Intelligent Fear: How to Make Fear Work for You

by Michael Clarkson

From parents to executives to emergency-services personnel, fear is a part of our everyday lives. It can cause us to perform poorly in pressure situations or lead us to worry until we're immobilized, panic-stricken, or just plain helpless. In Intelligent Fear, author Michael Clarkson presents an in-depth look at this debilitating force—from its prehistoric origins to its numerous modern incarnations—and offers effective formulas that help change fear from a weakness into a strength. In clear, concise language, Clarkson teaches readers how to adapt the fear response to the twenty-first century, change the mind-body chemistry in order to focus on the task at hand, hone mental powers to help handle pressure situations, and much more. Intelligent Fear shows that if handled correctly, fear can actually work for us, giving us strength and courage when we need it the most. Based on thirteen years of research, Clarkson's own personal experiences, and interviews with more than 1,000 super-achievers, scientists, and crisis survivors, Intelligent Fear is a surefire formula for self-improvement.

208 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 2002

Reviews

[Douglas Lord · Rating 1 out of 5]

Clarkson, a journalist at the Toronto Star, analyzes the physical, emotional, and mental aspects of fear, reminding us that “we still react to danger … the same way we have for more than a million years.” Yet while our hard-wired capabilities were eminently useful for cave dwellers facing saber-toothed tigers, they don’t work as well with contemporary hazards like threats to our egos and sports challenges. Unfortunately, Clarkson overintellectualizes a “system of fear” encompassing worry, anxiety, stress, and fear. Workmanlike writing aside, this lacks how-to, and the most interesting material comes from quoted experts. Consider instead Mihaly Csikszentmihalyi’s Finding Flow: The Psychology of Engagement with Everyday Life, Hugh Prather’s direct and fun The Little Book of Letting Go: A Revolutionary 30-Day Program to Cleanse Your Mind, Lift Your Spirit and Replenish Your Soul, and Thom Rutledge’s considerate Embracing Fear: How to Turn What Scares Us into Our Greatest Gift. Forget this title.

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