272 pages |Paperback

An award-winning psychologist reveals the hidden power of our inner voice and shows how we can harness it to live a healthier, more satisfying, and more productive life.

Tell a stranger that you talk to yourself, and youre likely to get written off as eccentric. But the truth is that we all have a voice in our head. When we talk to ourselves, we often hope to tap into our inner coach but find our inner critic instead. When were facing a tough task, our inner coach can buoy us up: Focusyou can do this. But, just as often, our inner critic sinks us entirely: Im going to fail. Theyll all laugh at me. Whats the use?

InChatter, acclaimed psychologist Ethan Kross explores the silent conversations we have with ourselves. Interweaving groundbreaking behavioral and brain research from his own lab with real-world case studiesfrom a pitcher who forgets how to pitch, to a Harvard undergrad negotiating her double life as a spyKross explains how these conversations shape our lives, work, and relationships. He warns that giving in to negative and disorienting self-talkwhat he calls chattercan tank our health, sink our moods, strain our social connections, and cause us to fold under pressure.

But the good news is that were already equipped with the tools we need to make our inner voice work in our favor. These tools are often hidden in plain sightin the words we use to think about ourselves, the technologies we embrace, the diaries we keep in our drawers, the conversations we have with our loved ones, and the cultures we create in our schools and workplaces.

Brilliantly argued, expertly researched, and filled with compelling stories,Chattergives us the power to change the most important conversation we have each day: the one we have with ourselves.