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The Myth of Normal

Written by: Gabor Maté,Daniel Maté
Narrated by: Daniel Maté
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Publisher's Summary

“This riveting and beautifully written tale has profound implications for all of our lives, including the practice of medicine and mental health.”—Bessel van der Kolk, MD, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Body Keeps the Score

“Wise, sophisticated, rigorous and creative: an intellectual and compassionate investigation of who we are and who we may become. Essential reading for anyone with a past and a future.”—Tara Westover, New York Times bestselling author of Educated

The Myth of Normal is a book literally everyone will be enriched by—a wise, profound and healing work that is the culmination of Dr. Maté's many years of deep and painfully accumulated wisdom.”—Johann Hari, New York Times bestselling author of Stolen Focus

“Gabor and Daniel Maté have delivered a book in which readers can seek refuge and solace during moments of profound personal and social crisis. The Myth of Normal is an essential compass during disorienting times.”—Esther Perel, psychotherapist, author, and host of Where Should We Begin?

From our most trusted and compassionate authority on stress, trauma, and mental well-being—a groundbreaking investigation into the causes of illness, a bracing critique of how our society breeds disease, and a pathway to health and healing.

Gabor Maté’s internationally bestselling books have changed the way we look at addiction and have been integral in shifting the conversations around ADHD, stress, disease, embodied trauma, and parenting. Now, in this revolutionary book, he eloquently dissects how in Western countries that pride themselves on their health care systems, chronic illness and general ill health are on the rise. So what is really “normal” when it comes to health?

For all our expertise and technological sophistication, Western medicine often fails to treat the whole person, ignoring how today’s culture stresses the body, burdens the immune system, and undermines emotional balance. In The Myth of Normal, co-written with his son Daniel, Maté brings his perspective to the great untangling of common myths about what makes us sick, connects the dots between the maladies of individuals and the declining soundness of society, and offers a compassionate guide for health and healing. The result is Maté’s most ambitious and urgent book yet.

©2022 Gabor Maté (P)2022 Knopf Canada

Featured Article: 15 Top Canadian Audiobooks of 2022 for Captivating Listens

There have been plenty of top Canadian books released in 2022, but even in a sea of excellence these listens stand out from the pack. The best of the best? Look no further.

What listeners say about The Myth of Normal

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Excellent on trauma and healing, the other stuff?

The book is an excellent summation of his previous books. highly recommend his stance on trauma and addiction healing, for hope and meaning. I hesitate to recommend the stance on capitalism, environment, politics, and even psychedelics. Dr. blames capitalism for all of our issues yet he misses that it's the people within the system that fail, as he clearly points out again and again.
Environmental "doomerism" that is so common, he claims may be causing these autistic like symptoms in many. yet he doesn't point that out about somebody he claims we should look up to? that their devotion may have helped with an eating disorder, but what damage is it having in other areas of their life? Not even considered? Finally his psychedelic stance. He admits that he was wrong not seeing the potential 10 years ago, but you read that he's also wrong now because at one point he attributes the healing to the psychedelics themselves but then in the final chapter admits the healing is many protocols. it's the contemplation, sweat lodge etc. Its him that was unable to 'buy into' the healing but there's a great lesson there 'know thy self' is the most important aspect of this healing. So many of us fail at that. read it, but as with all keep an open mind. His work has changed my life, nothing is perfect but we can work to be the best version possible.

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Rethink the listen; go for the read

I’ve never written a review for an audiobook before, but I felt compelled to for this one. The book itself is fascinating and insightful, but the performance is cringe-worthy. The coauthor/narrator impersonates the voices of the people quoted in the book, including First Nations, Black, neurodivergent, and persons with speaking impairments (such as a person with advanced ALS). It was awful and distasteful.

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The narration is painful

I think the content is promising however I can’t get past the flat narration to continue.

9 people found this helpful

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Painful tp listen to

I realize this is the son narrating, but heavens, its dry and boring to listening to. No modulation, or drop of emotion in the reading of such potentially interesting topic. I forced myself to listen to it but really? But even apart from that - I have read a lot of Gabor Mates books and I'm getting really tired to hearing how his childhood trauma (at age 6 months) has so affected him that after all his studies, lectures, books - he still takes out his abandonment issues on his wife, just because she asked if he still needed her to pick him up from the airport. Over and over again....I'm so done with this story.

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amazing

no words. saved my life. do yourself a favor and get this book and follow Gabor and read all his books. one of the greats of our lifetime.

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An essential book for our times…and our future.

At last someone is saying what is so clearly evident about our current state. Let’s hope we actually listen.

4 people found this helpful

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One of the best books I’ve encountered

Found the book enlightening as it explained so many ills in easy to understand terms. It has made me a more compassionate person.

Found the performance pleasant except when the narrator attempted several dialects, usually badly. His own voice was pleasing but I found myself tensing up in advance of his linguistic impressions. I

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  • JRO
  • 2022-11-10

Life’s Work on Healing

Wonderful insight into the damage caused by the toxic society we live in and tools to heal and restore.

A’s - Useful Healing Principles

Essential aspects of healing to invite into your healing practice.

1 - Authenticity - Words matching cadence in lived experience.
2 - Agency - Capacity to freely take responsibility and control for our own existence. Response flexibility, self bestowal of the right to evaluate and choose freely and fully.
3 - Anger - unexpressed emotions need to be experienced and understood rather than acted out. Health anger is a response of the moment not a beast we keep in the basement feeding on shame or self justifying narrative. Situational, duration limited, fending off threat, and then subsides. A valid feeling to maintain integrity and equilibrium. Anger’s core message is “no”.
4 - Acceptance - Allowing things to be as they are.
5 - Activism
6 - Advocacy

Read the book to learn more!

3 people found this helpful

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Essential reading

I’ve been echoing the sentiments in this book for years.
It’s of paramount importance to understand the subversive effects of late stage capitalism on our collective mental health.
This book breaks down a monumental concept into easily digestible segments of our shared experiences living under capitalism.
The detrimental effects of always being in competition with others for resources has profound impacts on each of us. Our mental health is suffering to satisfy the demands of the ultra rich who’ve designed this oppressive system.
Do yourself a favour and arm your intellect with the lessons and anecdotes in this book.
I thank Daniel & Gabor Matè for writing this.

Must read.

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Great book!

I enjoyed listening to the stories and facts and science gathered in this book. Thank you for your work.
My only criticism is that could you please not imitate different dialects or accents? It sounds disturbing and not funny.

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  • JDOT
  • 2022-10-08

Brilliant!

If you are interested in why you are who you are, and why our society is what it is, and what we can do about both of those, this book is a tremendously insightful perspective.
I strongly encourage you to check out and apply!