Ruby Wax

Random selection on Kindle. Ruby Wax is very honest and open about her mental health, therapy, career and upbringing, covering everything from 'magnetic stimulation' of the brain to swimming with humpback whales and trying to find religion. I found her writing very engaging and her journey both humorous, naturally, and also poignant in places, especially when she talks about her parents (boo!) and her husband (aww!) There's a bit of name-dropping but her connections are interesting rather show more than eye-rolling. The therapy speak was a bit much for me, however. show less

A memoir of Wax's depression wrapped inside an introduction to mindfulness and brain science. A very sane, honest and important book. While there are better written and deeper introductions to this subject, Wax's searing honesty makes this utterly compelling.

Ruby Wax has the ability to easily irritate me, yet somehow I find myself now having read three of her non-fiction books.

For those unfamiliar with her, she was a popular American comedienne in the UK in the 1990s, who's probably best remembered for her unconventional interview style in her documentary series 'Ruby Meets', where she interviewed and hung out with everyone from Bay Watch's Pamela Anderson to Amelda Marcos to Tom Hanks. Her most famous episode is probably the one where she show more irritated a much younger Donald Trump so much he threw her off his private jet (he didn't warm to her laughing when he said he wanted to be president one day).

Since then she's reinvented herself in the area of mental health, an area she's fascinated by as she's the first to admit she has a lot of emotional baggage stemming from her parents and her upbringing.

In this book, she chronicles an episode of depression which sees her checking into a London clinic for over a month, but the book focuses not just on that but the lead up to the depression and the lifestyle choices she makes which feed into depressive exhaustion (overcommitting to travel and work commitments).

I thoroughly enjoyed this audiobook, particularly as Ruby Wax narrated it and she knows how to use her voice to entertain. However, somehow I didn't quite buy into the honesty of the book. As she recovers towards the end of the book, Wax discusses the book she's writing (this book) with her therapist, and it feels like we've just seen how the magician does the trick to cut the woman in half. Given how unwell she purported to be, I don't want to believe that Wax was even slightly thinking about book writing as she navigates her mental health, yet by the end I can't help feeling a little conned, that her various exploits were all convenient material for writing this book. First she's in a remote silent retreat in the backwaters of the USA somewhere for a month, then (in between holiday dashes here, there and everywhere and a random circle of healers on a whale cruise) she's staying at a strict Christian monastery looking for faith before having to jet back to London to book herself into a clinic for her depression. I'm not saying she hasn't had depression - she's very honest and vocal about it - but I did feel like I was getting played a little.

Nonetheless, I enjoy how Ruby Wax otherwise is very open. She candidly recognises and admits her faults, and although the humour (again, like other books) was a bit too try-hard at times, I found this a very entertaining listen on my drives to and from work.

4 stars - probably more stars than it deserves, but it entertained me so credit where it's due. show less

If you've ever finished a book & genuinely not known whether you liked it or not, this is that book for me!
This book explores how our minds can jeopardise our sanity & offers insights into rewiring our thinking, especially through mindfulness, to find calm in a frenetic world.

The beginning was enjoyable-the humour & honesty made it feel like chatting with a quirky aunt. But then, it takes a dark turn.
While the truth in her words is undeniable, the negativity felt overwhelming at times. If show more you're easily offended, some of the digs & puns might not land well.

However, the latter half gets interesting, especially the neuroscience. The way mindfulness benefits are explained is easy to grasp.
Overall, it's an easy read, but I don't think I'd like the author in real life!
What I enjoyed:
• The conversational, unfiltered writing style
• Interesting insights into neuroscience & mindfulness
• A quick, easy read with some good takeaways

But... the humour sometimes felt more like bitterness. The middle section lost me a bit, but l appreciated the later focus on neuroscience.
If you're looking for a brutally honest, somewhat controversial take on mental health & mindfulness, this might be for you! show less