2 comments about Fear of Math: How to Get over It and Get on With Your Life.

1. As I read this book, I noticed family members gathering around me to ask me what it was about - at every chapter! I believe that their interest in the book confirms the reason for which it was written: to address the negative attitudes associated with math in America and to determine the points of origin for them. Although I was an engineering major in college for two years before switching majors, I too could relate to the book. I became disenchanted with math during those courses but was extremely fond of it before college. This book motivated me to "revisit" the past and come to terms with it. More importantly, as a mother and a teacher-to-be, I learned NOT to pass on "myths of innate inferiority" to my child or to my future students.

   While Zaslavsky may not delve into ways to teach math in interesting, applicable, non-humiliating ways, she does address examples of how this may be accomplished. For the scope of the book, it's enough. I feel that her purpose was to enlighten readers while reigniting an interest in learning math - a tall order, and noble at that! After reading Fear of Math, readers may turn to other books for more ideas. A few choices to consider are Gary Tsuruda's Putting It Together and Marilyn Burns' Math for Smarty Pants. Thanks to Zaslavsky, Tsuruda, and Burns, my former love for math has been rejuvenated.

   Regardless of your math history, this book is well worth reading - either to understand why others believe they have difficulty with math or to discover for yourself why you've developed ill feelings and why it's critical not to pass these on to others. If you are a parent, an aspiring teacher, or a practicing teacher, this is a book that you must find time to read.




2. I bought this book because I have horrible math anxiety. I can't seem to pass my college algebra class! Anyway, this book is more like a pat on the back and a "you can do it" more than actually helping you. All througout the book the author talks about how women and minorities are mathematically supressed, and have been taught that only white males can be good at math. -Huh?- This book is just filled with a bunch of statistics and examples on how women and minorities can be good at math too... and that's it. I got really tired of reading this stuff over and over again, so I would skip a chapter ahead and she would STILL be talking about how it's a common misconception that only white men are good at math. Skipped another chapter - more statistics on how women and minorities are just as capable....blah blah blah.
   
   So let me save you four hours and $20.00: Math really isn't that hard, its just all in your head. Women and minorities are not dumber than white males. (insert 521 statistics that back up this statement)People have different ways of learning, and american schools do not accomodate to that. The end.

1 comments about Taking the anxiety out of taking tests: A step-by-step guide.

1. This is a syntopic review of two books with similar topics but diverse approaches:
   
   1. Taking the Anxiety Out of Taking Tests: A Step by Step Guide, by Susan Johnson;
   2. Addressing Test Anxiety in High Stakes Environment: Strategies for Classroom & Schools, by Gregory Cizek & Samantha Burg;
   
   The first book is written by a pracitising Buddhist & student of Eastern thought. So her book contains, in some areas, seemingly esoteric stuff (or `new agey' as some people may want to call it). Her book is targeted at laymen.
   
   The second book is written by two testing specialists, better known in scientific circles as psychometicians.(They love tests!) Naturally, their approach is more methodical & clinical (despite the authors' denial at the onset). Their book is apparently targeted at fellow educators & school professionals.
   
   My purpose of acquiring (& reviewing) these two books is to learn more about strategies to tackle test anxiety, as part of my work as a success coach to kids/teens/adults.
   
   In the first book, the author has done a marvelous job of gathering the most effective awareness & relaxation techniques (a mixture of cognitive & behavioural) combined with effective study skills into one small paperback volume. The repertoire of techniques offered is very comprehensive. They are described in Chapters 2, 3, 4 & 5. Readers may find some of the techniques to be quite esoteric. The best way is to experiment with them & stick to those that work best for you.
   
   In Chapter 6, she describes the process of procrastination. I like the author's opening paragraph in this chapter: "Almost everyone who suffers from test testing anxiety had developed the practice of procrastination into a fine art..." This is a very important chapter. The author continues by showing how the reader can more effectively manage self, set goals, organize priorities, plan strategy & take action to deal with procrastination.
   
   In chapter 7, she describes the learning process & memory management. Her treatment of this area is excellent. I concur with her statement that the most important study technique is tracking your thoughts & the key to working though test taking is to develop awareness of your thoughts & physical sensations moment by moment. Her dovetailing of information to suit the student's intents & purposes is marvelous. This particular chapter should be read in conjunction with & by reflecting on the opening chapter 1, as the author talks about working with anxiety & fear.
   
   At the end of the book, there is a goldmine of information, but the reader needs to acquire or maybe browse the Further Resources in a public library.
   
   What I like about this whole book, on top of an unique distillation of proven techniques, is the author's logically structured exercises for stress management, as well as her step-by-step instructions to combat test anxiety. For the student reader, this is a boon.
   
