BOOK REVIEW
Psychiatrist Professor Ian Hickie and broadcaster James O’Loghlin have teamed up to produce A User’s Guide to the Mind, a practical and engaging look at how our brains shape the way we think, feel and act.
Hickie, a Central Coast local and head of the University of Sydney’s Brain and Mind Centre, brings decades of clinical and research expertise.
O’Loghlin, well known for his wit and clarity as a broadcaster, ensures the science never feels heavy.
The result is a book that is both accessible and authoritative.
Rather than drown readers in jargon, the authors focus on everyday challenges: anxiety, low mood, lack of motivation and unhelpful patterns of thought.
Each chapter outlines how the mind works and offers simple strategies to respond more effectively.
Hickie explains the neuroscience and psychiatry, while O’Loghlin grounds it in relatable stories.
Together, they manage to make complex ideas understandable and often entertaining.
Local readers may also know the pair from their popular podcast, Minding Your Mind, where many of these themes are explored in a conversational style.
The book, however, allows them to go deeper, offering more detail and structure while keeping the approachable tone of the podcast.
A User’s Guide to the Mind is not a textbook.
It is a guide designed to help people reflect on their own thinking and take small, useful steps towards better mental health.
It reassures us that difficulties with focus, mood or clarity are part of being human, not personal failings.
Most importantly, it provides tools to work with our minds rather than against them.
Available in print, e-book and audiobook formats for those commuting on the train or in the car.
Paperback copies are available at Umina’s Book Nook.
David Abrahams is standing in for Julie Chessman
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