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Welcome to the United States of Anxiety: Observations from a Reforming Neurotic Kindle Edition

4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 6,853 ratings

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A Wall Street Journal bestseller.

New York Times bestselling author Jen Lancaster is here to help you chill the hell out.

When did USA become shorthand for the United States of Anxiety? From the moment Americans wake up, we’re bombarded with all-new terrifying news about crime, the environment, politics, and stroke-inducing foods we’ve been enjoying for years. We’re judged by social media’s faceless masses, pressured into maintaining a Pinterest-perfect home, and expected to base our self-worth on retweets, faves, likes, and followers. Our collective FOMO, and the disparity between the ideal and reality, is leading us to spend more and feel worse. No wonder we’re getting twitchy. Save for an Independence Day–style alien invasion, how do we begin to escape from the stressors that make up our days?

Jen Lancaster is here to take a hard look at our elevating anxieties, and with self-deprecating wit and levelheaded wisdom, she charts a path out of the quagmire that keeps us frightened of the future and ashamed of our imperfectly perfect human lives. Take a deep breath, and her advice, and you just might get through a holiday dinner without wanting to disown your uncle.

Popular Highlights in this book

Editorial Reviews

Review

“Lancaster humorously considers the role of anxiety in American life in a delightful and perceptive book packed with tips on how to relax. Lancaster is very funny, and her insightful, always entertaining critique may motivate readers to back away from social media.” Publishers Weekly

“Armed with wit and insight, [Lancaster] plots a simple, easy-to-follow course to navigate our anxieties and better manage our levels of stress…this is sound advice we all should heed.” Kirkus Reviews

“Bestselling author Jen Lancaster is here to help you chill the hell out and oh do we need it in 2020. Inhale every page!” —Frolic

From the Publisher

Jen Lancaster began writing Welcome to the United States of Anxiety at a time when no one—least of all me—could envision where 2020 would take us. Yet, from where I’ve sat for the past several months, hunkered down in my office / living room / gym and questioning just about every way our systems of society function, I’ve started to wonder if Jen is slightly clairvoyant.* How else could she have known how deeply each of us would need a moment of connection and commiseration and a road map to let go of our generalized anxiety so we might focus on the things that matter?

Identifying her growing anxiety over topics like the environment, body image, fashion, and home envy, Jen pored over expert studies and her own observations to gain greater understanding of why she couldn’t just calm down. Emerging on the other side of her studies, Jen has brought her signature humor and insight to subjects that leave many of us feeling defeated and overwhelmed. This book will make you laugh. It will challenge your expectations. It will question the ways you engage—on social media, with your friends, with your family, with your neighbors. It will highlight small, everyday ways that will help you feel more in control and will give you permission to take a breath and stop being so hard on everyone, including yourself.

Break out this book on any old night. Turn your phone to silent. Maybe light a candle and relax in a comfortable spot. Take a slow, long sip of a beverage of your choosing, and prepare to have a chat with your sharpest, funniest, possibly psychic girlfriend. She’s here to help.

* Disclaimer: This book does not contain any lottery numbers or personalized advice for your love life.

- Laura Van der Veer, Editor

Product details

  • ASIN ‏ : ‎ B081Z29C6T
  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Little A (October 1, 2020)
  • Publication date ‏ : ‎ October 1, 2020
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • File size ‏ : ‎ 4886 KB
  • Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
  • Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Enabled
  • Print length ‏ : ‎ 289 pages
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.1 4.1 out of 5 stars 6,853 ratings

About the author

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Jen Lancaster
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Jen Lancaster is a New York Times bestselling author who has sold well over a million books. From Bitter Is the New Black to The Tao of Martha, Jen has made a career out of documenting her attempts to shape up, grow up, and have it all - sometimes with disastrous results. Her NYT bestselling novel Here I Go Again received three starred reviews (Kirkus, Booklist, Publishers Weekly). Her memoir I Regret Nothing was named an Amazon Best Book of the Year, and she's regularly a finalist in the Goodreads Choice Awards. She loves bad TV, terrible wine, and will die before she gives up her Oxford comma.

Jen can often be seen on The Today Show, as well as CBS This Morning, Fox News, NPR All Things Considered, among others. She lives in the Chicago suburbs with her husband and her many ill-behaved dogs and cats. Visit her website: jenlancaster.com, Twitter: @altgeldshrugged, Instagram: @jennsylvania, or Facebook.com/authorjenlancaster.

Hear the stories behind Jen's books on The Stories We'd Tell in Bars podcast, available on iTunes, Podbean, Spreaker, GooglePlay, and iHeartRadio, among other entities.

