Product Description
Are you plagued by fears, phobias, or panic attacks? Do you toss and turn at night with a knot in your stomach, worrying about your job, your family, work, your health, or relationships? Do you suffer from crippling shyness, obsessive doubts, or feelings of insecurity?
What you may not realize is that these fears are almost never based on reality. Anxiety is one of the world’s oldest cons. When you’re anxious, you’re actually fooling yourself. You are telling yourself things that simply aren’t true. See if you can recognize yourself in any of these distortions:
All-or-Nothing Thinking: “My mind will go blank when I give my presentation at work, and everyone will think I’m an idiot.”
Fortune Telling: “I just know I’ll freeze up and blow it when I take my test.”
Mind Reading: “Everyone at this party can see how nervous I am.”
Magnification: “Flying is so dangerous. I think this plane is going to crash!”
Should Statements: “I shouldn’t be so anxious and insecure. Other people don’t feel this way.”
Emotional Reasoning: “I feel like I’m on the verge of cracking up!”
Self-Blame: “What’s wrong with me? I’m such a loser!”
Mental Filter: “Why can’t I get anything done? My life seems like one long procrastination.”
Now imagine what it be like to live a life that’s free of worries and self-doubt; to go to sleep at night feeling peaceful and relaxed; to overcome your shyness and have fun with other people; to give dynamic presentations without worrying yourself sick ahead of time; to enjoy greater creativity, productivity and self-confidence.
Does that sound impossible? The truth is you can defeat your fears. In When Panic Attacks, Dr. Burns takes you by the hand and shows you how to overcome every conceivable kind of anxiety. In fact, you will learn how to use more than forty simple, effective techniques, and the moment you put the lie to the distorted thoughts that plague you, your fears will immediately disappear. Dr. Burns also shares the latest research on the drugs commonly prescribed for anxiety and depression and explains why they may sometimes do more harm than good.
This is not pop psychology but proven, fast-acting techniques that have been shown to be more effective than medications. When Panic Attacks is an indispensable handbook for anyone who’s worried sick and sick of worrying. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (28)

READ THIS BOOK!
This book is the greatest self-help book Ive read about my mood swings. The book tells you that all the negative thinking and mood swings are caused because of your irrational thinking and suggests that if we can change how we THINK, we can change how we FEEL. Of course this insight is backed up, explained in depth throughout the book with practical, interesting, fun, self-observing and self-healing exercises. These exercises do work especially if you like writing, keeping a journal or simply examining yourself. The exercises reveal very interesting facts about your thinking process, they reach to the most deepdown FEAR you have that cause all these negative feelings and anxiety. The author promises compassionately that he is ready to help you and he is SURE, IF YOU FOLLOW the book, do the exercises YOU CAN STOP THE WAY YOU FEEL BY CHANGING THE WAY YOU THINK. The exercises in the book let you REFUTE a negative thought that you have and the negative thought becomes NO LONGER valid. I could write forever about this book. I wish I could give this book away to people who suffer the way I suffered!!!! ITS THE BEST BOOK ever in its field.

Happy Camper
This was a gift for a friend, but they seemed happy with it and it came pretty fast.

Excellent Beginning for Recovery
This is a good book to aid in recovery, however, I agree with the author:quicker recovery from severe anxiety disorder is possible when assisted by a professional psychologist. But he does present some very valid points and I can attest to this from personal experience. One is that medication is not the answer. He stated that recovery time with and without medication is about the same. I agree. The book presents actual case studies and maps out a course for self-assisted recovery. And while these are very good tools, it was hard for me to focus on reading after a major breakdown. I think it does make a good companion to professionally guided psychotherapy, but is not a substitute.

I feel better already
great advice and very good real-life examples. if you or anyone you know struggles a little or a lot with anxiety or depression issues, these CDs and/or the book can lessen the symptoms without analyzing your past and your childhood.good advice and readily useful!however, as the author states, if you have really serious issues, it is also wise to see a professional therapist.

Get on the road to recovery!
I'm so glad somebody recommended this author to me for my anxiety problems!Everybody deals with anxiety on some level, and all types of anxiety problems can be improved by this book, from fear of public speaking, to panic attacks or agoraphobia.Unlike other anxiety books I've read, this book is written in an upbeat and hopeful way that has lifted my spirit from just reading it.Reading does help, but if you want to get better, you'll have to be brave and do the exercises.Don't run away from your anxiety, face it, work through it, and get better!This book is worth much more than the cost, so why don't you give it a try?I've already improved a lot!It will guide you on the way to recovery. ... Read more

Product Description
Do you have rushes of fear accompanied by a pounding heart, trembling, dizziness, and feelings of unreality that make you think you're sick, dying, or losing your mind? Do these feelings interfere with your normal daily routine, or prevent you from doing things you would normally do? If you are prone to panic attacks and constantly worry about when the next attack may come, you may suffer from panic disorder and/or agoraphobia. Though panic disorder seems irrational and uncontrollable, it has been proven that a treatment like the one outlined in this book can help you take control of your life.

Now in its 4th edition, Mastery of Your Anxiety and Panic, Workbook has been updated to include strategies and techniques for dealing with both panic disorder and agoraphobia.The program outlined is based on the principles of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and is organized by skill, with each chapter building on the one before it. You will learn the importance of record-keeping and monitoring your progress, as well as breathing techniques and thinking skills.The main focus of treatment involves learning how to face agoraphobic situations and the scary physical symptoms of panic from an entirely new perspective. Self-assessment quizzes, homework exercises, and interactive forms allow you to become an active participant in your treatment. Over time, you will learn to manage your panic attacks, anxiety about panic, and avoidance of panic and agoraphobic situations.

This workbook is a one-of-a-kind resource that has been recommended for use by public health services around the world. It allows you to work alongside your therapist to personalize your treatment strategy and learn recovery skills that are useful for a lifetime.

TreatmentsThatWorkTM represents the gold standard of behavioral healthcare interventions!



·All programs have been rigorously tested in clinical trials and are backed by years of research


·A prestigious scientific advisory board, led by series Editor-In-Chief David H. Barlow, reviews and evaluates each intervention to ensure that it meets the highest standard of evidence so you can be confident that you are using the most effective treatment available to date


·Our books are reliable and effective and make it easy for you to provide your clients with the best care available


·Our corresponding workbooks contain psychoeducational information, forms and worksheets, and homework assignments to keep clients engaged and motivated


·A companion website (www.oup.com/us/ttw) offers downloadable clinical tools and helpful resources


·Continuing Education (CE) Credits are now available on select titles in collaboration with PsychoEducational Resources, Inc. (PER) ... Read more

Customer Reviews (11)

Mastery of Your Anxiety and Panic: Workbook (Treatments That Work
I'm sure it would've been a good book, had I recieved it.After over a month of waiting for the book, and contacting the seller twice, he finally refunded me my money.

Unsure Still
I bought this book since my therapist recommended it.I started to read the first couple of pages and was not really interested.I guess I'll have to be in the mood to read this type of book.I gave it 4 stars because I'm still unsure but my therapist says it's a great book.

too many changes from the previous version
i especially don't like how the suggested readings jump from chapter to chapter vs. proceeding through the book one chapter at a time in sequential order.

Mastering Anxiety- Great Choice!
I have struggled with anxiety and panic issues for a long time now, and nothing helps me feel more in control about my panic than this book. It covers every topic that someone struggling with anxiety worrys about, and reassures you that its all going to be okay and that you are in control of your panic. I would recommend this book for anyone who is serious about managing their anxiety and panic, because it does require a decent amount of effort. However, it definitely pays off in the end. The worksheets and overall interactive nature of this book is extremely helpful in that the book does more than just lecture you about your panic. It allows you to be an active participant in your effort to manage (and eventually overcome) panic and anxiety. This is the book for you if you are ready to change your life!

