How Do We Know We’re Doing It Right? is a brilliant collection of essays on modern life by London-based journalist Pandora Sykes. In this book, Sykes breaks down the phenomena that consume our feeds and brain space—wellness culture, cancel culture, ultra-fast fashion, work burnout, digital communication burnout, and the like—offering a helpful blend of research, insight, and personal opinion. With the dizzying amount of information available at our fingertips, it’s easy to believe we have the ability to perfect our lives, to get everything right. And yet, this influx of choice—paired with the high visibility of our online culture—often leads to overwhelm, anxiety, and disappointment. We’re working so hard to achieve something unachievable, and then left feeling emptier than ever when fulfillment doesn’t come. Sykes says it best herself: “In trying to control everything, we are, paradoxically, left feeling out of control.” With the help of scientists, philosophers, and other experts, Sykes attempts to unravel the myths we’ve been sold and give some clarity to the millennial mindset. If you’re looking for a smart, grounded, and joyful take on how to navigate our current time, How Do We Know We’re Doing It Right? is it.

I absolutely loved this book. Like a selection of the most interesting think pieces, but told in a funny, relatable, and youthful voice, How Do We Know We’re Doing It Right? is research made enjoyable. I found it so validating to take a serious, fact-based look at “fun” topics like wellness or Netflix, and, on a deeper level, to ponder how these trends affect our psyches. The essays run the gamut from specific to broad in scope; some, like the chapter on fast fashion, satisfy questions I’ve often wondered about—how does ASOS generate all those styles that quickly at such low prices??—while others, like the chapter on the fragmentation and flattening of women’s identities in popular culture, inspire questions I didn’t even know to ask. A lot of Sykes’ writing reminds me of the iconic monologue in the Barbie movie, in which America Ferrera’s character bemoans the impossible expectations placed on women; both so succinctly tease out the contradictions of our time and help us feel less bad about it all, and more hopeful as a result. How Do We Know We’re Doing It Right? is a thought-provoking, razor-sharp slice of nonfiction—highly recommend.

I’d recommend this book to…

• Anyone looking for ways to live a less distracted, more easeful life… it’s similar in theme to How To Do Nothing by Jenny Odell
• Anyone wanting something witty, empowering, and realistically uplifting… it’s similar in tone to She’s Nice Though by Mia Mercado
• Anyone who loves fact-based, expert-led conversations about culture… it’s similar in style to the podcast The Ezra Klein Show