1 comments about Talking To Anxiety: Simple Ways to Support Someone in Your LIfe Who Suffers From Anxiety.

1. In each of Claudia Strauss' books -- and I'm a fan so have read all three -- there's a set of nuggets that are invaluable. My valued nuggets may differ from yours but the bottom line is the same. Strauss separates the condition from the person, leaving lay readers like me with deepened insight. She gives handy examples of everyday things to do and say, and everyday things not to do and say. Talking to Anxiety, Talking to Depression, and Talking to Alzheimers have all made me a better listener. In everyday life, why not ride on the tails of her empathy...

2 comments about Monsters Under the Bed and Other Childhood Fears: Helping Your Child Overcome Anxieties, Fears, and Phobias.

1. This book was a great help. The ideas are practical and easy to understand and follow. The author is sympathetic to both parents and children. He doesn't place blame, just tells how to get over the problem. Separating different fears into their own chapters made it especially easy to find what I was looking for.



2. I bought this book to help deal with my 6 year old's nightmares. There wasn't really anything about that in the book. I thought the name implied the book would mostly be about bedtime fears but really it is a generalized book about 30 or so fears a child may have so it really didn't help me at all. There doesn't seem to be depth of analysis of any of the fears and I can't imagine the book would be useful to many people.
   I don't necessarily think this is a "bad book", I just didn't find it helpful for me and don't see it really being helpful to most people, but if you just want a book with a little bit about a lot of fears, this would be a very good book for you.

5 comments about Things to Bring, S#!T to Do... and other inventories of anxiety.

1. A lovely book. So real. So touching. I feel like I actually lived it along with Karen Rizzo and her family and that's a gift. I can't wait for her next one. (There will be a next one, I hope??? I wanna find out just what happens with these colourful characters...)



2. You could send this out to all the people in your life that end up on your lists and they'll love you for it. I read this book in one sitting, couldn't put it down really. It puts the small moments in line with the big ones and reminds you that they all add up to a grand life. I gave it to my mom and she laughed and cried, which she loves to do... this one's a keeper.



3. ...or the journaler, or the parent, or the child, or - you can see where this is going! As a list-maker myself I found this book to be comforting, but its insights would be available to anyone. Following Karen on her path from childhood through motherhood in bits, here and there, was an amazing experience. I wasn't so sure about the book when I received it as a gift - a book of lists? are you trying to mock me? - but it was a heartwarming journey through which I (along with other reviewers!) laughed and cried.



4. What a pleasant surprise! I feel like I know Karen better than many lifetime friends and I really dig her! Don't tell Vince the Mechanic:)



5. As a cronic list writer, I can relate to this woman. I was able to see Karen Rizzo's life change, grow, stumble and reinvent itself. What a treat. Laced with sadness and great joy, this humourous book is well worth the read! I really liked it!!!

1 comments about The Monster in the Cave: How to Face Your Fear and Anxiety and Live Your Life.

1. This is some of the best popular writing I have read about anxiety. The descriptions of the various psychological phenomena are intelligent. The authors do not talk down to the audience. The best how-to tip was that worriers need to visualize more and use language less in their thought processes.

5 comments about Fight Your Fear and Win: Seven Skills for Performing Your Best Under Pressure--At Work, In Sports, On Stage.

