Book Review: All the Little Monsters by David A. Robertson (memoir)

builds community and leads the way to healing. I highly recommend this book to all those who want to learn how to live with anxiety.

photo by ldyck

I usually share my writing on this blog, but I need to add to that list today. This book is too important not to share. 

I live with anxiety caused by trying to fit my round peg dyslexic self into this square peg world--and other stressors. And I have begun therapy for PTSD. Through the words David Robertson offers in this book, he has helped to make my journey easier--helping to level some mountains that I am climbing. For example, he taught me to see myself not as weak but as sick. That change might seem slight, but it was empowering for me--if I'm sick, I can seek help to heal. It is not a flaw within me, but something I am experiencing.

As Shelagh Rogers writes in the Foreword: 'The book you are holding is a treasure. David Robertson..is wide open, unflinchingly honest, and brave...' He genuinely cares about people and aims to create a supportive community for those who struggle with mental illness. And to that end, he shares strategies such as 'speak louder than [anxiety] can to change the way you see yourself and the world around you.' (p. 18) He shares a healing mindset: 'There's no place for judgment anywhere in the world of mental health, not towards yourself, and not towards others. I have come to learn that kindness, above all else, is the most productive thing.' (p. 19) He stresses that kindness, understanding, and empathy are tools of healing. 

In the final chapter of All the Little Monsters, David Robertson writes: 'I want you to feel comfortable, even if a lot of this can be uncomfortable. I want you to feel as if we've sat together and I've told you a story in person, sitting across from one another, face to face.' He has succeeded in this goal. Reading this book is like talking to a friend who has jumped into the hole you have fallen into and is showing you the way out.

All the Little Monsters: How I Learned to Live with Anxiety

David A. Robertson

(memoir)

HarperCollins Publishers Ltd

2025

photo by ldyck

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