Member Review

I've always been fascinated by the study of fear - how our brains react when we're afraid and how we can get past the things we're terrified by. Eva Holland's new book is an interesting take on this subject. The reader follows along on her journey to work on her own personal phobias (of heights, driving, the death of a loved one) as she simultaneously researches the science behind fear. I thought it was a brave choice for Holland to mine her own experiences for research topics, but I guess I wasn't expecting this book to have as much of a memoir-style to it. I found myself more drawn to the actual scientific and psychology-based research she cited and then trying to speed past her personal recollections. I did find the sections where she explored treatment options for anxiety-based disorders (including EMDR and exposure therapy) to be the most interesting aspect of this book. Holland is clearly a very talented journalist who has a knack for educating the reader on topics they might not know about. However, the book might have benefitted from a slightly heavier focus on research and additional personal accounts from other subjects to give it a more well-rounded feel.