   In the second book, & in line with its intents & purposes set out by the authors, the treatment of the topic is very much broader as well as very much deeper. For a layman, this may seem to be a scholarly piece of work, in which the authors describe:
   
   - Testing in a high stakes environment (chapter 1);
   - What test anxiety is...& isn't (chapter 2);
   - The effects of text anxiety on students & teachers (chapter 3);
   - The causes of test anxiety (chapter 4);
   - The measurement of test anxiety (chapter 5)(YES! there are tests for test anxiety! More details are given by the authors in the companion appendix);
   
   In this respect, readers may have to contend with plenty statistical correlations.
   
   Only in chapter 6 do the authors outline the tips & strategies for reducing test anxiety. Although the authors start off with a good overview of interventions for test anxiety, their treatment on study & test-taking skills as an intervention strategy is more of a broad-brush, when compared with the first book. Nevertheless, the author's exposition of Thirteen Testing Myths in this chapter is an excellent piece of work. In the eyes of the teacher or educator, I reckon this chapter would be highly rated, as the authors move on to highlight strategies for promoting a healthy (test) assessment environment.
   
   In the concluding chapter 7, the authors provide useful checklists of intervention strategies, one for teachers, & one for parents.
   
   The Appendix & References pages are a goldmine of useful information for the teacher or educator.
   
   What I like about this book, on top of its straightforward explanations, practical suggestions & reasonable recommendations for addressing test anxiety, is the spotlight of key ideas, a total of eighteen, captured in boxed selections, & interspersed throughout the whole book. These help the reader to zero-in quickly on to the essentials.
   
   To sum up my syntopic review, I would like to rate both books a 5 each for their respective content strength & reader friendliness. As far I am concerned, I have enjoyed perusing both books. In my view, they also meet the intents & purposes of the respective author - & definitely my expectations as a success coach to kids/teens/adults.
   
   I therefore strongly recommend the first book for the student &/or parent (who wants to be a learning facilitator at home); whereas the second book is more appropriate for the teacher or educator.

2 comments about The Anxiety Answer Book: Professional, Reassuring Answers to Your Most Pressing Questions.

1. I've had the opportunity to explore The ANXIETY ANSWER BOOK and found it be for both laypersons seeking answers and for professionals to use as well as recommend to clients. The book is easy to navigate for specific information, well written, and designed for people of all ages. I highly recommend it for it's clarity and content.



2. Finally a book that guides you to specific anxieties. It is easy to read and the advise is concise and sensible. This book helped me transform many of my anxieties into manageable thoughts. I only wish it had come out much sooner!

No comments about Escape from Anxiety and Stress (Encyclopedia of Psychoactive Drugs. Series 1).

1 comments about Beating Anxiety It's All In Your Mind.

1. I have been an anxiety, panic attack and depression disorder sufferer for a good part of my life. Just before my first anxiety attack, I felt unusually nervous. Things that made me nervous included constant dwelling over my money situation as well as work related pressures. All of this culminated in unbearable nervousness one sunny day at work. Within minutes, I started to feel discomfort in my chest which continued for the next hour or so. In parallel to these sensations, my breathing became shallow while I started to feel really scarred. I told my co-workers that I was not feeling well and that I would be going home. I really did not have a clue what was happening to me. What complicated the issues was that I was at work. I was practically one hour away from home.
   
   While driving home, I was getting more nervous while my breathing became faster and shallower. Then about 10 minutes into my driving, my hands started feeling numb starting from the tips of my fingers up. Soon after, my stomach became numb as well. I was really into panic mode by now. I thought I was going to die and that I was getting a heart attack. I decided to pull off the road to the shoulder. By this time, I saw tunnel vision and was having trouble with my speech. Somehow, I managed to motion to a passing car to help me. Luckily, the driver stopped and called emergency. What seemed like a lifetime, emergency assistance came by within 5 minutes, at which point of time I was laying down on the car seat. All kinds of things were flowing through my mind including snapshots of my life traveling at the speed of light. The very first thing I asked the policeman was if I was going to die. Eventually I ended up in the Emergency room only for doctors to find nothing!
   
   That was pretty much a summary of my first panic attack. The good part of it was that I did not die, to my own surprise, and the bad part was that I didn't know what was going on with me at the time. I had to suffer through lot of misery in the process of gaining back the control of my life. I was lucky that one member of my family experienced similar symptoms and was able to give me a few initial hints.
   
