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First, We Make the Beast Beautiful: A New Journey Through Anxiety Hardcover – April 24, 2018

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,321 ratings

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New York Times Bestseller

"Probably the best book on living with anxiety that I’ve ever read.” – Mark Manson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

The Chinese believe that before you can conquer a beast, you must first make it beautiful.

Sarah Wilson first came across this Chinese proverb in psychiatrist Kay Redfield Jamison's memoir An Unquiet Mind, and it became the key to understanding her own lifelong struggle with anxiety. Wilson, bestselling author, journalist, and entrepreneur has helped over 1.5 million people worldwide to live better, healthier lives through her I Quit Sugar books and program. And all along, she has been managing chronic anxiety.

In First, We Make the Beast Beautiful, Wilson directs her intense focus and fierce investigating skills onto her lifetime companion, looking at the triggers and treatments, the fashions and fads. She reads widely and interviews fellow sufferers, mental health experts, philosophers, and even the Dalai Lama, processing all she learns through the prism of her own experiences.

Wilson offers readers comfort, humor, companionship, and practical tips for living with the Beast:

  • Cultivate a "gratitude ritual." You can't be grateful and anxious at the same time.
  • Eat to curb anxiety. Real food is your best friend.
  • Just breathe. Embrace the healing power of meditation.
  • Make your bed. Every day. Simple outer order creates inner calm.
  • Study fellow fretters to know thyself. Emily Dickinson, Charles Darwin, and Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. all struggled with anxiety.
  • Actively practice missing out. Forget FOMO, curl up on the couch, and order takeout.

Practical and poetic, wise and funny, First, We Make the Beast Beautiful is a small book with a big heart. It will encourage the myriad souls who dance with this condition to embrace it as a part of who they are, and to explore the possibilities it offers for a richer, fuller life.

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Editorial Reviews

Review

“Probably the best book on living with anxiety that I’ve ever read, and I have (unfortunately) read many. Sarah is full of expert advice while remaining grounded and incredibly human. Her vulnerability is her strength. And after reading, it will hopefully be yours too.” — Mark Manson, #1 New York Times bestselling author of The Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck

“A witty, well-researched, and often insightful book about negotiating a new relationship to anxiety.” — Andrew Solomon, New York Times Bestselling author of Far From the Tree

“Sarah’s life mission is to help us all feel less lonely in our pain. These pages are filled with authenticity and clear direction for how to return to our spiritual truth.”     — Gabrielle Bernstein, #1 New York Times bestselling author of May Cause Miracles

“A tremendously entertaining, wise, and effective book on how to walk through anxiety and reclaim life. Sarah’s battle and triumph over anxiety inspires and gives solutions that work. First, We Make the Beast Beautiful resides at the intersection of science and lived-experience. I know of nothing in the same league.”  — Xavier Amador, Ph.D., psychologist and founder of the LEAP Institute

“An affecting memoir of coping with anxiety over a busy lifetime. […] Those who endure anxiety will find Wilson’s thoughtful, often funny self-analysis to be just the right companion and affirmation.” — Kirkus

“Uplifting, earnest […] practical, and filled with delightful asides, this book will appeal to anxiety-prone readers, who will find much to calm them in these pages.” — Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Sarah Wilson is the author of the New York Times bestsellers First, We Make the Beast Beautiful: A New Journey Through Anxiety, which redefined the mental health genre, and I Quit Sugar, along with eleven cookbooks that have been published in fifty-two countries. Previously, she was editor of Cosmopolitan Australia, host of MasterChef Australia and founder of iquitsugar.com, an 8-week program that has seen millions worldwide break their sugar addiction. In May 2018, Sarah committed to giving all proceeds from the business to charity. She now builds and enables charity projects that engage humans with one another, and campaigns on mental health, consumerism, and climate issues. Sarah lives in Sydney, Australia, is an obsessive hiker and spent eight years travelling the world with one bag.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Dey Street Books (April 24, 2018)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 320 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0062836781
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0062836786
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 2.31 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1.05 x 8 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 2,321 ratings

About the author

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Sarah Wilson
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Sarah Wilson is a New York Times bestselling author, journalist and founder of IQuitSugar.com. She has published 15 I Quit Sugar books in 46 countries and most recently she published First, We Make the Beast Beautiful, A New Story of Anxiety. She was ranked as one of the top 200 most influential authors in the world in 2017 and 2018, based on web and international book scan algorithms and in Greatist.com’s 100 most influential health experts in 2015.

Mark Manson has described "The Beast" as “the best book about anxiety” he’s ever read. NBC's Carson Daly cited it as has "favorite book". Former Australian of the Year Prof Patrick McGorry described it as, “indeed quite extraordinary, illuminating what is at once a nomadic journey, a cri de coeur and a compendium of hard-won wisdom flowing from a uniquely talented individual… a tour de force.”