Customer reviews

4.1 out of 5 stars
6,853 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book humorous and witty. They appreciate the author's insights and realness. However, some readers feel the book is too short and shallow. Opinions differ on readability, enlightenment, and memoir style.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

161 customers mention "Humor"127 positive34 negative

Customers appreciate the author's humor and wit. They find it amusing, with sarcasm and jokes. The book is described as entertaining, with a complex mix of witty opinions and social empathy.

"...I love her writing style. I can hear her voice as I read it. I love her humor. This book reminded me of her earlier memoirs...." Read more

"...Personally, I absolutely love her slightly snarky but still big-hearted way of telling stories...I love how authentic she is and how she always..." Read more

"...Her hot take on it is funny and insightful, even when she can't find the answers she expected or wanted...." Read more

"First of all I loved her humor. Second I love that she examined what I believe to be real and serious issues in our lives today...." Read more

123 customers mention "Insight"100 positive23 negative

Customers find the book insightful and well-researched. They appreciate the personal anecdotes and news examinations. The author is described as intelligent, witty, and factual. The book provides important messages and social commentary.

"...In this one, she focuses on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and gives social commentary and her advice as to why our anxiety seems to do nothing but..." Read more

"...Her hot take on it is funny and insightful, even when she can't find the answers she expected or wanted...." Read more

"Great insight. I agree with most points, maybe not all the credit to the Kardashian disasters, but their ilk...." Read more

"...This is not a Jen book. It is a well researched treatise of anxiety and the authors thoughts on how/why people are so anxious...." Read more

10 customers mention "Authenticity"10 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's authenticity. They find it humorous, candorous, and truthful. The author cites sources from which they can draw.

"...Now it is legit. She cites sources! Actual sources! Not just her witty remarks and asides that tangentially relate to the chapter...." Read more

"...Second I love that she examined what I believe to be real and serious issues in our lives today...." Read more

"...an extremely different time - I feel like this is still relatable and real, she presents the facts and challenges we all face and that America is..." Read more

"...book is written in a comedic flair, Jen fills the pages with facts; real truths that we can take with us to help us understand and deal with our..." Read more

180 customers mention "Readability"113 positive67 negative

Customers have different views on the book's readability. Some find it a good, honest read with some humorous moments. Others feel the writing is too self-absorbed and there are too many curse words.

"...From her blog to her Insta and every book in between. I love her writing style. I can hear her voice as I read it. I love her humor...." Read more

"...I absolutely love her slightly snarky but still big-hearted way of telling stories...I love how authentic she is and how she always calls herself..." Read more

"...my hoped for 5-star review was plummeting rapidly before, as the book wound down, settling in at a wobbly 3-star experience while dancing on the 2-..." Read more

"...It's a quick read, and I definitely wanted more. I'll be getting more copies when it's released to send to friends to enjoy." Read more

45 customers mention "Enlightenedness"29 positive16 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book. Some find it insightful and relatable, with relatable neuroses and the author's ability to listen and reflect on others' views. Others feel the anecdotes about anxiety and fears are overly detailed and the book is little more than a stream of consciousness.

"...In this one, she focuses on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and gives social commentary and her advice as to why our anxiety seems to do nothing but..." Read more

"...The writer seems to be a very anxious person with little self esteem...." Read more

"...before read Lancaster's books, I was instantly engaged by her transparent personality and witty, engaging humor that drew me in and made me eager to..." Read more

"...I absolutely loved it. Jen’s neuroses are relatable" Read more

13 customers mention "Memoir"8 positive5 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the memoir. Some love her early non-fiction memoirs and perspective, while others feel it's not a true memoir and too much of retelling stories we've read before. The author is likeable, but not always relatable.

"...This book is different from her previous novels as it’s neither memoir nor fiction...." Read more

"...I found her likeable enough, but not always relatable. Some of it, particularly her struggles and hard times were relatable...." Read more

"...Part memoir, part self-help, part hilarious and scathing critique of modern behavior, this book gives us serious insight into issues and Jen’s..." Read more

"...This woman has such great insight, whether she's writing fiction, memoir or YA...." Read more

8 customers mention "Effectiveness"3 positive5 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the book's effectiveness. Some find it an amazing writer and social critic, while others say it doesn't relieve anxiety effectively.

"...and tries to straddle the fence of funny and informative and fails miserably...." Read more

"...Worth the risk, because if you DO end up loving it, her cannon is amazing. I for one do not usually enjoy books that are “universally palatable.”..." Read more

"If the purpose of this book is to relieve anxiety, it fails miserably. The writer seems to be a very anxious person with little self esteem...." Read more

"...I understand her writing is evolving as she grows but this did not deliver for me. I hope the Jen I loved comes back." Read more

7 customers mention "Length"0 positive7 negative

Customers find the book too short and shallow. They mention it's a quick read but falls short compared to the author's other books.