Solid and helpful info.
This is,without question, THE most helpful book on a very distressing condition. I felt comforted just knowing how common panic attacks are...andI like the format these well noted authors chose. Highly recommended!
Laurie, Ca. ... Read more

Product Description
Hectic lifestyles and over-full schedules make traditional cooking methods nearly obsolete in many families. The results are poor nutrition and budgets strained by the high cost of fast food or commercially prepared meals. Don't Panic-Dinner's in the Freezer offers a simple and economical alternative, featuring dozens of recipes designed to be prepared and frozen for future use.With over 23,000 copies sold in its original self-published edition, this book gives practical tips for planning, organizing, and shopping for meals, as well as unique ways to freeze and reheat prepared foods. Every recipe includes measurements for cooking alone or as a joint venture with one or two friends. Families, singles, retirees-everyone who needs to eat-will find fast and easy answers to the question, "What's for dinner?" ... Read more

Customer Reviews (107)

didn't work
This book just didn't work for my family at all. Most recipes call for ingredients that are processed. Then, the prep work is way to long. Made the chicken enchiladas, and they were totally bland, and took way to long to make the double batch.Not worth the effort at all! Most of the recipes are extremely heavy in the meat department, so they aren't much of a savings in terms of recipes. All in all, just didn't work well for my family at all. I gave the book to my friend and she raves about it and uses it all the time, and has a freezer full of things like muffins and soups. Something for everyone I guess.

NOT worth it!Very disappointed. :(
I read the rave reviews so I was very excited to start cooking!I just went through BOTH books and am VERY disappointed in the AMOUNT of items needed AND the multiple steps--1 recipe for topping, 1 for filling, 1 for sauce, etc... Also, 50% of these recipes requre some sort of unusual item (imported Bovarian Cheese isn't just laying around in the fridge in my house).I think i will do better assembling my own list from online recipes that don't require me to cook the meat for 4 hours or cook or brown the meat/chicken ahead of time. I have no idea how these taste since I don't plan on using the recipes so that's the only reason I gave this (these) books 2 stars.Unless you have LOTS of time and many out-of-the ordinary food items, I would skip this book and look online at places like [...] for recipes you can simply assemble and freeze without cooking 8 items first.

Not all recipes are freezer friendly!
I have tried about 1/4 of the recipes in this book and have not been blown away.Many of the side dish recipes are not freezer friendly.The authors just say that the recipe is too good not to include, but non-freezable recipes should really not take up space in a freezer cookbook.

Takes stress out of dinner
This book has taken stress out of dinner. however, I use it more as a guideline because the recipes are not exactly healthy. I definitely subsitute.

I love Don't Panic
I found this originally at the library in town.I liked it so much I have bought it.My menu for the month is so much more diverse because of this book.No more fast food 10 days a month! ... Read more

Product Description

If you are prone to problems with anxiety and worry, you are probably highly intelligent, very creative, detail oriented, and analytical. These traits can make you extremely successful...or they can make you sick. People with anxiety use these attributes to scare themselves by over-thinking and over-reacting. They use their creativity to envision the worst-possible scenarios, most of which never happen.

You Can Learn to use the energy of worry to transform your life!

Learn to:

• Relieve Anxiety
• Stop Panic Attacks
• Eliminate the Need for Medications
• Drive and Fly Comfortably
• Develop Self-Confidence
• Stop Obsessive Worrying
• Put an End to Depression
• Become a Positive Power Thinker

Put an End to Your Worry and Fear and Live Life to the Fullest! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (106)

Greatest book you will ever read!
This book is just plain awesome!Whether you have anxiety or not and it is mild or extreme, this book is for everyone.It should be a required reading for all!What a great outlook on life and simple steps to make it better.Lucinda has truly created an inspiring read!

This Book Has Changed My LIFE!!!!!
At almost 20 years old, I've been suffering from anxiety for more than a decade. Because of my anxiety, I've been moody, depressed, fearful, sabotaging my relationships with others, experimented with harmful behavior, etc. It has led me to almost killing myself more than I can count from all the pain and sufferage... Well no more. My parents and I talked and we agreed to visit a good therapist. I went to see her and she recommended this book for my anxiety. At first, I thought, "Great. More money down the drain and nothing will resolve..." but boy was I wrong. As I kept reading chapter after chapter, I've developed and learned some great coping skills and my anxiety-as well as my depression-has subsided dramatically in less than a month. I am not kidding you, this is THE best book I've ever read in my entire life, and it's no exaggeration. :) Because of this book, my thought proccess has changed, my perception about life has changed, and I am more happy, calm, and more mature and peaceful within myself and the rest of the world. It's like cognitive therapy in a book... This type of therapy is PERFECT for individuals who suffer from anxiety and depression, because it helps to change the way we think and thus, help us cope better in life. Lucinda has wow'ed me with her personal stories (The painful cramps, the heart palpilations... Sound familiar?) as well as stories from other people who suffered the same way that I have. Thanks to this book, I am able to get rid of the emotional shackles that has put me down and led me to live a life that is plaqued with fear and melacholy... The things that onced bothered me and sent me into panic mode now doesn't bother me anymore... This book is THAT good and I beg everyone to at least give it one read before going after unsafe alternatives like anti anxiety medications that will only make you feel worse than better. Anxiety is a state of mind... Only YOU can control your anxiety, and on the same token, only YOU can make yourself happy. Happiness is a choice... Remember that. Thank you, Lucinda!!!

CHANGED MY LIFE!!!
This book has literally changed my life. I had panic attacks so severely it was almost to the point where I wouldn't leave my house alone in fear of having a panic attack. She is a great author and made me look at my panic attacks completely different than I had before. This book saved me thousands of dollars that I would have spent in therapy sessions getting this information. I still may have not received this valuable of information from therapy, as this woman experienced panic attacks herself and can relate. This book is written first hand by someone who experienced what I used to and you probably still experience everyday. I would recommend this book to anyone looking to heal from panic attacks.

Self-Help
This book is a good self-help book with those who have anxieties and/or depression.Very good reading.

If you suffer from anxiety and depression, start here!!!
I read this book several years ago while in the throws of a massive depression that was preceded by a prolonged period of anxiety. It had definitely gotten to a clinical point and I was not functioning at all, so I disagree with the one star review that says if you are clinically or severely depressed, this book is not for you! I, too, believed that Lucinda and her clientele were not as far gone as I and that no one could help me! I imagined myself being admitted to the psych ward and never coming back. Well, this book was of tremendous help and I still recommend it to friends and family members who are suffering from any kind of anxiety, depression, neurosis or paranoia. I have FULLY recovered and lead a successful life - I am on to all the Law of Attraction books which are helping me to take my life to the next level - I have also just ordered Lucinda's other book Life Without Limits. I no longer take any medication at all and I was SEVERELY depressed after being SEVERELY anxious, I had had my first panic attack at the age of eleven which started a 'scary period' that lasted for three full years of daily panic. Then I had auditory and visual hallucinations when I became depressed as an adult, so it was BAD...but I rarely think of myself as this person anymore and feel I have left that nightmare behind me. Lucinda gives you the courage to know you can heal permanently by telling her own story of emotional breakdown and how she healed herself from the obsessive, scary thoughts that used to plague her.If you are suffering from anxiety and depression, no matter how severe, start here!!! You may decide that you want to take medication or look into more extensive alternative therapies and nutritional therapies, but there are so many options available to you, there is no need to suffer!!! No matter how far down you have gone, it is amazing how the mind/body can recover. I originally bought the entire Attacking Anxiety Program and have also read The Mood Cure, Seven Weeks to Emotional Healing, many of the Abraham-Hicks books, Secrets of Success, The Big Leap by Gay Hendricks all which I found immensely helpful. There are so many great self help books out there right now, it's truly a revelation! Onward and upward... ... Read more

Product Description

PANIC TRICKS YOU

Panic is an insidious trick that makes you fear simple, everyday things: driving, shopping, socializing, traveling and more. The first attack comes out of nowhere, and then panic tricks you into responding in precisely the ways that invite the panic back, again and again.

BUT IT'S JUST A TRICK

The panic trick is highly effective and has drawn millions of people into panic attacks and phobias. But you can outsmart and beat this trick. Panic Attacks Workbook shows you how, with a step-by-step guide from panic to recovery. The proven methods in this book show how to identify the panic trick and empower you with the tools to address your fears and solve this debilitating problem.

STEPS TO RECOVERY

♦Part 1 details precisely what the panic trick is and how it operates. It also includes exercises to help you find evidence of the trick at work in your own life.