Other facts that might interest: Sarah was the editor-in-chief of Cosmopolitan Magazine Australia at 29, the host of MasterChef Australia, holds a record in the Guinness Book (you can Google that further if you like), is a mad hiker, explorer and minimalist. She lives between the US and Bondi Beach, Sydney and ocean swims most days.

Customer reviews

4.5 out of 5 stars
2,321 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book provides helpful information on anxiety and ways to deal with it. They describe it as an interesting read that makes them feel understood. The author's writing style is described as relatable, creative, and well-written. Many readers appreciate the practical advice and tips provided without being overly prescriptive. The compassionate and brave tone of the book helps readers recognize their vulnerability and feel less alone.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

61 customers mention "Anxiety level"53 positive8 negative

Customers find the book helpful for controlling anxiety and fears. It provides insights and helps them feel understood. Readers say it gives them things to think about and makes them feel more at home in their own minds. The author is open and vulnerable, helping them feel less alone.

"...Year Professor, Patrick McGorry states, “This book is a compendium of hard-won wisdom flowing from a uniquely talented individual… a tour de force.”..." Read more

"...She is smart and includes cool research and great stories. Buy it - and the cover is beautiful." Read more

"...She finds more balance and self-acceptance, and is able to dwell with her anxiety when it arises, rather than just trying to eradicate it...." Read more

"...Your book has spoken to me so personally and helped me immensely!" Read more

51 customers mention "Readability"51 positive0 negative

Customers find the book easy to read and engaging. They say it's a great addition for those struggling with anxiety and depression.

"I love this book. I have struggled with anxiety/depression in my adult life...." Read more

"...’s that duality that can make the book frustrating, but still an interesting read." Read more

"...So good, in fact, that I bought a copy and am re-reading it (this time with a highlighter)...." Read more

"Holy crap, this book is game changing. I’m half way thru ( I keep rereading chapters), and I am amazed...." Read more

30 customers mention "Author's writing style"25 positive5 negative

Customers find the author's writing style relatable and honest. They appreciate the perfect balance of creative narration and data, making the book relatable yet also providing factual information. The book reads like a personal conversation, with good advice and tips.

"...The author writes a beautiful memoir of her struggles with anxiety and depression. She is smart and includes cool research and great stories...." Read more

"Wilson’s memoir is engaging, earnest and somewhat frenetic...." Read more

"...Your book has spoken to me so personally and helped me immensely!" Read more

"...It’s one of the most remarkable, truthful, and relaxing books I’ve read...." Read more

16 customers mention "Beauty"16 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's cover and writing. They find it relatable and eye-opening, describing it as an eye-opening read that paints life in a beautiful perspective.

"...Buy it - and the cover is beautiful." Read more

"...I can’t stop raving about it; such elegance, such wisdom, such bravery in these pages...." Read more

"...Sarah Wilson showed me that anxiety, the beast can be beautiful, even in the most inconvenient times." Read more

"I like the cover and the writing but because of my own personal experiences going through BP I could not relate as I do not have the same kind of..." Read more

11 customers mention "Advice level"8 positive3 negative

Customers find the book provides practical advice mixed with tips and tricks. They appreciate the simple tips that can create an immediate impact. The tools and examples are useful, but some feel the author overdoes it.

"...I was pretty disappointed. While some of the tools were useful, I found that the author talked a LOT about herself and her life , which was..." Read more

"...This book gives a lot of good examples and analogies to help understand triggers, “problems” and ways to easy the anxiety you might be feeling...." Read more

"...Realizing there’s no guidebook to life, no definitive emotional cures, her approach is unrelenting ferocity with the intention that she deserves a..." Read more

"...it's not just the validation that "I'm not crazy," but it's also VERY practical and VERY helpful...." Read more

8 customers mention "Compassion"8 positive0 negative

Customers appreciate the book's compassion and vulnerability. They say it helps them feel less alone and gives simple tips on how close friends and loved ones can help.

"...I can’t stop raving about it; such elegance, such wisdom, such bravery in these pages...." Read more

"...She displays a sense of grace, compassion, conflict, and insight in her writings, and constantly think about her personal stories as I go through my..." Read more

"...Wilson covers everything from how anxiety feels, how close friends and loved ones can help, simple tips that can create an immediate mood of calm,..." Read more

"...achived this out of her desire to expose her vulnerability and be brave...." Read more

8 customers mention "Perspective"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the author's perspective interesting and insightful. They appreciate her compassionate writing style and egoless first-person account of challenges. The book is described as refreshing, with humor, warmth, and self-deprecation that make it an enjoyable read.