"...Now it's just depressing where it's meant to be uplifting. And very shallow...." Read more

"...The only reason I have it 4 stars, I thought it got a little long." Read more

"...It was lengthy but it takes you on a time travel and feels like a roller coaster of emotional stress and anxiety - certainly...." Read more

"...It’s an extremely shallow bit of each, punctuated with references from other shallow sources...." Read more

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5 out of 5 stars
Love it!
I loved this book! It’s such a refreshing read and fantastic reminder of the current climate. This book is well researched, a fantastic explanation, and the bonus of the humor of Jen.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on September 16, 2020
    I’ve read every book @jennsylvania has ever written. The one about the sisters that switch bodies a la Freaky Friday? Yep. The first one that started it all? Yep. The one she self-published? Yep. The YA one about highly competitive high school students and mental health? Oof. That one felt all to like my own high school experience.
    Basically, I’m a true Jen fan. From her blog to her Insta and every book in between. I love her writing style. I can hear her voice as I read it. I love her humor.
    This book reminded me of her earlier memoirs. In this one, she focuses on Maslow’s hierarchy of needs and gives social commentary and her advice as to why our anxiety seems to do nothing but rise and rise. She considers the role anxiety has in our increasingly social media centric worldview. And her wisdom is just what I needed.
    Something that I loved in Lancaster’s earlier memoirs — the footnote. Now it is legit. She cites sources! Actual sources! Not just her witty remarks and asides that tangentially relate to the chapter. This was something that I’m sure many will remark upon, but to me this shows her own evolution as a writer. Her works have evolved over time. And she has learned and grown as a person. This is reflecting in her writing. Did I miss the snarky comments? Sure. But I also liked knowing her sources.
    And as a somewhere stuck between Gen X and Millennials person, this book hit a lot of thoughts that have been ravaging in my mind of late.
    5/5 would highly recommend.
    7 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 6, 2020
    I was tipped off to the fact that this book was a First Reads book by the author herself, on her Instagram page. I've been a Jen fan almost since the beginning, and I already had a hold on the book at the library (I placed it the minute the website listed it as "on order"), so I was really excited to get a change to get my hands on it early.

    Overall, I really liked the book. Jen mentions that it's different from her usual memoirs, but I didn't really think it was that different. It still had the overarching theme, where Jen learns some things and presents them to her readers, although in a slightly different format. Personally, I absolutely love her slightly snarky but still big-hearted way of telling stories...I love how authentic she is and how she always calls herself out on her less-than-totally-awesome tendencies and behaviors. I also love how, as I've read her books over the years, I can see that she really has changed in a positive way, and is really willing to look at her own biases and change her opinions about things.

    As a fellow Get X-er (though somewhat younger than Jen, but still just barely in the Gen X category), I love hearing her reference how things were in her childhood; it's really nostalgic for me. And I also heartily agree with her thoughts about social media contributing to anxiety, and loneliness and isolation being a key component in the creation of a school shooter.

    Other reviewers have mentioned that COVID has changed the way we might perceive this book, and I agree with them, but I think we can all take it with a grain of salt, knowing that the book was written well before COVID and the racial protests. That being said, when I got to the chapter on police violence I ran to the reviews to make sure she wasn't getting slammed- I hated the thought of people coming down on her because what she wrote is "outdated"- a lot has changed in the last 6 months! So I hope that people will recognize that when they read it.

    The only thing I didn't love about this book is that the chapters on climate change and school shooters actually INCREASED my anxiety rather than decreasing it. Jen suggests that regarding climate change, we all focus on doing our part, given that there are so many things we can't change, and I agree with her. This is why I always try to do mine (recycling, composting, trying to consume less, etc.), but then I also purposely don't read news articles on all the horrible things people are doing to destroy the plant. Jen did her research and I learned things...but they weren't things I wanted to know. So that particular chapter actually increased my stress. Ditto on the school shooter part. I share her beliefs and I also feel that there is VERY little I can do to help these lonely, sad, and angry young folks...and it's terrifying. So I try not to read about it. (And this is why my review is 4 stars instead of 5.)

    Overall, though, I thought the book was very enjoyable and I'm definitely glad I read it. I hope she keeps writing- I'm a fan for life!
    9 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on September 15, 2020
    I started Jen Lancaster's "Welcome to the United States of Anxiety: Observations from a Reforming Neurotic" with great enthusiasm.

    Having never before read Lancaster's books, I was instantly engaged by her transparent personality and witty, engaging humor that drew me in and made me eager to continue reading in hopes of discovering a new author and an indie title that I could recommend to others.

    To be honest, in the opening pages of "United States of Anxiety" I was even thinking perhaps I'd discovered my next 5-star read after a far too lengthy period of 3 and 4-star reviews.

    However, what was initially engaging and witty quickly became a tedious and laborious read splattered from beginning to end with personal anecdotes, episodic humor, and occasional oddball theories about anxiety based largely upon her own experiences and sourced with an obvious agenda intact.

