The Coddling of the American Mind by Greg Lukianoff and Jonathan Haidt
Lukianoff, a free speech lawyer, and Haidt, a social psychologist, wrote this book in 2018 after noticing changes on American university campuses. Their argument is that some well-meant ideas about protecting young people may leave them less prepared for life. They look at beliefs such as “what doesn’t kill you makes you weaker” and “always trust your feelings” and set them against what psychology tells us about resilience.
A large part of the book draws on ideas from cognitive behavioural therapy, which is why I think it sits well on this list. The authors describe common thinking traps like catastrophising and mind reading, and show how they can spread through families, schools and online spaces. They also discuss parenting, social media and the decline of unsupervised play.
It’s written about the United States, but much of it will feel familiar to Australian parents, teachers and anyone who works with young people. Some readers will disagree with parts of the argument, and that’s fine. It’s a book that gets people talking.
Why you might enjoy it: If you’re interested in anxiety, parenting, or how the way we think shapes the way we feel, this is a readable and well-researched place to start.
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Have you read it? I’d be interested to know what you made of it, so feel free to leave your thoughts in the comments
Want to read more?
Goodreads | The Guardian review | Reddit discussionbelow.