♦Part 2starts you on the path to recovery with hands-on lessons that prepare you for the primary program in Part 3.

♦Part 3 shows you how to design and implement your own desensitization and exposure program that will free you from panic attacks and phobias.

♦Part 4 offers additional help with the five most common phobias--claustrophobia, social phobia, and the fears of flying, public speaking and driving.

"Dr. Carbonell, a long-time colleague of mine, has written a wonderful, inspiring and comprehensive guidebook for winning over panic attacks. While panic attacks are terrifying for the sufferer, they take over territory in a person's life by playing a very simple but powerful game. In Panic Attacks Workbook you will find the solid and clever strategies needed to win this mental game and take back your life." - R. Reid Wilson, Ph.D., author of Don't Panic: Taking Control of Anxiety Attacks. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (23)

Excellent book.
This book really helped me out alot.It helped me understand what was wrong with me and how to get myself onto a path of feeling better.

Thumbs Up
I have only gotten to chapter 5 in this book but from what I've read so far this book gives me hope that I CAN over come my panic attacks.

Like this book for clients to work on on their own
I am a psychologist and often work with anxiety and panic w/clients. I find this book helpful for them to have in conjunction with counseling

Great book from a doctor who doesn't suffer NPD
First, a little personal background. It was a Monday in early May (10th to be exact) when it hit like a ton of bricks. When I say that I mean a TON OF BRICKS and it felt as if each and every brick was piled on my chest. I had no doubt whatsoever that I was about to die. At the time I was driving on a limited access toll road and the exits were few and far between.Somehow that afternoon I made it home.I tried to calm down but I was walking outside and I could not stop moving. It was absolutely horrible.

Our son had a little league baseball game at 7 p.m. which is why I came home early. As I backed out of the garage and started for the park I found myself turning toward the hospital instead. I presented with chest pains, sky high blood pressure, thought I was going nuts (it might have been too late for that - it might have already happened), was shaking all over, could not sit still and knew I was going to die.I was whisked past the emergency room and promptly deposited in a bed in the Coronary Care Unit of a major teaching hospital with a suspected heart attack.

For the next two days the staff ran tests, more tests and I think they tested the tests. A bucket of money later the Chief of Cardiology, who was also a friend, proclaimed from "on high" that I had not had a heart attack and he didn't have a clue about what happened. He was not alone in his non-diagnosis diagnosis.

Over the next nine years I saw 13 physicians and 2 psychologists with the end result being that I LOST nine years of my life as I became agoraphobic also. All they actually did for me was shove another Valium scrip into my pocket until I was at 60 mg. of Valium and ValRelease per day. It was like popping M & Ms for all the good it did. For five years, in my prime with our son's sports events and all, I could not leave our home. The most I could do was walk to the end of the driveway and get the newspaper.

When I finally found someone who could help me on July 20, 1991 it only required about 2 days of meds to get my *whole* life back.

Now, on to the review:

A little fast for the review notice from Amazon as this book is a course of action self-learning. All great knowledge stems from autodidactic personalities and David Carbonell definitely provides a wonderful process of self-learning. After just a few minutes with this tome you will be able to see where he is going. All you have to do is follow the bread crumbs to get home safely.

This should tell someone reading these reviews that this is not a "grab it, couldn't put it down" type of book (or manual, if you prefer that term). This is not a quick fix like a pill that lasts until its half-life depletes its efficacy. To complete the program you must work at it like you have never worked before. It's scary. It's challenging. It's a lifesaver.

The book does not have a path to a cure for panic disorder but you do not need to find a cure to get your life back. This program is really good.

While The National Institute of Mental Health says, "There is no cure for panic disorder" relief is something you can achieve if you decide to own this book. If you suffer from Panic Disorder, to any degree, you owe it to yourself to order this book as soon as practicable.

The Best Panic/Anxiety Book I Have Read
I have suffered with panic and anxiety for a long time, and have read and tried many self-help books along the way.I started this book yesterday, and read it cover to cover.I can already see the ways of my thinking about panic was flawed for years.This book is already helping see the light at the end of the panic "cycle."The exercises are all useful and humorous, and I never found myself getting bored or confused by the writing.

Please remember, as with any large task you undertake, you may get worse before you get better, but that's because you are facing it, and that takes a lot of courage. This book will help you see that and understand that it's okay to be who you are, and having an anxiety problem does not make you a flawed person. ... Read more

Product Description
Panic. Almost everyone has experienced it at one time or another, but in the form of a panic attack, it can be incapacitating. In Don't Panic, a leading expert offers an accessible and practical self-help program for reducing and eliminating these attacks. With insight and compassion, he explains how attacks occur, provides a detailed 5-step strategy for controlling the moment of panic and shows how to use breathing exercises, focused thinking and mental imagery to elicit the body's natural "Calming Response." Packed with useful information that can begin reducing the power of these attacks immediately, this perennial seller is an invaluable tool for the millions of Americans coping with this crippling condition. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (48)

Ordered a Used Book - Don't Panic
I am very pleased. I ordered a used book but it arrived in excellent like-new condition.My book arrived so fast I felt like I had just ordered it and suddenly it was delivered to my door.

This book was recommended to me and I am so happy that I got it.This book is actually a pleasure to read because it is quite informative without any of the boring factor.I had read about 100 pages before realizing just how many pages I had read - reader friendly.

It is full of useful information and pertinent data to anyone suffering with Panic Disorder or knows someone who is.

The contents of this book are divided into 4 parts:

1.-Identifying the Problem
2.-The Nature of Anxiety Attacks
3.-Don't Panic Live: Your Moment-by-Moment Strategies
4.-Support When You Need It

I would definitely recommend this book becauseI feel it is a very helpful asset in one's tool box when dealing/coping with Panic.It not only helps you understand but also helps you!

all filler.
this book is about 75% filler. there are many parts where it will say something like "before we learn the technique of controlled breathing, lets reflect on something". then you gotta read 3 pages of non-sense before actually learning what the chapter was meant to teach. also, the book is very boring, uses huge medical words normal people don't know, and is just not helpful. lets face it, if your reading it it's cause you got some loose screws in your head. your either anxious which comes with depression most of the time and your stressed out. most people in that situation don't want to sit and read a boring book that's written like a technical manual on routine maintenance. also, there are a lot of religious references. science and religion should not be mixed. Psychology is the scientific study of human (or animal) mental functions and behaviors. if your religious... great... pray for less anxiety. if your not, find a more interesting book.

Learn to be still
The takeaway from this densely-packed guide to overcoming anxiety attacks can be summed up in the statement, "Positive action gets results."Author Reid Wilson, PhD, is the director of the Anxiety Disorders Treatment Center in Chapel Hill and Durham, North Carolina. Dr. Wilson provides a wealth of information as he treats the subject with the seriousness it deserves. He begins by describing a wide array of anxiety disorders, any one of which can reduce a person's world to shambles.

For example, the reader is brought slowly into the real world of agoraphobia and the panic-prone personality by way of scenarios that describe the cases of Donna, Dorothy Ann, and Sheryll. Dr. Wilson speaks directly to his reader, whom he considers to be a person with some form of panic disorder. He makes it known on several occasions that professional guidance in dealing with panic disorder and agoraphobia will be beneficial.
All possibilities and permutations of anxiety attacks are laid out in great detail. As the reader progresses through the discussion, promises of helpful and practical activities are referenced as being detailed in later chapters of the book. This method of slow, deliberate unfolding of assistance was a bit annoying; however, for someone who needs this type of guidance and assistance, it is likely the best approach.

The key to success in dealing with anxiety may very well be using Dr. Wilson's techniques for changing the brain's interpretation of events from stressful and threatening (calling forth an emergency response) to a much more manageable but annoying situation. //Don't Panic// is intended for the dedicated reader who truly wants to get better.

