An Open Letters Review Best Book of the Year A leading expert in animal behavior takes us into the wild to better understand and manage our fears. Fear, honed by millions of years of natural selection, kept our ancestors alive. Whether by slithering away, curling up in a ball, or standing still in the presence of a predator, humans and other animals have evolved complex behaviors in order to survive the hazards the world presents. But, despite our evolutionary endurance, we still have much to learn about how to manage our response to danger. For more than thirty years, Daniel Blumstein has been studying animals’ fear responses. His observations lead to a firm conclusion: fear preserves security, but at great cost. A foraging flock of birds expends valuable energy by quickly taking flight when a raptor appears. And though the birds might successfully escape, they leave their food source behind. Giant clams protect their valuable tissue by retracting their mantles and closing their shells when a shadow passes overhead, but then they are unable to photosynthesize, losing the capacity to grow. Among humans, fear is often an understandable and justifiable response to sources of threat, but it can exact a high toll on health and productivity. Delving into the evolutionary origins and ecological contexts of fear across species, The Nature of Fear considers what we can learn from our fellow animals—from successes and failures. By observing how animals leverage alarm to their advantage, we can develop new strategies for facing risks without panic.

This handbook reviews research and clinical developments through synthetic chapters written by experts from various fields of study and clinical backgrounds. It discusses each of the main anxiety disorders and examines diagnostic criteria, prevalence rates, comorbidity, and clinical issues.

"The goal of this volume is to bring together the most recent empirical and theoretical developments in the basic science of fear learning and to translate these developments to the clinical understanding and treatment of fears and phobias. A major impetus for the volume was the recognition that basic science in fear learning is advancing far more rapidly than the clinical application of this knowledge. The book is structured to cover three main areas. The first presents the history of fear learning theory and fear measurement. The second area examines the acquisition and maintenance of fear, including neural circuitry, associative pathways, and cognitive mechanisms; the role of avoidance; and individual differences in fear learning. The third area covers the extinction, renewal, and reinstatement of fear, including neural circuitry and context dependency. The volume developed out of the Special Interest Meeting on Fear and Learning in Lignely, Belgium (May 2003), sponsored by the Fund for Scientific Research in Flanders, Belgium, and inspired by Paul Eelen. This volume is intended for both basic scientists and clinical scientists at undergraduate, graduate, and more advanced levels, as well as practicing clinicians who are interested in gaining an in-depth understanding of learning theory as it applies to fear and anxiety"--Preface. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2007 APA, all rights reserved)

The Brightest Lights of the Christian Tradition St. Augustine, Thomas Merton, Fredrick Buechner, Evelyn Underhill, A.W. Tozer, G.K. Chesterton, Thomas More, Martin Luther King, Jr., Amy Carmichael, Simone Weil, Pierre Teilhard de Chardin, Hildegard of Bingen, John Milton, Dorothy Day, Leo Tolstoy, Gerard Manley Hopkins, and more. . . From nearly two thousand years of Christian writing comes Spiritual Classcs,fifty–two selections complete with a profile of each author, guided meditations for group and individual use, and reflections containing questions and exercises. Editors Richard Foster and Emilie Griffith offer their expertise by selecting inspirational writings and including their own commentary and recommendations for further guided reading and exploration.

This book takes the reader through a journey of how fear of loss progressively creates barriers and bureaucracy that inevitably cause companies to fail -- and what leaders need to do to overcome these seemingly impenetrable walls. The greatest threat to an organization's success is not always the competition. Often, it is what a company does to itself. Because of fear, companies become plagued with barriers and bureaucracy that limit success, crush employees, and infuse frustration and a sense of futility across the enterprise. It starts with a narrowing of focus, which leads to the first level of bureaucracy: parochialism. Parochialism exists when managers and departments begin to view the world through the filter of their own little silo and build walls made of rules and policies to protect their turf. As businesses grow and become more complex, the second level of bureaucracy is reached: territorialism. While parochialism is about protecting a department from outsiders, territorialism is about controlling those inside the silo. The third and final level of bureaucracy is empire building, which is a response to perceived threats to a department's ability to be self-sufficient. These barriers cost organizations a fortune in inefficiency, turnover, waste, and demoralization. Tearing down these barriers is difficult, but it can be done. Parochialism can be eliminated by resetting rules and policies and refocusing on the ultimate mission of the organization. Territorialism can be eliminated by creating true empowerment, along with appropriate levels of accountability. Empire building can be addressed through shared goals and a set of guiding principles that help act as a referee in decision making. But that's not enough. Managers must also create a culture of courage to enable employees to take advantage of these new freedoms and accountabilities. Courage killers must be rooted out and dealt with swiftly and strongly. Finally, leaders must refocus on mission success rather than just checking off their part of the process, manage reference points, and engage employees. By doing all these things, an organization can become fearless and unstoppable.