1. As a professional actor I have searched the dusky shelves of libraries across the states studying the writen record of the craft of acting... and there are thousands of books offering endless advice about how to cultivate one's performance skills. The books are often esoteric and require some strange practices bordering on the mystical. From lying on the floor doing primal screams to over-analyzing the script as if it were a lab animal as opposed to a wild thing... these books always begin with promise and then lead me further and further into a labyrinth of confusion. Finally, I have found the book which contains a precise yet playful process which addresses the fundamental concerns of acting. Don Greene's book presents a technique for Mastery. As human beings we are constantly learning new skills and we rarely ask ourselves about how we learn. Don Greene gives a clear and practical account of how to cultivate not just 'skill,' but rather, the skill of developing skill, the mother of all skills. Prior to working with this material, I would come off stage after a good performance and have no idea how I entered into a creative state. Vice/versa, sometimes I would give a bad performance and despair that I couldn't act. I felt like I was at the whim of some unseen forces, the 'theatre gods' perhaps. Now I am discovering that my creativity is entirely within my control. I create my own states of creativity or blockage based on how I process the information coming to me all the time. How I interpret this information is largely responsible for the quality of my experience of life and how I perform in my own life. Whether I am performing Hamlet, dealing with an agent, auditioning, or enjoying liesure time at home, I find the new skills I am cultivating from Don Greene's book to be of immense value. Although the book is always scientific, precise, and practical, it suggests a profound transformation in the way we view what is possible for human beings. It challenges us to push the limits of the known and discover the vast resources within ourselves. Furthermore, Don's free online performance test helped me see clearly what my strengths and weaknesses were and thereby, focus my efforts on those particular skills which would improve my performance as effectively, efficiently, and economically as possible.



2. Based on his notion that performance outcome is influenced by seven sets of factors (determination, energy, perspective, courage, focus, poise, resilience), the author elaborates on how we can arm ourselves with mastery in the above seven areas to undertake challenge in any field. That's quite the normal setting in any self help book. However, I do like the author's clear, logical and straight to the point writing, without the excessive and tedious examples anonymous commonly found in most self help books. The five page Chapter Eight, so named a synthesis: putting it altogether, (the seven set of factors were grouped into seven individual chapters), simply tells how "to the point" the author had been. In a word, a very good read.

   p.s. I like the saying in front of each chapter much. They do tell much of what the chapter is talking about, especially chapter eight Resilience:

   "Inside the ring or out, aint nothing wrong with going down. It's staying down that's wrong."

   - Muhammad Ali




3. This may be the most straightforward, practical, effective self-empowerment book I have ever read. Well-written, logically presented and downright revelatory! If you have any interest at all in significantly increasing your ability to perform at an optimal level in every conceivable situation, I give this book the strongest possible recommendation.
   
   EDIT 12/11/07: I'm surprised to read this glowing review, given that now more than two years later, I can barely recall the substance of the book. Which is NOT to diminish the value of the book, but merely presents me with an opportunity to remind myself that mindsets of 10, 20, 30 years do not shift permanently merely by reading and even being inspired by a book.
   
   This book hasn't (YET!) had the impact that it might have, because I borrowed it from the public library, read it closely, had my "aha!" moments, then dutifully returned it on time and proceeded to forget all about it as I went about the everyday challenges of my everyday life.
   
   You MUST put structures in place to consistently reinforce the lessons, and take specific actions to help ground you in your new way of approaching whatever challenges are significant for you. All the "insights" in the world won't mean a thing unless you take responsibility for consciously applying them to your real life: notice when your self-sabotaging mindset is determining your actions; make a choice to re-assess the situation in light of the new information and insights; choose to take a different, more empowering action than the one you're naturally inclined to.
   
   You can't shift your consciousness until you choose to be CONSCIOUS... and CONSCIENTIOUS!



4. As a human being, at some point in your life you will need a book like this to help you fight your deepest fears whether it may be speaking up for yourself at work, performance anxiety or maybe you are just stuck in an anxious/fearful state and need help to change your situation.
   
   This is one of the most effective and empowering books I have ever read. A great book on overcoming life's obstacles and accomplishing your goals and dreams. Very well written and very easy to read with just enough real life stories to motivate you into action.
   
   I was really inspired by the sections under chapter 7 on Resilience: "Training th Fighter Within", "How to Hang Tough" and "Mental Toughness". This book is great for people who feel they have lost contol of their lives and want to regain a feeling of empowerment. Remember it isn't how many times you have been knocked down but how many times you get back up that counts! Buy the Book!