Reviewed by
Joseph Arellano

Excellent book for anxiety sufferers
This book does an excellent job of covering the bases for helping sufferers of panic.It goes through the physiology all the way to the way that panic convinces us that something is very wrong, creating a pertpetual cycle of avoidance and terror.I have used this book with clients as a mental health professional with great success. Highly recommended.

dont' panic
a progressive, experiential treatment of a number of panic disorders, utilizing treatment regimens that sound like they are effective while supporting ones ability to heal itself, not relying or relying at a minimum, 'crutches'.the author speaks from field experience. ... Read more

Product Description
Manias, Panics, and Crashes, Fifth Edition is an engaging and entertaining account of the way that mismanagement of money and credit has led to financial explosions over the centuries. Covering such topics as the history and anatomy of crises, speculative manias, and the lender of last resort, this book puts the turbulence of the financial world in perspective. The updated fifth edition expands upon each chapter, and includes two new chapters focusing on significant financial crises of the last fifteen years. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (64)

Manias, Panics and Crashes
I wish a lot of people here in the USA would read this book to learn about the cyclicality of financial markets thus they may understand where we are in the economy right now and how BAD it could have been if the Obama administration had not stepped in and assist.Look to the future by reading this book to see where will be in the next five years.One should look at long term trends not just at tomorrow.Manias, Panics, and Crashes: A History of Financial Crises (Wiley Investment Classics)

An old book revisited
I owned and read this book in the past but didn't keep it in my library. After the financial upheavels we have experienced I wanted to read it again. I found it used and received it promptly. I enjoyed reading it again.

A delighful and amusing book on a miserable and depressing subject
Manias, Panics and Crashes is delightful book--funny, surprising, and entertaining. Charles P. Kindleberger has a great sense of humor, an open and inquiring mind, and is deadly serious about informing his reader about the forces leading to financial catastrophes. Given the recent financial debacle and impending financial doom of the US, this book should be required reading for everyone over the age of 16. Of course, it does not address the recent occurrences, but it provides a road map for understanding why the markets rise and fall as they do. It is a solid introduction. Robert Aliber added some additional material (and some organization) to the original version.

Uneven and hard to read, not for the general public.
The foreword by Robert Solow warns you: "It was CPK's style as an economic historian to hunt for interesting things to learn, not to pursue a systematic agenda." From this you expect a bird's eye view but the bird turns out to be a hummingbird flitting from flower to flower in a seemingly random fashion. Also, asreviewer Evelyn Uyemura notes, if you are not an economist, many of the older references draw a blank. This is a book written for economists, not for the general public.

The new chapter 13 by Robert Aliber was especially hard for me to read, the sentence structure used being quite complex.

Still, the general message comes across clearly enough, when problems arise it is usually a lack of liquidity (which can have a variety of causes). The solution is a lender of last resort, a solution that creates its own problems, moral hazard.

Kindleberger approaches the analysis as a classical economist, as if economics were a hard science like Newtonian physics. Imagine for a moment if Newton and the other astrophysicists had to analyze a universe where distance, time and the strength of the various forces changed from instant to instant like prices do. I believe it would be mission impossible. Over the past few decades a new way of looking at economics has been tried, as a Complex Science, not as a physical science. The economy is created by the interaction of agents: buyers, sellers, producers and consumers. Being the creation of biological entities, it seems to make sense to look at it from a biologist's point of view. Stuart Kauffman has done some work in that direction. I think it is the more fruitful route to understanding economics.

Dry, disjointed ramble through economic history
I saw this book referenced so much that I thought I would give it a try. In addition, I believe the past is usually a good indication of what's to come, given the same or similar circumstances, or that the past can give clues as to how to handle a current situation similar to one that happened in the past. Since we are in the midst of a financial crisis, I thought it would be interesting to see how past crises were dealt with. I thought I was crazy for not liking this book since it is generally alluded to in a positive, even must-read, sort of way. I didn't think I was so crazy when I saw the other negative reviews. The one conclusion Kindleberger seems to draw is that a lender of last resort (i.e., central bank of some sort) helps soften a financial crisis. However, even he admits that there's not much hard evidence for this. Given the moral hazard and distortions that central banks introduce into a system, I find this conclusion unconvincing. In addition, as other reviewers have pointed out, the author assumes a great deal of knowledge of economic history, especially of the West, though of Asia to some extent as well. The book keeps coming out in new editions, which means some people obviously like it, but I rate it one star for content. The reason I gave it two stars was because the notes contain helpful references to other works that could prove more fruitful. Check it out of the library if you feel compelled to know what all the fuss over this book is all about. ... Read more

Product Description
"Before reading The Panic of 1907, the year 1907 seemed like a long time ago and a different world. The authors, however, bring this story alive in a fast-moving book, and the reader sees how events of that time are very relevant for today's financial world. In spite of all of our advances, including a stronger monetary system and modern tools for managing risk, Bruner and Carr help us understand that we are not immune to a future crisis."
—Dwight B. Crane, Baker Foundation Professor, Harvard Business School

"Bruner and Carr provide a thorough, masterly, and highly readable account of the 1907 crisis and its management by the great private banker J. P. Morgan. Congress heeded the lessons of 1907, launching the Federal Reserve System in 1913 to prevent banking panics and foster financial stability. We still have financial problems. But because of 1907 and Morgan, a century later we have a respected central bank as well as greater confidence in our money and our banks than our great-grandparents had in theirs."
—Richard Sylla, Henry Kaufman Professor of the History of Financial Institutions and Markets, and Professor of Economics, Stern School of Business, New York University

"A fascinating portrayal of the events and personalities of the crisis and panic of 1907. Lessons learned and parallels to the present have great relevance. Crises and panics are as much a part of our future as our past."
—John Strangfeld, Vice Chairman, Prudential Financial

"Who would have thought that a hundred years after the Panic of 1907 so much remained to be written about it? Bruner and Carr break significant new ground because they are willing to do the heavy lifting of combing through massive archival material to identify and weave together important facts. Their book will be of interest not only to banking theorists and financial historians, but also to business school and economics students, for its rare ability to teach so clearly why and how a panic unfolds."
—Charles Calomiris, Henry Kaufman Professor of Financial Institutions, Columbia University, Graduate School of Business ... Read more

Customer Reviews (50)

History doesn't exactly repeat itself, but it's close
This is an interesting book for it's quick, direct explanation of one of the worst recessions the US has experienced. It's also interesting because I don't think many people have ever heard of this event and with the parallels of today's economy, the books ideas are nice blueprints for profiting in today's world. It's worth reading due to it's compact size, direct facts, and relevance.

Panic of 1907
I loved this book. It goes through the Panic of 1907 so thoroughly that you feel like you were actually there. You learn so much about J.P. Morgan and the authority he held when he was on the earth. The author does a great job of showing how it parallels our current economic situation.

Panic of 1907
Caveat: Its been more than a month since I read The Panic of 1907 (Panic). I read it for the pleasure of reading history so I took no notes.Consequently, this review will be a broad stroke, impressionistic recount of my take-aways.In addition, the book I read immediately after this was The Creature from Jekyll Island (Jekyll)and so my whole take on our banking system and its progenitors is negative.

There are two short comings here: 1) Panic reads like a hymnal from the Church of Morgan, filled with Morgan hero worship and 2) the lessons offered are not worth knowing. The picture drawn of Morgan resolutely plowing through the streets of the financial district on foot, parting a sea of worried weaklings with the power of his reputation and confidence, seems melodramatic and fawning. As to the lessons drawn, the idea that we (or regulators?) should be on the lookout for the development and convergence of a handful of unmeasurable economic, sociological and political conditions seems like a mushy formula for detecting the advent of financial disapointment.

And what of this very word, "panic", which in general usage describes supposedly irrational, disruptive and usually futile attempts by bank depositors to recover their money?The word may be unduly pejorative and suspect in the mouths of bankers.When a bank precipitously "calls in" loans from borowers whose circumstances have changed for the worse, that is accepted as a prudent, sadly necessary response by a lender.When depositors take the same action against a bank whose fortunes have changed, that is uncharitably called a panic.Seems like a distinctly one-sided way to view things.

Here's where Jekyll comes in.Jekyll preaches that the way to detect a bank's succeptibility to panics is to ask whether the bank's business is fractional reserve lending.If it is, then your job is done.You have identified a bank that has rendered itself incapable of making all, most or even many of its depositors whole at any given time. Don't sniff around for indicia of danger wafting through the air, look for them in the business practices of the bank.Of course, Jekyll also suggests that banking panics are now all but permanently bannished by the inflationary attentions of the Federal Reserve and its sidekick, the FDIC (the EMS of depositor trauma). God bless mighty Morgan for leading us all out of the desert of recurring, destructive depositor uprisings and to the safer world of American central banking (the money trust) where these annoyances are now literally, very literally, papered over.

