Book · 2022 · nyt:paperback-nonfiction=2023-10-15
Strangers to Ourselves
Why people recommend it
Strangers to Ourselves by Rachel Aviv is a critically acclaimed exploration of mental illness and personal identity that examines real-life case studies. The book has drawn praise from cultural commentators and literary critics for its empathetic approach to psychological distress. On The Book Review, Jennifer Szalai recommended the title for how it investigates the stories individuals tell themselves and receive from others, which ultimately shape self-understanding. Jerusalem Demsas also endorsed the book on The Ezra Klein Show, ranking it among the finest recent releases and highlighting its powerful portrayal of the tensions between individual struggles and systemic problems. On a separate episode of The Book Review, Gilbert Cruz noted that the volume had been selected as one of the ten best books of the previous year, highlighting its unique structure as a series of nuanced case studies on mental health. Listeners and hosts alike have valued the work for its profound psychological depth and storytelling nuance.
Who recommended it
- Jennifer Szalai Recommended
- Gilbert Cruz Discussed
- Jerusalem Demsas Recommended
Jennifer Szalai — 1 mention
“she really talks about the ways in which The stories that we tell ourselves, the stories that other people tell us about who we are, shape our understanding of who we are”
Gilbert Cruz — 1 mention
“last year one of our 10 best books of the year was a book called strangers to ourselves by Rachel Aviv which was a series of kind of case studies of mental illness”
Jerusalem Demsas — 1 mention
“and the final one I think is strangers to ourselves by Rachel this is a book that I think I'm I'm recommending it for a couple reasons one because I thought that it was probably one of the best”