• The Myth of Normal

  • Trauma, Illness, and Healing in a Toxic Culture
  • By: Gabor Maté MD, Daniel Maté
  • Narrated by: Daniel Maté
  • Length: 18 hrs and 12 mins
  • 4.7 out of 5 stars (2,167 ratings)

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The Myth of Normal  By  cover art

The Myth of Normal

By: Gabor Maté MD, Daniel Maté
Narrated by: Daniel Maté
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Publisher's summary

The instant New York Times bestseller

By the acclaimed author of In the Realm of Hungry Ghosts, a groundbreaking investigation into the causes of illness, a bracing critique of how our society breeds disease, and a pathway to health and healing.

In this revolutionary book, renowned physician Gabor Maté eloquently dissects how in Western countries that pride themselves on their healthcare systems, chronic illness and general ill health are on the rise. Nearly 70 percent of Americans are on at least one prescription drug; more than half take two. In Canada, every fifth person has high blood pressure. In Europe, hypertension is diagnosed in more than 30 percent of the population. And everywhere, adolescent mental illness is on the rise. So what is really “normal” when it comes to health?

Over four decades of clinical experience, Maté has come to recognize the prevailing understanding of “normal” as false, neglecting the roles that trauma and stress, and the pressures of modern-day living, exert on our bodies and our minds at the expense of good health. For all our expertise and technological sophistication, Western medicine often fails to treat the whole person, ignoring how today’s culture stresses the body, burdens the immune system, and undermines emotional balance. Now Maté brings his perspective to the great untangling of common myths about what makes us sick, connects the dots between the maladies of individuals and the declining soundness of society—and offers a compassionate guide for health and healing. Cowritten with his son Daniel, The Myth of Normal is Maté’s most ambitious and urgent book yet.

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

Critic reviews

"In The Myth of Normal, Gabor Maté 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. Chronic mental and physical illnesses may not be separate and distinct diseases, but intricate, multilayered processes that reflect (mal)adaptations to the cultural context that we live in, and the values we live by. This riveting and beautifully written tale has profound implications for all of our lives, including the practice of medicine and mental health."—Bessel A. van der Kolk MD, President, Trauma Research Foundation, Professor of psychiatry, Boston University School of Medicine, #1 New York Times Bestseller: The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma

"Gabor and Daniel Maté have created a magnificent resource for us all in The Myth of Normal, a powerful, in-depth, science-packed, inspiring story-filled opus that helps us see how stress within our culture shapes our well-being in all its facets. By carefully reviewing medical and mental health through a wide lens of inquiry, they challenge simplistic views of disease and disorder to offer instead a wider perspective on human flourishing that has direct implications for how we live individually, at home, and as a larger human family. A thorough and inspiring work of the heart, this book urges us to question our assumptions and think deeply about who we are and how we can live more fully and freely, harnessing the power of the mind to bring healing and wholeness into our shared lives on Earth."—Daniel J. Siegel, MD, Clinical Professor, UCLA School of Medicine, Executive Director, Mindsight Institute, New York Times bestselling author of IntraConnected: MWe (Me plus We) as the integration of self, identity, and belonging

"Wise, sophisticated, rigorous and creative: an intellectual and compassionate investigation of who we are and who we may become. Essential reading for anyone with a past and a future."—Tara Westover, New York Times bestselling author, Educated

What listeners say about The Myth of Normal

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    5 out of 5 stars

Bought book after hearing podcast...

I want to hear the content of this book, but hearing a generic voice reading after hearing Gabor's voice on a podcast for several hours is extremely disappointing. I can't focus on this voice at all, unlike the Authors voice.

PLEASE READ THE BOOK IN YOUR OWN VOICE! I will pay for the book twice, because I can't remember anything this guy is saying, and my interest is not kept be the mechanical, emotionless reading that we are given in this audio book.

Yes, I see the last name is the same between Author and Narrator.