I am Frightened
My first exposure to economic theory was Econ 101 in 1952 with Paul Samuelson's1st or 2nd edition textbook.After a dozen years of entrepreneurial activity, I pulled that old text off the shelf and reread it.Even with my limited experience I knew there was more to the story.So I began reading everything I could find on economics from Keynesian (such as Samuelson), Econometrics (such as Chicago School, Friedman), and on to Austrian School (such as Mises, Hayek).

I still read a lot of books andoften use Amazon to find them, order them,and read reviews.I have never written a review until now.It was the tenor of the reviews, not the book,that disturbed me and caused me to comment on the book.

The Panic of 1907 was a fun read and I have not so much quarrel with the books content as with the omissions.Bruner and Carr have done a great deal of fascinating research and presented it in a scholarly manner.The reviews, however, bother me.Of about 48 reviews, 75 percent were in agreement with the authors, the rest disagreeing.I am among that last 25 percent.

Virtually every economist I have read whose views make sense to me at all attribute a large share of our periodic booms and busts to good old credit expansion.Obviously, the financial system in 1907, experienced the same shock as in 1929 and as in the year 2000.Money created from thin air anyplace in the system can start a boom.As the resulting inflation progresses, people want to spend the money before it loses more value. These smaller cash holdings result in significant growth of money in the system.People feel impelled to borrow more and more for less and less advantageous projects. A boom may develop that will carry on until the system breaks down as the economic growth declines enough to fall below the monetary growth rate.The money that had come into the system as excess credit then washes out of the system and a recovery is at hand.Of course, there is a lot of pain as firms and individuals lose their poor bets.

I waited in vain for the authors, who run the business school at the University of Virginia, to chart this most basic characteristic of the business cycle and compare it to present booms and busts.By the time I got to the end of the book, I had to acknowledge the likelihood that Bruner and Carr have a very large lacunae in their knowledge of money theory.That is not so disturbing, as I have found a very large number of economists who write books that also exhibit the same trait.

It is the position of the readers who critiqued the book that cause me profound concern.If they represent the sample of economics educated persons which probably contains economists, graduate students, government employees, bankers,and others:then I truly fear for the ability of our economy to recover from such profound damage as is being inflicted by the highest level managers in government and banking on our monetary system in the present day collapse of a the wildest excess of unbacked credit in history.

The stated purpose of the book as a lesson in economics gets an F from me.I learned nothing.It appears the authors learned nothing.But worse, readers were subjected to fallacious economic theories that have been extant in our economy for decades.And even much worse, a large majority of readers seem to support policies derived from theories that seem likely to bring this economy to its knees.

A Panic of One's Own?
Tolstoy's comment about happy and unhappy families has its counterpart in investment:all euphoric investors are euphoric for the same reasons, but all panic-stricken investors are panic-stricken for reasons unique to them.Challenging the notion that each episode of market panic is unique is one of the two central objectives of this remarkably informative book on the panic of 1907.The other objective is to avoid providing an account of the panic that is overly general.All too often, Bruner and Carr maintain, the explanation of a financial crisis is either too generic or too specific.Hence, their aim is to provide an account that is "neither too idiosyncratic nor too simplistic."

The result is the identification of seven inter-related "element" or "factors" that surface during crisis periods.Bruner and Carr claim these factors converged in 1907 and reappeared 100 years later.They are: buoyant growth, complexity, inadequate safety buffers, adverse leadership, real economic shock, undue fear and/or greed and failure of collective action.

Perhaps invariably this book is more hypothesis than proof.More work will be required to establish the usefulness of their framework.They have, however, decisively brought to life the panic of 1907 and, in a separate chapter, shown the relevance of 1907 to our own real estate induced panic.Their description of the panic and the response of market participants makes forboth gripping and, considering how little has changed, sobering reading.With respect to the latter, what strikes the reader is how little has changed a century after Otto Heinze inadvertently struck the match that started the fire by attemptingto "corner" shares in the United Copper company.

What I find disconcerting in books that attempt to explain a financial crisis is the scant attention paid to the question of how to prevent or more realistically prepare for the next one.On this point, however, Bruner and Carr are instructive.Their emphasis on the importance of collective action offers a clue going forward.Nothing struck me more in this book than the pivotal role of J. Pierpont Morgan.Morgan, already in his late sixties at the time of the panic, worked tirelessly to contain the panic by cajoling and uniting the otherwise independent players in New York's financial community.That his intervention may not have been entirely selfless is beside the point when one considers his impact.No single "factor" did as much to limit the duration and depth of the market's decline as the active involvement of Morgan.What's the lesson? This need for collective action in the financial community certainly surfaced during the demise of Long-Term Capital Management.It is in play in this crisis.All of which prompts the question:Should the Fed or Treasury periodically identify key players and engage in "war games" or otherwise prepare them for the next time they are called upon to act collectively? ... Read more

Product Description
Hectic lifestyles make traditional cooking methods nearly obsolete in many families. The results are poor nutrition and budgets strained by the high cost of fast food or commercially prepared meals. Now, due to popular demand, the ladies who brought you Don't Panic--Dinner's in the Freezer offer more of their simple and economical recipes designed to be prepared and frozen for future use.Don't Panic--More Dinner's in the Freezer gives practical tips for planning, organizing, and shopping for meals, as well as unique ways to freeze and reheat prepared foods. Every recipe includes measurements for cooking alone or as a joint venture with one or two friends. Families, singles, retirees--everyone who needs to eat--will find fast and easy answers to the question, "What's for dinner?" ... Read more

Customer Reviews (21)

Very disappointing.Not worth it!
I read the rave reviews so I was very excited to start cooking!I just went through BOTH books and am VERY disappointed in the AMOUNT of items needed AND the multiple steps--1 recipe for topping, 1 for filling, 1 for sauce, etc... Also, 50% of these recipes requre some sort of unusual item (imported Bovarian Cheese isn't just laying around in the fridge in my house).I think i will do better assembling my own list from online recipes that don't require me to cook the meat for 4 hours or cook or brown the meat/chicken ahead of time. I have no idea how these taste since I don't plan on using the recipes so that's the only reason I gave this (these) books 2 stars.Unless you have LOTS of time and many out-of-the ordinary food items, I would skip this book and look online at places like [...] for recipes you can simply assemble and freeze without cooking 8 items first.

This cookbook is AWESOME!
we used to eat out so much because I didn't have time to cook every day or we had sports or something for the kids.This cookbook lets me do most of the work on one day and a lot of the recipes even my 10 year old can finish up.It's just great and so much healthier than the box dinners in the freezer aisle.

Yummy
I am intrigued with make-ahead cooking.I have purchased several books and have learned much from them.Don't panic-More Dinner in the Freezer is one of the best!Everything I have tested has been absolutely delicious!I use this and their first book often.They are my "go to books" for something beyond sloppy Joes and lasagna (which I love).If you haven't considered make-ahead cooking, you should!

NEWFOUND FREEDOM!
I'm an attorney who just got her foot back in the kitchen after several years away. This has been a lifesaver for me and my family.The recipes in this book are top notch.We're big fans of the Chicken Marsala, Parmesan Garlic Chicken and the Penne. More importantly, this is so helpful in getting organized and thinking in advance about preparing and cooking meals. It really does make a difference in your attitude towards cooking.Now, I get excited thinking about what's for dinner.Not only is this one less thing to think about but I actually feel really good (a) taking advantage of sales (particularly on chicken breasts); (b) stocking my freezer; and (c) not spending HOURS every day in the kitchen. It also frees me up to focus on more important things -- my clients, my husband and my girls.Try it!

