane New World, Wax touches upon her own anxieties and fears with honesty and humour...it royally hauls a stigmatised fact of life kicking and laughing into the open." ( The Times)
What listeners say about Sane New World
Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Anonymous User
- 03-02-2018
Looking for the keys for my Ferrari brain
Big science in small words Loved it, love Ruby. Now; on to her next book !
1 person found this helpful
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- Vince
- 17-10-2017
The message eventually comes through
I was about to abandoned this after listening to the first 50% of this novel but, I persisted and lucky I did. If you stick past all the sarcasm and poor jokes, Ruby eventually does a great job of explaining how the human mind works.
Her experience in psychology and neuroscience has paid off as she could clearly explain some difficult theories such as emotions, brain chemistry and therapies in layman's terms.
This is a must if anyone who is or has dealt with depression and anxiety. She shows some great techniques to manage the monkey mind and use mindfulness to help many situations.
I found it difficult to relate to her personal life story, but she does a fabulous job of explaining the mind talk to a person who is suffering from mental illness. I think many will relate to this and will enjoy her descriptions.
1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 29-06-2017
Great read
What a book! so so informative and witty. will definitely be using some of the suggestions
1 person found this helpful
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- Ania
- 21-03-2016
Fantastic!!!
A book with much wisdom, science and humour. Should be read by all who want a grounded and kindness filled life.
1 person found this helpful
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- Anonymous User
- 06-10-2017
chock full of negativity
the first 5 chapters were cool but i kinda got sick of the casual racism, fatshaming and general negativity. Youre not special and youre not an individual seems to be a theme. if youre looking for a feel good read this is not it.
1 person found this helpful
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- veronica carlsson
- 08-08-2019
Love her!
This is the second book of Ruby's I read/listened to this month. For me this is a fun way of learning, what is fun becomes easy. Love that Ruby records her own audiobooks. It feels so much more personal and "Ruby" than a text book. Love it, recomend it to you who need your learning with a dose of humor. /V
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- Emilie
- 14-09-2018
A lifeline for the frazzled
As a person who can get stuck in negativity and has a frazzled mind, this book as clarified a lot of issues for me and given me tools to get out of my head and back into reality. And Ruby Wax does it like nobody can with humor and a healthy amount of relativity.
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- Graham Hunt
- 13-04-2016
Loved it
A personal story and scientific overview with an exhortation to practice mindfulness (and how to do it) without resorting to woo woo and fluffy thinking
If you are ever bothered by the voices in your head then listen
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- mark
- 23-06-2014
An out standing book!
What made the experience of listening to Sane New World the most enjoyable?
Ruby Wax has an excellent narrative voice & the content is easy to follow, interesting & done with humour.
What other book might you compare Sane New World to, and why?
Steve Pinker
Have you listened to any of Ruby Wax’s other performances? How does this one compare?
I haven't, but if you think Ruby Wax was just an annoying celebrity going on about depression, this book will change your mind, she is extremely intelligent, insightful & down to earth.
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
No, I've listened to this book at least 5 times, because I found it incredibly interesting.
Any additional comments?
If you have an interest in how the mind works & why we feel the way we do, you wont be disappointed.
16 people found this helpful
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- Lucy Giles
- 29-11-2014
Mindfulness over Matters
What an absorbing read and even so one I will have to return to time and time again. Be warned it is meaty! Ruby Wax has clearly immersed herself thoroughly in all matters neurological and is a practitioner of mindfulness. With a wealth of experience behind her, she is well placed to comprehensively deal with this particular subject. The book starts with an overview of the busy-ness and pressures of modern life, an in depth view into the functionality of the brain and finally she tackles mindfulness.
I loved the style of the book which reflects the intelligence and wit of the woman who wrote it, Wax's passion for the subject is genuine and based on extensive research and study in the field. She has gained an admirer in me.
8 people found this helpful
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- Matthew
- 28-04-2014
The best audiobook to date
Would you listen to Sane New World again? Why?
I would listen to this again and again, not just because it's insightful and funny, but because the content is so well written and expressed. The chapters are broken down into short concise elements that will either have you laughing or contemplating on hours to come. If you are at all interested in science, have a sense of humour or are just curious about the human mind (and how it can go wrong!), this is for you.
What did you like best about this story?
