Member Reviews

Burnout by sisters Emily and Amelia Nagoski aims to change the way women think about and manage stress. It is aimed at women who feel inadequate and drained from trying to meet society's expectations. The book covers a range of topics from how to complete the biological stress cycle through to how the bikini industrial complex makes it difficult for us to love our bodies.

This book offers a great insight into topics related to stress from a female perspective. I found the early sections on the difference between stress and stressors and completing the stress cycle to be the most insightful parts of this book. While other topics such as cultural demands and expectations on women were interesting, I didn't find them actionable.

I'm not aware of other books on this topic specifically aimed at women, which makes it easier to recommend. I think women who are feeling stressed or have a tendency to feel stressed will learn something from this book. It is important to note before reading that the book won't provide all the answers, and some people may not enjoy the sections that discuss how the patriarchy contributes to our stress.

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A really good book to think about managing stress and burnout. Thank you netgalley for the opportunity to read this title in exchange for a review.

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A great book to get you thinking. Interesting to dip in and out of exploring and thinking about impact and effects of stress and burnout, 4 stars

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I have previously read and reviewed this book via my blog and Goodreads, unfortunately due to changing accounts I lost the reviews apart from the star rating. I thank you for the opportunity to read and review this book

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A beautifully written book. Really enjoyed reading this. Thanks to publishers and NetGalley for the opportunity to read

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I found this more interesting then I expected, it was a helpful read, some places were a bit hard to understand, but still a good read.
Thank you netgalley

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Thank you NetGallery for the opportunity to read the book.

I had very high expectations about this book, I feel stressed recently and I hoped to find useful informations about how to deal with it.

I decided to edit this review and make it less personal. From my experience working in an environment where I’m a minority (I work in IT) a lot of things written in the book are completely opposite to the real life. It made me stressed and upset to read what the author did but then maybe the author has a completely different experience and I should accept it.

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So, this book definitely does not warrant its worst reviews. I read this book and I loved it. Some common criticisms is that the narration is annoying (slightly, but not hugely). People also loathed the feminist perspective — to which I say, why do you hate yourselves?

This book is fundamentally for people who identify as women, and the issues that we face that are ingrained in us. It’s also more broadly about listening to your body, understanding when you’re stressed, and what you can do about this before it gets too bad, as it did for the main person being spoken about in the book.

I loved this book because even I, a person who frequents the self-help section in bookstores for my own leisure, took away a few things from this book. It’s written in a relatable style, and the authors break down relatively complex scientific concepts and put them forward in a way that anyone can understand them.

This book is both anecdotal and practical. So it contains a lot of stories, but also ways that you can practically change your life to avoid the burnout cycle. I would definitely recommend it to all women in my life.

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Thoroughly fascinating and accessible guide to burnout, with loads of practical take-aways. Highly recommend to just about every woman I know!

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Essential read for anyone who feels overwhelmed by stress and needs some help breaking the cycle. The authors draw on the latest scientific research using case studies and exercises to help you through the process.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for an advance copy to review.

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I think this book is just fantastic. Great for anyone interested in stress generally or how the body responds to stress. It's funny, accessible and invaluable. One to return to again and again.

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This was an interesting read but occasionally confusing with all the names! A unique take on burnout.

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Not bad. Some useful strategies for dealing with stress here, though some felt a little glib. One to dip in to.

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This was a good book, it was easy to read and helpful to those feeling burnt out. I would recommend it.

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As soon as I saw this book, I knew it was the book for me. I’ve felt burnt out for several years, but had never come across any books on the subject. I was so happy to see a female author, too. Burnout was easy to read, full of helpful advice, and made me feel less ashamed of being burnt out. I feel more able to tackle challenges because of this lovely book. Thank you!

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I didn't manage to finish this book because I didn't enjoy the attitude of the writing at some points. Whilst the content was good, the narrative voices didn't sit well with me

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Burnout is a book that I think so many people will relate to and get a lot from. Tackling what burnout is, explaining the difference between stress and stressors, as well as how to 'complete the cycle', I found this book very insightful and an interesting read. However, the book goes beyond burnout and several chapters are about the wider world and why there are certain stressors in the first place, such as the patriarchy. Whilst I found this interesting, I was expecting more practical tips on how to deal with burnout rather than a wider discourse around the society we find ourselves in. Either way, an insightful read!

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Sisters Emily and Amelia Nagoski teach us how to look after ourselves, how to be whole and how to notice and avoid burnout. It's entertaining and thought provoking, and a book I wish I'd read in my 20s, in order to prevent my own burnout.

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Well-written and engaging, this book provides a great introduction to burnout, its effects and how to defeat it. By now, most of us will have heard a lot of the advice given in this book already, so don't necessarily expect anything groundbreaking there, but the context given by the authors makes all the difference in understanding why we react the way we do and how we can break the stress cycle more effectively. I particularly appreciated the focus on the experiences of women in particular, although at times I found that some of the points raised (for example around body shaming) could have applied to everyone, not only women and it was perhaps reductive to suggest otherwise. Nevertheless, as a woman, I found it extremely powerful to read about experiences that so chimed with my own and to discover some truly interesting truths about, for example, the "bikini industrial complex". As a very information-rich book, this is definitely one worth re-reading at some point.

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An interesting look at the realities of burnout and the way it appears differently in both male and female. Worth a read.

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