Freezer Meals
Great idea.Love the way this book does all the work for me.I can double or triple recipes so easily. Also love the ability to freeze meals.They are all ready for entertaining or taking a meal to a sick friend or when I just don't feel like cooking.From now on ,when I am cooking, I will always make extra for the freezer. ... Read more

Product Description
The 1980s opened with the prime interest rate at an astonishing 21.5 percent, leading to a severe recession with unemployment reaching nearly 11 percent. Depression-like conditions befell the agricultural sector, a bubble burst in the energy sector, a rolling real estate recession swept the country, the entire thrift industry was badly insolvent and the major money center banks were loaded with third world debt. Some 3,000 bank and thrifts failed, including nine of Texas’ 10 largest, and Continental Illinois, which, at the time, was the 7^thlargest bank in the nation. These severe conditions were not only handled without creating a panic, the economy actually embarked on the longest peacetime expansion in history.

In Senseless Panic: How Washington Failed America, William M. Isaac, Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) during the banking and S&L crises of the 1980s, details what was different about 2008’s meltdown that allowed the failure of a comparative handful of institutions to nearly shut down the world’s financial system. The book also tells the rousing story of Isaac’s time at the FDIC. With accessible and engaging prose, Isaac:

• Details the mistakes that led to the panic of 2008 and 2009
• Demystifies the conditions America faced in 2008, and
• Provides a roadmap for avoiding similar shutdowns and panics in the future

Senseless Panicis a provocative, quick-paced, and thoughtful analysis of what went wrong with the nation's banking system and a blunt indictment of United States policy.Amazon.com Review
Product Description
The 1980s opened with the prime interest rate at an astonishing 21.5 percent, leading to a severe recession with unemployment reaching nearly 11 percent. Depression-like conditions befell the agricultural sector, a bubble burst in the energy sector, a rolling real estate recession swept the country, the entire thrift industry was badly insolvent and the major money center banks were loaded with third world debt. Some 3,000 bank and thrifts failed, including nine of Texas’ 10 largest, and Continental Illinois, which, at the time, was the 7^thlargest bank in the nation. These severe conditions were not only handled without creating a panic, the economy actually embarked on the longest peacetime expansion in history.

In Senseless Panic: How Washington Failed America, William M. Isaac, Chairman of the Federal Deposit Insurance Corporation (FDIC) during the banking and S&L crises of the 1980s, details what was different about 2008’s meltdown that allowed the failure of a comparative handful of institutions to nearly shut down the world’s financial system. The book also tells the rousing story of Isaac’s time at the FDIC. With accessible and engaging prose, Isaac:

• Details the mistakes that led to the panic of 2008 and 2009
• Demystifies the conditions America faced in 2008, and
• Provides a roadmap for avoiding similar shutdowns and panics in the future

Senseless Panicis a provocative, quick-paced, and thoughtful analysis of what went wrong with the nation's banking system and a blunt indictment of United States policy.

Amazon Exclusive: Review fom Professor Cornelius Hurley

Before “too big to fail” became part of our lexicon, there was Bill Isaac, Chairman of the FDIC in the 1980s.Drawing on his experience from that era leading the banking system out of a potential catastrophe, Isaac in his new book, Senseless Panic has provided us with a must-read analysis for anyone looking to understand the 2008 economic crisis. Senseless Panic offers both fresh insight and devastating analysis, showing how a pattern of governmental inaction and regulatory failures played leading roles in the meltdown. During the critical days in September 2008, when Congress was debating the original bailout package, Isaac was called on by a bipartisan group of legislators to educate Congress on the failings of the Government’s plan. He played a crucial role in defeating the initial proposal in the House. Though it eventually passed, Isaac presents a clear-eyed critique of TARP as an unnecessary and waste of taxpayer money.

Isaac first gives readers a succinct and straightforward look at how in the 1980s the FDIC and Paul Volker’s Fed managed to stave off a brewing bank panic with unpopular but necessary steps. He provides a roadmap on how later the lack of political will, agency turf wars and boneheaded policy responses to the bank and S&L crises of the 1980s led to the current debacle. Isaac explains how banking regulators need to have the courage to promote unpopular countercyclical strategies to protect the financial markets. Isaac shows how the regulators botched the job, calling out a bipartisan collection of economic and political leaders including treasury secretaries, the SEC and FASB for their failed policies and poor reaction to the crisis of 2008.

Senseless Panic is an important book, one that should be on the reading list of anyone interested in America’s economic well-being.Isaac shows how the failure to understand and appreciate the banking crises of the 1980s turned the inevitable economic downturn in 2008 into an economic force of destruction. For the next generation of economic policymakers looking to head off an economic tsunami, Senseless Panic is the place to start.

Professor Cornelius Hurley
Executive Director, Morin Center for Banking & Financial Law
Boston University
Former Assistant General Counsel, Federal Reserve Board

... Read more

Customer Reviews (22)

The Real Truth
Bill Isaac does a good job putting the financial meltdown in perspective. Banks in general have been the fall guys but the real truth is our government should stand accountable for the "Senseless Panic" and the SENSELESS PAIN we have endured. We failed to learn histories lessons and again had to learn the hard way. Sad to say the Dodd-Frank Act did little to fix the real problem so be prepared for a banking system relapse contributing to the next business cycle. Read the book for the details. The more you know the less chance you get blind sided next time.

Senseless Panic...A Great Read!
Being a layman, Senseless Panic gave me an insight to the financial problems of both the 1980s and 2007 - 2008. Mr. Isaac presented detailed information relative alternative solutions which should have been implemented. Such solutions, in my opinion, would have cost us much less and avoided the financial panic of the past several years. I am convinced Mr. Isaac's financial savy will be called upon again to help get us out of our current financial mess. I highly recommend this book to anyone wanting to get an insight into how we got where we are, and how we can avoid it in the future.

Ray Connin
Bryan, Ohio

Required Reading for Congress
If you have ever wondered how we ended up with TARP, "Senseless Panic" gives you the historical context.Easy to read, easy to understand - Ought to be required reading for every new member of Congress.

Bill Isaac Sets The Record Straight - Finally!
Forget all the fluffy, tabloid and salacious books about the Financial Crisis.If one really wants to know the truth...what really "went down", you must read former FDIC Chairman Isaac's book.From slack government regulators to corrupt politicians to ill-advised new accounting pronouncements enacted by the Congress, Chairman Isaac gives the reader the accurate narrative that led to the crisis and actually caused its severity.This is not the book for readers interested in the "populist bill of goods" sold to the American public by the powers to be.The book is hard hitting, no political holds are barred and anybody who reads this book will know more about the reality of the Financial Crisis than 99% of the public and how it all could have been avoided.

This book makes all those books on the Crisis that preceded it look like mere tabloids chasing space aliens invading Hollywood actor's bodies.

Isaac nails it!

If the book leaves you yearning for more about the real facts of the Crisis, I recommend one read former Federal Reserve maverick Robert McTeer's blog site - [...]

- Michael Durante, former Federal Reserve bank regulator

Praise For Candor
At first, I was surprised by Senseless Panic's relative compact size. Given the sheer size and weight of many of the current books out on our most recent financial crisis, how could Bill communicate the "necessary" complexities and subtleties of a senseless panic? To be honest, the first fifty pages or so did little to relieve me of my concern. I was wrong! Bill cuts through the theory and intrigue and gets down to a good old Midwestern practice of calling balls and strikes as he sees them. He connects the dots to lessons learned and mistakes made. Whether one agrees with him or not (I'm mostly on the agree side), it is refreshing to see someone take a stand and stick to their principles.


... Read more

Product Description
While most pregnancy books only address the stages of the baby's development, The Panic-Free Pregnancy comprehensively covers the lifestyle issues and questions that confront every mom-to-be. Dr. Broder separates fact from fiction, media hype from old wives tales, and drawing on the latest scientific research offers an accessible, comprehensive reference book that answers questions about...

€ Caffeine
€ Exercise
€ Flying
€ Prescription and over-the-counter medications
€ Sex
€ Cosmetics
€ Alcohol
€ Herbal remedies
€ and more

Organized in an easy-to-use question-and-answer format, this book will help women have the safest, healthiest, most anxiety-free pregnancy possible. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (35)

Definitely Panic-Free
This book is all about comfort and reassurance -- a pleasant change of pace from a lot of the fear-mongering out there.This was one of the first books I read during my pregnancy, and it did wonders for calming my fears.Highly recommended.

