A Beginner’s Guide to Overthinking

Kamalika_Reads 37

Book: Don't Believe Everything You Think

Author: Joseph Nguyen

Publishers: Manjul Publishing House

Genre: Non- fiction, Self-help

Rating: 2.5/5

How I came to know about this book:

This book was the March read for the HWR Writers Book club in non fiction genre and so I had picked it up.

What the book is about :

Don't Believe Everything You Think by Joseph Nguyen is a self-help book that revolves around a simple premise: our suffering stems from overthinking, and true happiness comes from living in the present moment. 

What I loved about the book :

At just 160 pages, it’s an easy, beginner-friendly read, with chapters structured like short podcast episodes—concise, straightforward, and free from heavy jargon.

For those new to self-help books, this could be a good starting point. One key takeaway for me was the distinction between thought and thinking—realizing that our happiest moments often occur when we aren’t actively thinking at all. 

What I felt could have been better :

If you’ve already read a fair share of books in this genre, like I have, you won’t find anything particularly new or groundbreaking here.

The book leans heavily on broad, feel-good advice—telling readers to "stop overthinking" and "connect with the universe"—without offering any concrete or actionable steps on how to actually do that. While it claims to be life-changing, I found it lacking in depth and practicality. At times, it even felt like I was reading the transcript of an AI-generated motivational video—the kind that’s everywhere on social media these days.

Why one should read or not read this book:

Overall, Don't Believe Everything You Think is a light and easy read, but if you’re looking for real, practical guidance beyond generic affirmations, you might want to look elsewhere.

The book is available on Amazon: https://amzn.in/d/dmGMr0z

The tag line of the book says, "Although pain is inevitable, suffering is optional". Do you belive the line? Comment below.