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Linguist Amanda Montell is the creator of the podcast "Sounds Like a Cult" and the author of "Cultish" and "Wordslut." Her new book, "The Age of Magical Overthinking," explores the cognitive biases running rampant in today's information age.
'Stiff' by Mary Roach (2003)
I fell in love with Mary Roach's witty, hypercurious, totally singular science writing thanks to this macabre (but not grotesque) nonfiction exploration of dead bodies. I owe so much of my voice as a writer — including the silly footnotes in my books — to Roach, whose delightful diction has breathed life into topics from space travel to digestion. Buy it here.
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