"...She displays a sense of grace, compassion, conflict, and insight in her writings, and constantly think about her personal stories as I go through my..." Read more

"...Excellent writer, egoless first person account of the challenges many of us face in life even without full-on anxiety disorder...." Read more

"...I do think the author's perspective is an interesting take...." Read more

"...researched and contemporary, and Sarah's humour, warmth and self-deprecation make it a refreshing read on an area of mental health often..." Read more

7 customers mention "Humor"7 positive0 negative

Customers enjoy the author's humor, warmth, and self-deprecation. They find the book entertaining.

"...this as a "self-help" read, I just enjoyed her honesty, humor and observations." Read more

"...I laughed , and cried and many times felt like finally someone could describe something that is so hard for us to be able to explain, her awareness..." Read more

"...It is thoroughly researched and contemporary, and Sarah's humour, warmth and self-deprecation make it a refreshing read on an area of mental health..." Read more

"Well researched . And she is very funny. Not sure I subscribe to her live into it theory. But enjoyed the book." Read more

I love this book
5 out of 5 stars
I love this book
This book helps you feel human, to understand your anxiety, depression, bipolar etc. isn’t foreign and you are not alone. It’s not a self help book, but a motivator in looking inward and learning to heal even when it sucks! Which it will! But you’ll grow in time.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on December 31, 2024
    Cri de Coeur is French for cry from the heart. This is how people feel when dealing with anxiety. Sarah Wilson discovered that she had a chemical imbalance while embarking on her quest to understand the genesis of her anxiety. Thus, she authored First, We Make The Beast Beautiful: A New Journey Through Anxiety.

    And what a quest it’s been! She was diagnosed with childhood anxiety and insomnia at twelve, bulimia in her late teens, OCD afterward, then depression, hypomania, and in her twenties bipolar disorder. She saw three dozen psychiatrists, psychotherapists, and spiritual healers. From the time she was seventeen until twenty-eight, she was medicated with anti-epileptic, anti-anxiety, and anti-psychotic drugs.

    In her late twenties, she quit all therapy and her prescriptions ran out. She made a choice to live by her own rules and manage her illnesses. This decision came about predominantly because nothing else had worked. Her formula is commitment, do the work, falter, screw up, and start again. She’s returned to therapy, gone back to medication, and then off everything multiple times. I love how open she is about her OCD, Bipolar, and even her suicide attempts. Along the way, she was diagnosed with Hashimoto, an autoimmune disease that affects the thyroid gland. Her goal was to find better ways to live with what she refers to as her ‘mate,’ Anxiety. Instead of living with post-traumatic stress she embraces post-traumatic growth. She encourages the reader to have this perspective if they’re suffering.

    Pages dedicated to data for various diagnoses and suggested causes, treatments, and management strategies are revealed as you read. She’s forthcoming about other authors and blogs who focus on Anxiety. Naturally, she provides as much information as possible to destigmatize Anxiety. Wilson’s behavior is compulsive but the outcome is positive. Her doctor calls it, ‘Positive neurotic behavior.’

    My favorite story she tells is when she met His Holiness, The Dalai Lama. She was allotted one question. She asked, “How do I get my mind to shut up?” His response was, “There’s no use. Silly! Impossible to achieve! If you can do it, great. If not, big waste of time.” Days later Sarah realized that even though she had whirring thoughts that trash-talk her soul, his message to her translated in cap-lettered subtext: “YOU’RE OKAY AS YOU ARE!!!”

    The fretty chatter that unsettled her was suddenly something that didn’t need to be fixed. Instead, she tucks her coping habits gently under her arm and sees where they take her. Taking a deep free breath, she gets on with better things. “I’d like to say this upfront. I write these very words because I’ve come to believe that you can be fretty and chattery in the head and wake at 4am and try really hard at everything. And you can get on with having a great life. I’ve come to believe that the fretting itself can be the very thing that plonks you on the path to a great life.”

    Her boldness declares the problem could be the notion that there is a problem. Come to find out that her anxious behaviors are so often solutions to her problems. Identifying anxiety is an external start. Continuing with wisdom and voracious learning gave her a deeper understanding of being gentle and kind in the process.

    Hitting rock bottom is always factored into a successful recovery story. Hers was when a doctor told her she was one week from having heart failure. “I knew I had been granted an opportunity here and that I had to rise to it, soft and full.” She’s been on a synthetic thyroid hormone ever since to manage her Hashimotos. It's not about changing herself, it is about creating ease around who she is.

    Realizing there’s no guidebook to life, no definitive emotional cures, her approach is unrelenting ferocity with the intention that she deserves a good life. Former Australian of the Year Professor, Patrick McGorry states, “This book is a compendium of hard-won wisdom flowing from a uniquely talented individual… a tour de force.” I couldn’t agree more!