The best pregnancy book
This book is a terrific resource.I didn't find the author's tone condescending at all.His advice is based on facts and science, and he reminds his readers that miscarriages do happen, but there is pretty much nothing you can do about them, and there is also very little you can do to harm a healthy pregnancy.So, take it easy, take care of yourself, and don't worry too much.

Calming Influence
It seems like when you are pregnant, everyone is telling you what you should and shouldn't do.A lot of the advice you get seems strange and irrational.This book is wonderful because it is written by an actual MD (a surprising number of pregnancy books are written by women who think they know everything), and he tells you where a lot of the concerns, advice, and old wives tales originated from, and whether or not you really need to be concerned about it or not.I honestly felt calmer about my pregnancy, knowing I wasn't "ruining" my baby already.This isn't a book about what is happening during each phase of your pregnancy, or what to expect while you are pregnant. This is a book strictly about can you eat fish, can you drink coffee, can you travel, should you stay away from your dog for 9 months, do you really have to drink 11 glasses of water a day, do you have to stay out of the sun, can you eat sushi, etc.I think this is a nice book for the beginning of your pregnancy, but I didn't really look at it much at the end.It is a nice "extra" book to have, but if I was only getting one pregnancy book, this wouldn't be it.This is a great second book to have on pregnancy.

Accurate, research-based book
I couldn't recommend this book more to any pregnant woman.It does a great job of presenting evidence-based advice without the wives tales that persist in so many other popular pregnancy books.

Very informative
This is a great book on pregnancy. It looks at the relevant research on things such as alcohol, tobacco use, cosmetics, diet etc. and synthesizes the scientific results for the lay reader. People find the results to be "unbelievable" mostly because questioning obstetrics dogma and popular public perceptions is hard!highly recommend this book. Also to address the charge that the author often comes across as patronizing I think that his tone may occasionally be misinterpreted. Yes, I can point to a couple of instances where he might be a bit patronizing but mostly, I think his tone is one of exasperation. I think this book is a reaction to books like "What to Expect When You're Expecting" and the widespread disregard of scientific, evidence-based medicine in the obstetrics community. If you would like more information about these topics, I recommend Born in the USA: How a Broken Maternity System Must Be Fixed to Put Women and Children First by Marsden Wagner and Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care by Jennifer Block. ... Read more

Product Description
The New York Times bestseller: A masterful account of today’s money culture, showing how the underpricing of risk leads to catastrophe.When it comes to markets, the first deadly sin is greed. In this New York Times bestseller, Michael Lewis is our jungle guide through five of the most violent and costly upheavals in recent financial history. With his trademark humor and brilliant anecdotes, Lewis paints the mood and market factors leading up to each event, weaves contemporary accounts to show what people thought was happening at the time, and, with the luxury of hindsight, analyzes what actually happened and what we should have learned from experience. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (44)

Panic! The Story of Modern Financial Insanity
Unlike some of the reviewers, I didn't have any problem reading the "fine print" on the cover and understood this was a book edited by Michael Lewis. With that advantage, I got way more than I expected and I expected a lot from my favorite non-fiction author.

All I can say about "Panic!" is "Wow!" In 365 pages I was reminded of the last 30 years of US economic instability (something most investors seem to easily forget), took a history lesson on the causes of a half-dozen financial crisis, got insight into the competence and incompetence of this country's financial leaders and corporations, gained some understanding of the complex "instruments" these criminals use to steal billions and trillions from the country and the world, and was entertained by it all.

Michael Lewis didn't write this book, but his style and insight is exhibited on every page. Only Mike Lewis could find a place for a Dave Barry article on homeownership in the middle of a group of complicated economic essays. And make if fit seamlessly into the narrative.

abridged audio still a good collection
The audio package makes it clear that Michael Lewis was the editor, so there was no surprise, unlike what some hardcopy reviews have claimed. Much of the stronger material was contributed by Lewis himself, including pieces written at the time of the relevant panic, and his editorial remarks.

Some conclusions reached while listening:

* Some of these crises involve problems caused by people who weren't actually contributing much to the world. Those traders who were speculating on quick market moves and getting rich or going bust: what a waste of brainpower, deployed only to take money from other people with little in return relative to the greater good or society. My sympathy was muted, and, as Lewis said at the end, perhaps people in this business never will make so much money again. Fine with me.

* Don't say "nobody predicted" this or that crisis, or "who could have seen that coming?" As some pieces showed, there were writers who were all over situation and made fairly accurate predictions. Not that people were listening or anybody knew what to do. It's probably fair to conclude, however, that unlike the housing and dot com bubbles, our most recent problem with sub-prime lending, securitized debt with little visibility, people really didn't see what was coming, or the extent of it, anyway.

* Some crises stick with you a lot longer than others. The Asian crisis and Russia's default turned out to be not such big deals, right? Bounce back we did, setting the table for the next crisis. Lewis certainly doesn't make you think there will ever be a crisis to end all crises, or even a long spell between messes. Humans are what they are, and Lewis feels (rightly) that some occasional crises are the price of creativity and freedom. Within reason, of course. Greed and ignorance shouldn't be unlimited.

The audio contained a few duds. Perhaps some of the weaker content was trimmed in the abridgment. Some of the details don't age wonderfully, but enough of the basics and conceptual explanations remain solid and informative.

3.5 stars

Is a compilation of financial articles already published
Even though the book author is Michael Lewis, in reality he is the compiler of the information, because of this not all the articles are as interesting.I have to say the book is a compilation of published books, newspapers, magazines and interviews. The way it is organize, is by market crashes, starting with the crash of 1987 and ending with the subprime crash. Because of this organization the book is fairly easy to read, it is divided in months before the crash, during the crash and days after, giving the reader a chance to experience the articles and interviews that were shown at the time, thus allowing the audience to feel that a crash was imminent, helping to understand a little bit about why the crash had occurred.
I recommend this book to anyone that is interested in knowing more about the recent market crashes, but I need to remind the readers that many of the terms used in the articles are financial terms, that not everyone understands.
If you are looking for a good book recommendation and easy to read, I strongly recommend liar's Poker by Michael Lewis Liar's Poker: Rising Through the Wreckage on Wall Street, and also for the baseball fans Moneyball Moneyball: The Art of Winning an Unfair Game.

Condemned to Repeat it.
Lewis' book was not what I expected.It's not a book by Michael Lewis.It's a book edited by him.But the editing is good.There is nothing new about financial market panics.The pieces chosen by Lewis indicate this every clearly.Change the names of the actors and you have the same plot.

This book is a sham (and I took the bait)
Saw "Michael Lewis" and picked this up. I love his stuff.Shame on me for not reading what this book is (a collection of old financial journalism highlighting other cataclysmic market turbulence) but shame on Michael Lewis for putting his name on this.I'd guess the goal of this was to hitch a ride on the panic bandwagon and make a few bucks.Publisher got my money but the author lost my respect. ... Read more

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Customer Reviews (1)

Still not complete.
Strawberry Panic is the ultimate in fun. A story of three all-girls schools and the girl-loving girls who attend them, the manga closely follows the storylines of the original novels as the three schools compete for honor, glory, and the best girlfriends.

Cheerfully soap-operatic and sugary, the pretty, dream-like art makes Strawberry Panic the perfect light read.

HOWEVER.

While this new omnibus edition, which collects the first two manga volumes and proudly advertises the never-published new chapters inside, has more material than before IT STILL HAS NO ENDING. This manga was NEVER COMPLETED and NEVER WILL BE. The new chapters still offer no resolution.

If you are already a Strawberry Panic fan who knows how the novels end--the publisher will finally release the third and final novel next year in English--I still recommend this manga as a supplementary source. It's fun to see the characters and scenes in picture-form. However, I suggest not buying the manga as reading material for its own sake, as you'll be disappointed by the non-ending. ... Read more

Product Description
Anxiety can make everything seem unmanageable-from dealing with family and friends to managing schoolwork and extracurricular activities. It's been estimated that between 9 and 15 million teens in the United States suffer from phobias, panic attacks, or extreme worry or anxiety. That's a lot of teens!My Anxious Mindhelps teens take control of their anxious feelings by providing cognitive-behavioral strategies to tackle anxiety head-on and to feel more confident and empowered in the process.My Anxious Mindalso offers ways for teens with anxiety to improve their inter-personal skills, whether it be with friends, family, or teachers; manage stress; handle panic attacks; use diet and exercise appropriately; and decide whether medication is right for them. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (9)

A worthwhile gift for any teen whose anxiety seems to be controlling their life
For some teens, there is just way too much on the plate. "My Anxious Mind: A Teen's Guide to Managin Anxiety and Panic" is a teen's guide to overcoming anxiety. Anxiety can be the root cause of so many of a teen's problems, and if they can overcome it, it can make a world of difference. "My Anxious Mind" is a worthwhile gift for any teen whose anxiety seems to be controlling their life.