5. The author who is a former police officer and martial arts instructor provides a good background for training methods for self-defense/offense. But in order to be good at anything you have to practice it which most of us find difficlut to do as we age and have other obligations and interests. Still, I would recommend having this book in your library for reference and inspiration to practice.

1 comments about Treating Stress and Anxiety: A Practitioner's Guide to Evidence-Based Approaches.

1. Treating Stress and Anxiety: A Practitioner's Guide to Evidence-Based Approaches is a guide for clinicians and therapists to evidence-based cognitive behavioral techniques that can help reduce patients' stress and anxiety, as well as enhance their overall quality of life. Chapters discuss basic emotional health maintenance (including watching one's diet, engaging in regular exercise, getting sufficient sleep, and properly managing time), relaxation and breathing exercises, confronting fears, tips for managing persistent harmful thoughts, preventing relapses, and much more. "When an individual is particularly vulnerable or experiencing severe ongoing stress, they may often be in crisis. When in a crisis state, it is very difficult to maintain work towards longer term goals and to try new and challenging tasks. It can be helpful to develop a list of simple and effective strategies to alleviate distress in times of crisis, and therefore minimise the impact of ongoing crises... It is wise to consider attempting several distress management strategies when confronted with a crisis. It may also be helpful to involve supportive people and relevant agencies when planning for crisis management." Included with the text is a CD-ROM of useful client handouts and worksheets. A superb, easy-to-follow, highly practical manual for treatment professionals.

2 comments about Welcome to the Dance: Caffeine Allergy - A Masked Cerebral Allergy and Progressive Toxic Dementia.

1. This is a very interesting book, especially of you have been affected by caffeine and would like to have a better understanding of its influence in the human body. I found the book to be written in both, a memoir as well as a scientific way. Some chapters are very specific in defining chemical and biological processes, and might be tedious to some people. Nevertheless, it is a great source of facts and stories, told not only by the author but also by others who have experienced a life change due to the consumption of caffeine.



2. This is an excellent book! There is so much described here which I can immediately relate to. I had eliminated caffeine from my diet a few weeks prior to a internet search revealing this book. It confirms many issues which my doctor left unanswered. I had previously asked him if there was such a thing as caffeine allergy, and he replied,"No". I still knew there was something about caffeine. Why did soft drink manufacturers substitute cocaine with caffeine? Why do they put it there in the first place? Because it is an addictive drug which keeps you coming back for more, much like cigarettes and other "hard drugs". What makes a drug "hard" anyway? Is it because it is way too obvious to slip past most people? Just a few things do think about while you wait for your copy to arrive!

1 comments about Taming Monster Moments: Tips for Turning on Soul Lights to Help Children Handle Fear and Anger (Creative Meditations for Children).

1. Taming Monster Moments is a cute book of so-called "meditations," which come across like unrhymed poetry. They are nice and fun for the most part, although the repeated references to monsters will be scary for some children. Other children will find the entries interesting, but the intended messages are at times rather abstract for young children. While the book is listed as appropriate for children ages 4 to 8, I did not find it useful for my five year old.

1 comments about Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Advances in Research and Practice.

1. As a psychologist specializing in treating anxiety, Generalized Anxiety would have to be potentially the hardest to treat as it is so fluid and hard to pin down unlike other anxiety disorders such as specific phobias. The author is regarded as one of the leading experts in the area of anxiety. This book is accademically based so if you are wanting a light read then this may not be for you. Witht that said it's easy to read and is grounded in the latest research for treating GAD. I have found it very useful for working with worriers in my private work. If you like reading about cutting edge research and are feeling frustrated with not being able to help clients who are the typical 'Worry warts' then this book is a must for your library. The author has also written a fantastic book on running 'anxiety groups' for practioners - brilliant.
   Anthony Gunn, psychologist and author of Fear Is Power: Turn Your Fears Into Success

No comments about Under Pressure and Overwhelmed: Coping with Anxiety in College.