Publisher Description
Award-winning long-form journalist Eva Holland had always felt that her deepest fear was the death of a loved one. When her mother suddenly passes away, she’s sent spiraling into an odyssey of confronting fear itself. Along with investigating the science of fear, Holland uses herself as a test subject, jumping out of airplanes, rock climbing, and delving into her fears of loss to better understand what her research in the science, medicine, and history of fear reveals. Along the way, Holland meets the scientists who are developing a pill to leech the fear and horror from traumatic memories and seeks out the sufferers of a rare disease that prevents them from ever feeling fear. She sifts through what we know about the dynamics of how fear spreads in a crowd (and, too often, how it metastasizes into anger and hate). And she applies what she learns to manage her own fears. A mix of Mary Roach and Cheryl Strayed, Holland explores the universal human questions: Why and how do we feel fear? Why does fear seem to spread through groups and crowds like an airborne virus? And, most importantly, is there a cure for fear—and, if so, is “facing our fears” really that cure?
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About the Authors
Jack Vance (1916–2013) published his first story, “The World Thinker,” in 1945 and has since written over sixty books. Best known as a science fiction and fantasy writer, Vance has won
several awards in those genres, including the World Fantasy Award for Lifetime Achievement and a number of Hugo Awards.
He also wrote under the pseudonyms Ellery Queen, Peter Held, John Holbrook, John
van See, and Alan Wade.
Kirsten Potter has won several awards, including more than a dozen AudioFile Earphones Awards and been a three-time finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. Her work has been recognized by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts and by AudioFile magazine, among many others. She graduated with highest honors from Boston University and has performed on stage and in film and television, including roles on Medium, Bones, and Judging Amy.
About Kirsten Potter
Kirsten Potter has won several awards, including more than a dozen AudioFile Earphones Awards and been a three-time finalist for the prestigious Audie Award for best narration. Her work has been recognized by the National Foundation for Advancement in the Arts and by AudioFile magazine, among many others. She graduated with highest honors from Boston University and has performed on stage and in film and television, including roles on Medium, Bones, and Judging Amy.