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70 people found this helpful

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Big fan of Mate, but where is the responsibility

Have really appreciated everything I've read, listened to, or seen by Gabor Mate except this book. It's worth a listen, and curious of others thoughts but this book leans so far left "nobody has a choice, it's not your fault, life today is a horrible place to be full of toxicity"......possibly or.....there has never been a better time to be alive in all of the history of humankind. I think if you see current society as a toxic hell hole you'll connect deeply to this book. For me, the world's a pretty amazing place and we are incredibly fortunate to be alive today. The book seems to blame everything on early childhood and/or early adulthood trauma and very little on taking responsibility for your actions and aiming for where you want to go in life.
I was hoping, at the very least, that he'd discuss how to help others really struggling but it didn't really even tap into that other than acknowledging others trauma. I do agree with being kind to everyone...just because love really is important and you don't know what heavy load others are carrying.
As mentioned I'm glad I read/listened to it and will ponder his ideas.

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35 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Mandatory Read

If like myself, having grown up with a crazy abusive mother. This book is so good I had to read it twice in a row and will most likely read it another several times. It’s that good. And profoundly helpful. Providing insight and relevant information in dealing with Trauma moving forward. It is my belief that with Dr. Gabor Mate’s knowledge on the subject of childhood trauma and the subsequent aftermath. I can begin to heal myself without medicating. I turn 47 tomorrow and knowing I now have some tools on how to proceed living a better life. 🙏🏼 thank you Dr. Mate from the bottom of my heart

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many good ideas but ruined by ideological BS

the book is filled with very good observations about traumas and childhood. but every once in a while the book sounds like it is written by badly offended teenager throwing accusations against some other people and blames against capitalism. not that all the critique against them is completely unjustified, but much of it is. overall the book sheds quite well light on the trauma theory which is clearly on to something.

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21 people found this helpful

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Disappointing political subtext

An illuminating effort marred by mockery, misrepresentation and politics. A good book on the whole but several grains of salt are needed.

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21 people found this helpful

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An incredibly important book.

Disregard the reviews claiming "generic" narrator. I don't know where these claims originated; considering the narrator is both the co-author and the son of Dr. Maté. Daniel narrates the book wonderfully.
This work is very powerful and potentially incredibly healing, if we as human society choose to set aside the misguided concept of the "end of history", as our current system of isolation, alienation and deliberate, though incredibly destructive and unnecessary, competition has been called.
In a world rife with the unconscious, misunderstood and unacknowledged affects and effects of a separation of Humans from their humanity; this brilliant work may help us to step back onto and start to walk back down the path of societal healing, evolution,  cooperation and eventually humanity genuinely thriving.

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16 people found this helpful

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First time reviewing outta 60 books

Listening to this book felt like getting therapy that woulda cost me thousands elsewhere. I’ve looked up to Gabor as a huge mentor since my first trip to drink Ayahuasca in 2013. I WILL someday reach a social status that will allow me to interact and collaborate with this Caliber of world leading mentors. 🤑😇🧙🏽

May our journeys serve us well.

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Cheer up a little

I am a big fan of Gabor and was very excited to read this book. It started off amazing and very thought provoking. Even gave me new interest in child-rearing. Gabor shows where a lot of trauma take hold in our systems and how they eventually manifest themselves. But then the book got personal. It left its professional views for some bizarre angry opinions and I felt started missing alot of other variables and replaced it with political views. The end eventually came back around but I lost all interest and he offered no solutions.
Disappointed, wanted an interesting book and turned into trash.

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Foster Children Relevant

As a volunteer Guardian ad Litem who sees the reality in this opinion play out on a daily basis in the children for whom I advocate I highly recommend this book. Individuals involved in child welfare should understand these facts.

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I AM a Dr. Gabor Mate fan!! Big Time, but...

I love all that Dr. Mate writes and speaks about. As a matter of fact, if you haven't watched the documentary The Wisdom of Trauma, please find it and watch it. Everyone could benefit from watching this documentary. Much of this book is quite wonderful. There are chapters, I struggled to get through without rushing them. I bet Daniel Mate is a genius in his own right, but this non-fiction book didn't call for a change of voices. (In this humble narrator's opinion.). If this is your only time to get to know Dr. Gabor's teaching, then, this book is fabulous! If you've watched tons of his Youtube vids as I have, then you know quite a bit of this literature. I'm not saying that it's not worth hearing his teaching another time, and there are new nuggets to glean from this book. As I stated, certain chapters didn't seem needed, and I really wish Dr. Mate had read his book although I applaud any parent/adult child teaming up for such important work.

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12 people found this helpful