Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
By Annie McCubbin, Major Street Publishing, $29.95.
With this narrative-driven self-help book, actor and communication consultant Annie McCubbin introduces us to the power of critical thinking through Kat, a thirty-something woman who, while in the midst of a fractious breakup with her hipster boyfriend, still has to deal with the everyday challenges of being a working woman.
McCubbin says a lack of critical-thinking skills contribute mightily to the problems in our lives. However, advising people to think about their thinking is a difficult message to sell. Our intuition is fabulous and is responsible for our creativity, but it is not right all the time.
“The truth is, our intuition, like all our mental and emotional functions, is limited, often flawed, and quite often highly inaccurate. The key to getting our lives back on track is understanding how deeply irrational and flawed our brains are.”
There’s no shortage of material selling the message ‘Let your Gut be your Guide’ and there are many critical-thinking books as well. When we make a decision, our thought process should be along the lines of ‘should I be trusting the strong feeling in my gut about this’. There is good science out there. Women are particularly vulnerable to the ‘trust your gut’ message; they are particularly vulnerable to being gaslighted.
So, McCubbin has written a book about how the flaws in your thinking can make you susceptible to poor decision-making and exploitation. This book offers everyday brain function explained through Kat’s story and the lens of a modern comedy – the buggy brain stripped bare in a takedown of magical thinking and the questionable promises of self-help gurus.
The question is: wouldn’t you like to understand the pitfalls in your thinking so you can steer your life with a steadier hand? Then read on.
