Author, Taylor Clark, is not a psychologist but after reading his book, Nerve, you could have fooled me. By his own account, “I am, in fact, a fairly neurotic guy with more than my fair share of irrational, deep-seated worries and anxieties.” He is also a skilled writer who provides an exhaustive, factual, and humorous account of “how people deal with fear, anxiety, stress, and pressure in all of their forms.” Nerve is not a self-help guide per se but rather a very good book about learning to confront uncertainty, overcome fearful life experiences, and cope effectively when anxious.

In an early chapter of the book titled, “Your Second Brain: Exploring the New Science of Fear,” Clark covers the landscape of contemporary neuroscience and neuroimaging research which, he proposes, explains “how fear works, where it lives in the brain, and why it behaves in such puzzling ways.” The amygdala, we now know, is the brain’s command center for sensing fear and perceived threat, its function tied closely to memory processes which ultimately “remember” what we are afraid of. Clark delivers an exquisite précis of fear conditioning and thinking, giving the reader a clear understanding of some complex neurological systems without weighing down his message.

Having detailed the body’s “hard wiring” basis for fear and anxiety, Clark explores what current medicine, psychology, and psychiatry say about conquering them. First, we should adopt mindfulness as a strategy for staying in the moment and not trying to control or label experiential distress. Second, expose yourself to the situations that provoke anxiety and fear…don’t avoid them. And third, realize that dealing with stress is best accomplished by diverting one’s attention from “anxious internal monitoring.” Clark’s support for these and other recommendations comes from an impressive body of clinical and sport psychology research that he integrates and distills accurately. He further elucidates his key points through numerous examples and case studies of women and men who successfully confronted seemingly impossible challenges in the face of dire consequences (everything from a submarine commander during the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, to World War II survivors, to emergency response personnel). Athletes also are profiled, as the sports arena is the perfect venue for examining the behavior altering effects of anxiety (i.e., “choking”).

Nerve has as its central thesis the proposition that “we need to learn how to be afraid.” If you’re at all concerned about performance anxiety, stage fright, specific phobias, or debilitating stress, then this is the book for you. Among many strengths, Clark’s prose is clean and concise, free of technical jargon and cluttered language. He also has a uniformly positive outlook for understanding fear and in his words, “how to relate to it.” But I’m most impressed with the book’s emphasis on theories, concepts, and practices that are grounded in evidence-based research…nothing here is speculative or derived from poor science. For this reason, Nerve will also appeal to mental health specialists concerned about anxiety and related disorders. Kudos to the author for writing a book that can be appreciated by general and professional audiences alike!

© 2011 James K. Luiselli

James K. Luiselli, Ed.D., ABPP, BCBA-D is a psychologist affiliated with May Institute and a private-practice clinician. Among his publications are 7 books and over 200 journal articles. He reviews books for The New England Psychologist.