    WTF?

    Suddenly, my hoped for 5-star review was plummeting rapidly before, as the book wound down, settling in at a wobbly 3-star experience while dancing on the 2-star border thanks to book-ending essays on the Kardashians, overly lengthy observations about parenting (for which she has no actual experience), and relentless internet-bashing that makes me wonder if maybe she's experienced one too many critical comments on her social feeds.

    While there are many who praise Lancaster's previous titles, based upon my experiences with "United States of Anxiety" the first impressions are settled and I wouldn't begin to approach anything else.

    "United States of Anxiety" is an Amazon First Read during this month of September 2020 in advance of the title's planned October 1st publication date. I'd hoped it to be a sign that the book was being released on my birthday (Happy Birthday To Me!), but instead I'm just feeling grateful that I've managed to get this much older without getting this neurotic.

    Truth be told, "Welcome to the United States of Anxiety" is not an awful book. Creatively, but loosely, based in the world of Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Lancaster explores the world of contemporary American anxiety and does so largely through her own societal lens. There will be those who identify with her lens and there will be those who've followed her writing long enough that they'll find her weaving together of humor and social insight to be, well, insightful.

    It's an intriguing idea to tie the current state of our emotional and psychological affairs into the current state of Maslow's Hierarchy in American society. The problem is that Lancaster gets in her own way here and what really is an intriguing idea never really gets fleshed out (maybe I should say "Fletched" out?) sufficiently enough. The real problem, I suppose, is that "United States of Anxiety" feels like a first-time author and, in fact, it's not.

    While "United States of Anxiety" is a well sourced title, one can't help but get the idea that Lancaster cherry-picked her sources to fit her own pre-conceived observations much like the internet argument over politics or religion that never goes anywhere. The book's final forty pages are filled to the literary brim with Lancaster's actual sources, theoretically quite impressive, but in practice as tedious and meaningless as much of the book itself.

    With more neuroses than humor, "Welcome to the United States of Anxiety: Observations from a Reforming Neurotic" offers more problems than solutions and never quite gels into quite the path out of the quagmire that Lancaster believes it to be.
    17 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • Binky
    1.0 out of 5 stars DNF
    Reviewed in Canada on October 9, 2020
    I've been a fan of Jen since Bitter is the New Black but this book really missed the mark. I enjoyed the first few pages of this new, mature and serious Jen before quickly realizing that I was bored out of my mind. I couldn't finish it. Sorry Jen.
  • Jennifer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Fabulous and hilatious read
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 23, 2020
    A well laid out book, touching on lots of topics and I enjoyed Jen's own examples of life shared throughout, even saw some pieces of myself in the text.
    Plenty of giggles and realisations!! Excellent read.
  • Dori
    2.0 out of 5 stars What a mess!
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on November 29, 2021
    I'm honestly having a really hard time trying to figure out what this book was about. I finished it because it seemed promising to begin with - it was funny and it revealed some very interesting facts making me think about different things in my own life that cause me anxiety. Although the figures quoted were always about the US and the American society, the feelings the book describes are highly relatable to any national. Her dark humour lightens the mood even when talking about more serious topics. Her writing style is funny and light hearted. It was all great but then as I progressed with my reading I started to wonder where the book was going and what the point was. I honestly think even Lancaster could not answer that. It became incredibly hard to follow, the book being a big pile of interesting news titles cut and pasted. She wandered from the point so many times, I didn't understand how some of the topics were even relevant to what she had set out to discuss in the chapter. At times I had the feeling I was reading her memoir. Reading for the 20th time about her decision of not having kids was plain frustrating. I understood the first time and no, I have not forgotten since you last mentioned it 2 pages ago. That being said, the positives that I had noted at the start continued throughout the book, it was funny and it did cover interesting topics. It just didn't make any sense as a whole.
  • A human
    4.0 out of 5 stars Thought provoking read
    Reviewed in Australia on November 6, 2020
    As many other readers, I chose this as my Amazon First Reads pick for September, but only recently got around to reading it.

    Up front: I had never heard of Jen Lancaster before, and was not aware of her previous political leanings. It's probable I wouldn't have chosen it if I had known, so I'm glad I didn't find out until afterwards. It also meant that I went into the book with no preconceived notions about what I was getting into.

    The book is sort of a collection of short essays roughly covering Maslow's hierarchy of needs. Overall, I found them insightful, and at the very least thought provoking. Obviously there were things I didn't agree with, but as I recently read somewhere else: Reading ideas you don't agree with can help clarify your own position on them.
  • Ash B
    4.0 out of 5 stars Good topics
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 13, 2021
    I enjoy the book and it have good topics with the shape of different life. I have a good time reading this book.

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