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The Myth of Normal

Trauma, Health & Healing in a Toxic Culture – The Sunday Times Bestseller

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The Myth of Normal

By: Gabor Maté, Daniel Maté
Narrated by: Daniel Maté
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The empowering book exploring the link between trauma, illness, and modern life – and how to heal your health. From the acclaimed physician and bestselling author of When The Body Says No.

THE INSTANT SUNDAY TIMES BESTSELLER
OVER ONE MILLION COPIES SOLD

We tend to believe that normality equals health. But in today’s modern world, rising rates of anxiety, depression, addiction and chronic illness suggest otherwise. So, what is normal – and is it making us unwell?

In this life-affirming book, Dr Gabor Maté connects the dots between trauma, mental health, and physical illness, showing how our health is shaped by the pressures and expectations of modern life.

Drawing on decades of clinical experience, and real-life stories of people transforming their bodies and minds, Dr Gabor Maté offers a compassionate and hopeful path to healing, self-awareness and emotional wellbeing.

In The Myth of Normal, you’ll discover:

  • Why the illnesses of body and mind can natural responses to a toxic culture
  • How stress and emotional suppression affect the body
  • The science behind the mind-body connection in healing and wellbeing
  • A hopeful path towards resilience, balance and authenticity


Compassionate and urgent, this empowering bestseller shows how true health is possible when we are willing to embrace our authentic selves.

‘Life-changing’ Mel Robbins, bestselling author of The Let Them Theory

‘Riveting and beautifully written’ Bessel van der Kolk, bestselling author of The Body Keeps Score

‘Genuinely changed my life’ Steven Bartlett, bestselling author of Diary of A CEO

‘Intellectual and compassionate…essential reading’ Tara Westover, bestselling author of Educated

‘A wise, profound and healing work’ Johann Hari, bestselling author of Stolen Focus

‘Brilliant, compelling and groundbreaking book’ Tara Brach, bestselling author of Radical Acceptance and Radical Compassion

‘An essential compass during disorienting times.’ Esther Perel, psychotherapist, bestselling author and host of Where Should We Begin

© Gabor Maté, Daniel Maté 2022 (P) Penguin Audio 2022

 Mental Health Personal Development Psychology Psychology & Mental Health Stress Management Health Inspiring Thought-Provoking Mythology
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Critic reviews

Gabor Mate takes us on an epic journey of discovery about how our emotional well-being, and our social connectivity (in short: how we live), is intimately intertwined with health, disease and addictions ... This riveting and beautifully written tale has profound implications for all of our lives, including the practice of medicine and mental health
Wise, sophisticated, rigorous and creative: an intellectual and compassionate investigation of who we are and who we may become
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
An astonishing achievement, epic in scope and yet profoundly down-to-earth and practical. I will read this book again and again
Brilliant, compelling and groundbreaking. Gabor Maté offers us a way to bring clear seeing and a greatness of heart to the crisis of our times
A book in which readers can seek refuge and solace during moments of profound personal and social crisis
Gabor Maté's connections - between the intensely personal and the global, the spiritual and the medical, the psychological and the political - are bold, wise and deeply moral. He is a healer to be cherished
A compelling book that will challenge your views and help lift the veil of illusion to what is truly happening in your mind and in your body
Gripping ... a powerful call for change in how we live with, love, understand, treat, and think about each other
Dr Maté has completely transformed how the world sees, talks about and understands trauma. And he has absolutely had that impact on me and it's been life-changing.
All stars
Most relevant
Best put as a 21st Victor Hugo Les Miserable. I am a huge fan of Dr Mate, since a few years. On my own journey of healing I’ve found him absolutely inspiring. He’s the man I’ve been looking for my whole life. This book is a masterpiece and everyone, I mean everyone must read. If they did, imagine the wonderful world we’d live in. I have been sharing his insight with people I know and hope you so the same. Bless you Gabor x

Simply, wonderful

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This book is worth every second. The content is incredible and opens your mind to what’s possible in our own trauma.

But why oh why the accents? There is just no need and although I found it funny (the Scottish is something to behold) it would be better without.

That said don’t let it detract from what is a wonderful book.

Excellent content shame about the voices

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Gabor Maté's deep compassion shines through in this wonderful book. I'm learning so much about early childhood (and later) trauma, and gaining a new perspective on addiction and the dangers of people pleasing.

It's just disappointing that Daniel Matè's narration is so incongruent. As other reviewers have noted, the narration sounds soulless and corporate. Even worse is his insistence on attempting the accents of female interviewees and people of other nationalities. It's so jarring I'm struggling to continue with the audio version of this book. Might have to buy a hard copy as this is becoming too irritating.

I also found it unnecessary to mimic people such as Jordan Peterson, along with mean-spirited remarks that seem out of keeping with Gabor Maté's generally compassionate nature.

Please please rerecord this book with a better narrator.

Wonderful book, let down by the narration

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I went on a personal journey with this book, it definitely helped me to see things with a different lens and I have acknowledged about my own trauma that at I thought I’ve healed from.
An awakening journey

Very insightful book

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reading voice is 👍! and many examples, explanations! Even when you don't haven't had a problems in your life it still gives ideas what's going on around you!

amazing book to find yourself

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