The way you can relate to Ruby's past either judgementally or empathically. She has many short stories which help depict the struggle many people face with anxiety or depression with a human face. It helps to be able to laugh through the problems as they come and realise that anyone can use the techniques and theory described here.
Which scene did you most enjoy?
The scene with Richard E grant and the shark cage - the point when you take stock of things and realise your time in spotlight may have dimmed. The way she is openly descriptive of shamelessly wanting to hang on to celebrity at any cost. To be open an honest like this from someone who I had some fairly fixed opinions on before downloading the audiobook was fantastic. Ruby may have single-handily made me avoid owning a Vauxhall in the 1990's (remember that Corsa advert !), but she has a warmth and honesty about her life story that is impossible to put down.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
Expressing her view towards her family and attention towards her children looking back. This was the most moving part of the book for me
Any additional comments?
The last 15 minutes of the book made me pull over, zip back and listen to it again with a deep sense contentment. Most people who are looking for a few answers have probably downloaded other CBT or self-help books in an effort to find some answers.
For me, this book has been the first piece of material that has helped me find some peace. Thank you Ruby.
24 people found this helpful
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- J E Carrington
- 04-03-2014
This is a cracker
At last a book on mental health issues that is both brilliantly informative and side achingly funny.
Ruby Wax has created a gem that for me rates as one of the best books i have ever read. The knowledge, insight and hilarity in this book will i hope one day be regarded as a text book to in some way help us to understand what makes us tick.. Ruby i love you.
12 people found this helpful
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- Caro
- 16-07-2014
Great user manual for the human brain
This is the first audiobook I have listened to twice back-to-back, going back to listen to parts repeatedly. It is engaging, hugely informative with great exercises to help you towards mindfulness. It is not fluffy or new-agey, but very funny, sometimes moving and comforting in showing one is not alone in the sometimes tricky affairs of the brain. Above all, it has good instructions of stuff to actually do, not just comforting words or positive speak, although it has that too. Whether you were into Ruby Wax or not, if you want to still that nagging voice in your head then this is a great start. I wish I could thank the author personally for her work, it is a really helpful book and I would imagine that it could be a stepping stone to further investigation and a chance at happiness for many people. Thankyou Ms Wax.
8 people found this helpful
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- irune
- 07-07-2014
excellent entertainment and very informative
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
I would recommend this audiobook, it was a pleasure to listen to a subject that I love but told in a very amusing and easy to understand way
What was one of the most memorable moments of Sane New World?
the sudden burst of funny expressions of Ruby so natural and so genuine
Have you listened to any of Ruby Wax’s other performances? How does this one compare?
This is the best performance from Ruby as it was a mixture of serious and funny stuff, very well complemented
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I listened to the book while decorating and I wasn't in a hurry to finish the work as the book helped me to forget the hard tasks ahead.
Any additional comments?
Many people would not read the book because they have the wrong image about Ruby but this book will change that.
3 people found this helpful
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- Maria
- 04-04-2014
Funny and highly iInformative
Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?
Yes. It speaks of the brain and how it works making it easier to understand why we do what we do with the added twist of a wicked sense of humour.
What did you like best about this story?
This is a self help book that informs and amuses.
What about Ruby Wax’s performance did you like?
She is relaxing to listen to.
3 people found this helpful
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- LouKG
- 27-02-2015
Sound advice
Really enjoyed this. Have since bought the book and given it to a number of people. I love Ruby's bravery in sharing her story with us.
2 people found this helpful
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- Timea
- 14-12-2014
Not too bad
Would you recommend this book to a friend? Why or why not?
The last part of the book is the most interesting and useful.
In the beginning, there were parts were Wax slips into casual sexist and racist narratives in an attempt to construct half-baked jokes. This sapped the positive message out of book. I felt that there was no need to throw in a joke every six sentences, and wished she would just cut to the chase: how do we do mindfulness?
Although it's intended to provide mindfulness approaches, the book reads more like an autobiography of Wax's depression, and I often found myself struggling to relate to her very-specific descriptions of what depression is.
Nonetheless, I don't regret reading this book and I'm glad I gave it a chance. It's good to see Wax back in the business.
5 people found this helpful
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- Amazon Customer
- 09-05-2017
I smiled
I was recommended this as I was not a particularly good place. Just listening to it made me feel better. I tried some of the exercises and I have to say I'm feeling better. Cheers ruby!
1 person found this helpful
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