Review of FEAR AND OTHER UNINVITED GUESTS by Harriet Lerner, PhD

Tackling the Anxiety, Fear, and Shame That Keeps Us from Optimal Living and Loving

HarperCollins, May 2004

Perhaps the easiest way to describe what this book is is to describe what it's not. It's not a step-by-step process that will change your life overnight (something I'm always looking for and failing to find--wonder why?). It's not full of tests for discovering whether fear is crippling you; there are no worksheets, no exercises, no quick fixes of any kind.

Instead, what this book offers is some insightful analysis into what causes anxiety, fear and shame, howthese uncomfortable "guests" manifest in our lives, and some suggestions for how we might use these sometimes painful emotions for self-discovery and, ultimately, become higher-functioning by learning to reduce or in some cases eliminate fear, anxiety and shame, or co-exist with them.

As I flew through this well-written, clear, and interesting text, I found myself recognizing situations from my own life, past and present, and from others' lives, and in some cases reaching a new understanding. I can't say the book changed anything about my particular life in any dramatic fashion, but it is interesting reading for anyone who seeks clarity about the craziness going on in his life.

Three Stars

Reviewed 7/11/04

Ready to buy it now? Click the buy now button.

What do you think? Too generous? Too stingy? Or did I miss the entire point? Send your comments to publisher@booksforabuck.com. Give me the okay to use your name and I'll publish all the comments that fit (and don't use unprintable language).