Reading order
| # | Title | Published | Author | Buy on Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Humans: An A-Z | 2014 | Matt Haig | Buy |
| 2 | Reasons to Stay Alive | 2015 | Matt Haig | Buy |
| 3 | Notes on a Nervous Planet | 2018 | Matt Haig | Buy |
| 4 | The Comfort Book | 2021 | Matt Haig | Buy |
Reasons to Stay Alive (2015) was Matt Haig’s first non-fiction book, and it came directly from his experience of severe depression and panic disorder in his early twenties. He wrote it years after the fact, with the perspective of someone who had come through the worst of it. The book is honest without being clinical, and it found a wide readership among people who recognised what he described.
Notes on a Nervous Planet (2018) expanded the scope, looking at the ways modern technology, social media, and the pace of contemporary life can affect mental health. It is less memoir than the first book, drawing more on observation and cultural analysis. The Comfort Book (2021) took a different approach again, presenting short passages, lists, and thoughts intended to offer moments of steadiness to readers who are struggling.
Humans: An A-Z (2014) was the earliest of the four, a quirky illustrated guide to humanity that sits somewhere between humour and philosophy. Taken together, the four non-fiction books give a picture of an author who has thought seriously about anxiety, meaning, and how to get through difficult times.