   I had lots of ups and down. At some points I would really get tired of dealing with my symptoms that I tried resorting to many different things. Some of these included excessive alcohol and gulping down a pill on any little anxiety symptom I would get. This of course was not the solution to my problems. I suppose in the beginning of my disorder I did not fully grasp the fundamental changes that I need to do in order to get better. So it actually took another big panic attack to push myself to make changes and to do what I had to do. During my recovery process I was really frustrated with the available documentation on panic attacks. I read a couple of books I was able to find, but they both turned out to be either pep talk or scientific stats. Out of frustration and my desire to help others in similar situations, I wrote my book (Beating Anxiety - It's all in your mind!). This book is for all those suffering from anxiety/panic or depression disorder or if you are simply curious about the subject matter. My book is different then any other. Learn from my trials and tribulations so that you don't have to suffer as I have. Anyone with high stress or depression will also benefit by reading this book. Read my book and learn to enjoy your life for good!

No comments about Anxiety Disorders: A Rational-Emotive Perspective.

1 comments about Stopping Anxiety Medication : Panic Control Therapy for Benzodiazepine Discontinuation Patient Workbook.

1. There are two kinds of people who take benzodiazepines---those who can stop and remain off of them, and those who can't. The percentages of the two kinds of patients is roughly 50/50%. If a patient is bothered by the side effects of benzodiazepines or just by the simple fact that they want to discontinue a much-maligned drug, this is the book to do it. That's why I gave it 5 stars. But there is a problem---after a patient on long-term benzodiazepine therapy goes off of them, they usually have to practice elaborate cognitive and breathing techniques every time they feel anxiety for the rest of their lives! These patients have to ask themselves if this alternative is actually worth not having to take a pill or two a day for the rest of their lives. It's up to them to decide.

   Most patients to not develop a tolerance to benzodiazepines, and often maintain more or less the same dosage for life. An aerobic exercise regimen, a proper diet with plenty of protein, proper vitamin and mineral supplements, and a LOW dose of an antidepressant can help the patient reduce their benzodiazepine use, or even stop it, possibly even without having to practice the techniques of this book. These "other" techniques described above are elaborated in a chapter of my book, The Failures of American Medicine, available at Amazon ...

1 comments about The Treatment of Anxiety & Panic With Bach Flower Remedies.

1. Great Book that really goes into detail about the bach flower essences. Before this book I was kind of clueless, now after reading estelle's book I am able to harness the power of the bach flowers. I highly recommend this book for all ages.

4 comments about Love Your Life (The Ultimate Healer Foundation Series, Volume 1).

1. When a friend suggested I try this cd, I did, partially to humor her and also with just a little curiosity. I've been stuck in a rut, and not very happy about it, but unable to muster up the energy or motiviation to do anything about this.
   
   I started listening to the cd on my way to work every morning - the music is nice and so I didn't mind giving it a few days trial. After the first morning I found myself walking with a lighter step, more optimistic and less bothered by trivial things. I've taken to listening to it on a regular basis, and have discovered my "old self" again. Even my coworkers who know nothing about this cd have commented on how much happier I am. I've actually taken active steps to improve my social life and meet new friends for the first time in years and am getting the rest of my life organized at last. It seems a little hard to believe, even to me, but I have to credit the cd and the messages buried in it for my improved outlook on life.
   
   I can't explain why this has worked, but it has, and I highly recommend it! Next I'm going to try the fitness and weight loss cd. *g*



2. I have been listening to subliminals for years and found this one to work -- not only very well but very quickly. The music is beautiful and I found that within days my attitude and outlook improved and have continued to do so.



3. I got results from this cd about 1 week of hearing it (but I kept on listening nightly for months- even now). I began just feeling happier. I did not dwell on the negative as much. Worries came up but I knew things would be ok in the end.
   People started commenting about me smiling more in about 1 to 2 months of listening. Now about 5 months later, people comment a lot on my sunny diposition and even temper. Considering that I came out of a two month coma years ago, which included heart surgery and a buffet of emotional problems, I would say this subliminal CD is great food for the subconscious mind.



4. The audio is relaxing. I listen to it in my car driving to work in the traffic and it takes the edge. I believe in subliminals. You've got to be willing to be open minded though.

2 comments about Yoko & Friends School Days: Mama, Don't Go! - Book#1 (Yoko and Friends School Days).

1. I've read a lot of 'first day of school' type books recently, getting my daughter prepared for preschool. I'd rate this as one of the better books we read, and if your child likes Yoko and the other kids in Wells' Hilltop School books, I strongly recommend it. What I like about the book is that it gently repeats the reassuring idea, that parents "will come back. They always do." Once Yoko accepts that, she's ready to be left at school by herself.



2. While all of the books in the Hilltop School series by Rosemary Wells are excellent, this book is exceptional. The message that parents always come back is delivered in a particularly effective manner. The book also shows how Yoko separates from her mother in an incremental process over which she has some level of control. A truly brilliant book.