Nerve: Adventures in the Science of Fear

Nerve is an interesting blend of scientific exploration and memoir. Eva Holland suffers from phobias, and the first part of the book discusses her own experiences with terror and the traumas that generated her phobias. The middle part deals with her efforts to treat her phobias. The final part delves into how fear affects the body, how terror leads to irrational reactions, and how emotions fuel responses.

This is a fascinating book about one person taking control back from their phobias. I applaud the bravery that goes into that. I did something similar long ago, developing and carrying out my own phobia treatment for a fear of needles (actually, anticipated pain) and spiders. The final tasks involved donating blood, getting a tattoo, and keeping a pet tarantula. Today, I suffer from demophobia as a direct result of losing an eye at age twenty.

I urge anyone who knows someone with phobias to read this book. It will help you understand them better. Holland does a magnificent job of describing what a panic attack feels like. Once irrationality is triggered, logic goes out the door.