The book "333 Facets of Manipulators" is an in-depth and detailed exploration of human manipulation, encompassing psychological, social, and neuroscientific aspects. The author, Renato Barbosa Moreira, unfolds the concept of manipulation in several layers, from its presence on the stage of everyday life to the complexities of the manipulator's mind and the strategies to deal with it. The first chapter introduces the world of manipulation, highlighting how it can be compared to an illusion of magic on stage, where reality is distorted to entertain. In real life, however, manipulation is less visible and more insidious, often hiding the truth and limiting freedom of choice. The book addresses the psychology and neuroscience behind manipulation, citing relevant works and studies, such as those by Robert B. Cialdini and Solomon Asch, that show how we are influenced and how our decision-making and emotion brain areas are affected. In the following chapters, Moreira examines the development of the manipulator, from roots in personality and experience to upward in society. It discusses how manipulators gain power in different social spheres and how technology and social media have become new territories for manipulation. The author also explores manipulation in interpersonal relationships, such as in love and family relationships, and in the work environment. The book offers perspectives on how to recognize and protect oneself from manipulation tactics, emphasizing the importance of questioning intentions and consequences and training the "mental immune system." Moreira also addresses the proliferation of manipulative behavior and how society has become accustomed to it, highlighting the role of neuroscience in understanding and combating manipulation. Finally, the author presents strategies for confronting and unmasking manipulators, paths to healing from manipulation, and how each individual can contribute to a less manipulative world. The book closes with reflections on the lessons presented and encourages personal and collective action and change.

Panic attacks, phobias, avoidant behavior, worrying, compulsive behavior, unwanted obsessions, and body symptoms such as racing heart, breathing difficulties, sweating, shaking, nausea, numbness and weakness are some of the many manifestations of anxiety. DANCING WITH FEAR is a comprehensive guide to understanding and managing the many forms of anxiety. Using a recovery theme, the book offers a hopeful, self-help approach to the most common, costly, and chronic emotional problem in our country. According to experts, anxiety develops from the combination of three ingredients: genetic traits (such as “biological sensitivity”), family influences, and stress (the “why now” factor). The stress ingredient accounts for the widespread prevalence of anxiety today. Basically, anxiety is largely a learned reaction to stress overload in people with a sensitive temperament. Through new skills and habits, anxiety can be replaced with more effective behavior along with greater peace, optimism, and joy. The book is clearly written and technically accurate. Diagrams, lists, and charts illustrate the information, and 35 concrete skills and exercises are included. The book includes information on: · Survival instinct and anxiety · List of anxiety disorders with explanations · Diagnostic criteria for each anxiety disorder · Common fears by age group · Anxiety personality traits · Comparison of incomplete and complete stress recovery · Drugs used to treat anxiety · Herbs and natural remedies for anxiety Some examples of exercises and techniques are: · Meditation instructions · “The three-S” approach to stress management (Signals, Sources, Solutions) · Yoga and bioenergetic breathing exercises · Dietary guidelines for managing anxiety · Guidelines for friends and family members · How to replace worry with positive thinking · Three fundamental health practices for managing anxiety · Joy, pleasure, and satisfaction exercise · How to spiritually revitalize your life Content is based on the author’s personal anxiety background, as well as his expertise as a seasoned psychologist. Dr. Foxman’s own recovery from several anxiety disorders is described in an opening chapter. See Prior Distribution for a description of what is specifically new in this second edition.