    Here are some fun facts about New York Times bestselling author Sarah Wilson:
    • The founder of IQuitSugar.com.
    • Wild with Sarah Wilson Podcast Series
    • Was ranked as one of the top 200 most influential, health expert authors in the world in 2017 and 2018.
    • The editor of Australian Cosmopolitan magazine at twenty-nine, from February 2003 to December 2007.
    • Is in the Guinness Book of Records staging the World's Biggest Bikini Shoot at Bondi Beach. 1010 Women.

    Her relentless advocacy for herself will inspire anyone in a similar predicament. Perhaps you too can make the beast beautiful.
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 7, 2024
    I love this book. I have struggled with anxiety/depression in my adult life. The author writes a beautiful memoir of her struggles with anxiety and depression. She is smart and includes cool research and great stories. Buy it - and the cover is beautiful.
  • Reviewed in the United States on May 20, 2018
    Wilson’s memoir is engaging, earnest and somewhat frenetic. It is filled with insight, research, grace, near-constant searching and moments of hard-won wisdom. Wilson mentions anxiety, depression, mania and obsessive compulsive disorder. She states that bipolar disorder was diagnosed, but she feels that anxiety is at the root of the debilitating spirals of panic, insomnia and propulsive activity. The label is perhaps not as important as Wilson’s willingness to explore her own dark places in order to find wholeness, solid ground and peace. The journey is circuitous and tangled. Wilson ratchets up and careens down, when seemingly innocuous triggers prompt her anxiety. Her life is depicted as an endless series of painful attempts to corral her fears into a manageable framework that will allow her to live happily. Wilson is buffeted by moods, indecision, frequent travel and a jittery, palpable unease. The book will resonate best with anyone who wrestles with the devastating impact of mental illness. I truly empathize with Wilson’s struggles. She finds meditation, exercise and learning to sit with her discomfort to be invaluable tools for healing, instead of the impulsivity, perpetual change and a pervasive desire to flee whenever anxiety becomes intolerable. Wilson also realizes that age and time give her greater perspective on how to ride out her relentless worry episodes. She finds more balance and self-acceptance, and is able to dwell with her anxiety when it arises, rather than just trying to eradicate it. My issue with the book is in Wilson’s admissions of sometimes deliberately courting her anxiety. She admits to liking the “drama” of it all. It has perhaps become a source of energy and identity that is both as familiar, as it is disabling. At one point, Wilson mentions being awake for several days at a time at the height of her anxiety. Certainly, protracted periods without sleep can bring on mental fragility. If one stays awake as long as Wilson contends, then deterioration of acuity and function would subsequently occur as a result. With significant sleep loss, mental and physical impairment would be expected. Because Wilson’s anxiety is so prevalent, it would seem that a strong desire for rest and calm would squelch any behaviors that exacerbate it. Wilson clearly wants to understand her complicated relationship with anxiety, and she succeeds, but perhaps sometimes it serves her too, for the surge of emotional intensity that it provides. It’s that duality that can make the book frustrating, but still an interesting read.
    78 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Kindle Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Really interesting and not too woo-woo (so far)
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on August 11, 2024
    I myself suffer from severe anxiety. I'm about halfway through and really enjoying it. It all makes sense to me, occasionally does veer into woo-woo stuff a bit too much for me to be totally comfy, but it's super interesting !
  • Hasenpfote
    4.0 out of 5 stars I can so relate
    Reviewed in Germany on January 6, 2024
    Die Autorin beschreibt eine Innenwelt, die ich gut kenne - sehr glaubwürdig. Sie scheint hoch intelligent zu sein, und es macht ihr Spaß, die Welt der Psychologie/Medizin sehr kritisch zu betrachten.
    Das Buch lässt sich leicht lesen, könnte aber kürzer sein.
  • Amazon Customer
    5.0 out of 5 stars Tornando o monstro lindo
    Reviewed in Brazil on August 17, 2020
    Uma linda jornada sobre a vida da autora que lida com a ansiedade. Cheio de dados, dicas e uma bela lição sobre se por vulnerável, humilde e resiliente na vida, aprendendo a olhar com beleza para nossos monstros. Adorei!
  • Terri-Lynn
    5.0 out of 5 stars Best book on anxiety ever
    Reviewed in Canada on August 6, 2019
    I'm a psychologist and also have high anxiety. This book is amazing. I don't know why others wouldn't have rated it high. Sarah is a wonderful writer and makes concrete suggestions about managing anxiety that are rooted in science. As opposed to CBT which suggests exposure to uncertainty, Sarah delves into the existential angst and the quirky things the anxious do. Highly recommend.
  • PMV
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
    Reviewed in Mexico on January 8, 2019
    Oh so very pretty book.
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    PMV
    5.0 out of 5 stars Loved it!
    Reviewed in Mexico on January 8, 2019
    Oh so very pretty book.
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