At last! A real book for real teens.
Psychologists Michael and Katherine have written a truly useful, graceful and appropriate book for all sorts of teenagers.Using the tools of cognitive-behavior therapy (CBT) without any jargon, they lead teenagers through ten short chapters and many clear exercises to counter fearful anxieties and doubts.Self-help that really works and that is entirely respectful of the experience of teenage boys and girls is combined with explanations of the troubles, physical and mental means of dealing with them, and the help that healthful habits, smart uses of medication and adult support can bring.I've been a therapist for 40 years and almost never recommend books to clients, but I will absolutely be urging this book on anyone suffering from anxiety or whose kids wrestle with these difficult problems.

An Excellent Resource For Teens and Their Families
Michael Tompkins and Katherine Martinez have taken their many years of combined experience working with teens and tranlated them into a book that is concise, informative , and accessible. It is clear the authors know their audience. My Anxious Mind provides teens with a full toolbox of strategies they can use to cope with their anxiety. I highly recommend this book for teens, their parents and psychotherapists who work with adolescents.

I Love This Book
I love this book!I am a cognitive-behavioral psychotherapist in private practice specializing in anxiety disorders in children, teens and adults.This book is thorough and at the same time simple, making it appealing to teens.It is a great resource for professionals working with teens as well.The thing I like best is the rich use of metaphors.They explain concepts in a way that is easy to understand as well as to remember. For example when outlining common distortions, they talk about "binocular vision" to explain blowing negative things out of proportion and minimizing accomplishments, depending on which end of the binoculars you are looking through.When writing about panic attacks they help the reader understand that they need to change their relationship to anxiety, using the metaphor of riptides in the ocean.If you fight the riptide by desperately swimming to shore you won't do so well.Your chances are better if you float along until the current dies out, just like when you are having a panic attack.
Not only do my children and teen clients benefit from my reading this book, but these concepts and metaphors work great with adults as well.

A Unique Resource for All
I just finished reading this book and came away from it eager to write my very first Amazon book review!For a long time, I've been in search of a book that would help me better guide students who are struggling with anxiety and panic. What I didn't expect to find was a book that served that purpose and was at the same time a resource that I could so easily recommend to parents, fellow professionals, and students alike. What makes this such a good resource?First, it puts the young person in charge right from the start-by giving solid information to help them better understand what is going on and by providing them with tried and true techniques for managing their worries on their own. At the same time, there are guidelines all through the book on when and how to get additional help from parents and health-care professionals. The central imagine of a "worry wheel" certainly captures the experiences I hear reported by students in my own practice! The vignettes by teens throughout the book add realism. All in all, this is a most readable, informative, and practical book. And lastly, I adored the illustrations! ... Read more

Product Description
DESCRIPTION: In this classic guide--newly revised and updated--expert Reneau Peurifoy shows readers how to understand and overcome all types of anxiety-related disorders.Anxiety is an unpleasant, though mostly unavoidable, aspect of modern life--but for many, normal anxiety can become something far more serious and debilitating. Now, in this updated and revised edition of ANXIETY, PHOBIAS & PANIC, readers will learn how their condition developed and how to overcome their anxiety-related problems. Areas covered include: ï uncovering the causes of anxiety ï building stress tolerance ï identifying and correcting harmful modes of thinking ï relaxation techniques ï tools for managing anxiety ï and much more. Plus, this revised edition includes new discoveries about the brain, new information about OCD and social phobias, and a section on relapse prevention. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (6)

Can change your life
I have used this book to supplement the work I'm doing with a good therapist.I learn something important about myself every time I read it, and I feel like I am reading a book that is written about me.It has been so valuable in my work towards treatment of generalized anxiety disorder and depression.For me, this is the most valuable book I have read in my entire life.For the first time, I have hope that I can overcome the debilitating anxiety I have lived with for years.I am learning skills that will help me from relapsing into old ineffective behaviors.I will reference this book for years to come.

Top Flight Book on the subject
This is the most complete, easiest to read and comprehensive book I have read on the subject. Chock full of information that will help therapists and clients deal with whatever comes their way via anxiety. A winner.Reading Thomas Merton: A Guide to His Life and Work

For the anxious and frustrated.. a book that understands
I first read this book in New Zealand.. and soon became hooked. Mainly as I suffer from anxiety and depression. I found it insiteful and cathartic. It helped me to understand more fully my idiosyncracies and attitudes, and gave me more peace of mind. It offers good advice on how to help combat these debilitating conditions and gain your life back. I would highly recommend it to anyone who suffers from these conditions, or lives with anyone who has them, to better understand what feelings are involved, and that no one ever chooses to suffer; for many reasons, it is simply how our brain reacts to difficult situations, and no one is to blame. An empathetic, yet highly practical book.

copies to family and friends
I have had a copy for many years and have given copies to a grandchild and one child, since anxiety can be inherited (my father had it, and we also have hypoglycemia). I have also given the order forms in the back to friends. I first became aware of panic attacks as an eight year old, but I wasn't diagnosed until I was in my forties, and only after many counseling sessions for panic which didn't help.I found this book and it meant the end of Xanax for me.One doesn't have to read it all at once.The first things to learn are distraction and breathing exercises.Then move on to magnification and other thought control processes.

easy for laymen
very easy to understand the causes of panic and aniexity, creates easy to understandsolutions for people suffering from long term panic, GAD, etc.. ... Read more

Product Description
Drawing on rare access to an NFL team’s players, coaches and facilities, the author of The New York Times bestseller Word Freak trains to become a professional-caliber placekicker. As he sharpens his skills, he gains surprising insight into the daunting challenges—physical, psychological, and intellectual—that pro athletes must master

In Word Freak, Stefan Fatsis infiltrated the insular world of competitive Scrabble® players, ultimately achieving “expert” status (comparable to a grandmaster ranking in chess). Now he infiltrates a strikingly different subculture—pro football. After more than a year spent working out with a strength coach and polishing his craft with a gurulike kicking coach, Fatsis molded his fortyish body into one that could stand up—barely—to the rigors of NFL training. And over three months in 2006, he became a Denver Bronco. He trained with the team and lived with the players. He was given a locker and uniforms emblazoned with #9. He was expected to perform all the drills and regimens required of other kickers. He was unlike his teammates in some ways—most notably, his livelihood was not on the line as theirs was. But he became remarkably like them in many ways: He risked crippling injury just as they did, he endured the hazing that befalls all rookies, he gorged on 4,000 daily calories, he slogged through two-a-day practices in blistering heat. Not since George Plimpton’s stint as a Detroit Lion more than forty years ago has a writer tunneled so deeply into the NFL.

At first, the players tolerated Fatsis, or treated him like a mascot, but over time they began to think of him as one of them. And he began to think like one of them. Like the other Broncos—like all elite athletes—he learned to perfect a motion through thousands of repetitions, to play through pain, to silence the crowd’s roar, to banish self-doubt.

While Fatsis honed his mind and drove his body past exhaustion, he communed with every classic athletic type—the affable alpha male, the overpaid brat, the youthful phenom, the savvy veteran—and a welter of bracingly atypical players as well: a fullback who invokes Aristotle, a quarterback who embraces yoga, a tight end who takes creative writing classes in the off-season. Fatsis also witnessed the hidden machinery of a top-flight football franchise, from the God-is-in-the-details strategizing of legendary coach Mike Shanahan to the icy calculation with which the front office makes or breaks careers.

With wry candor and hard-won empathy, A Few Seconds of Panic unveils the mind of the modern pro athlete and the workings of a storied sports franchise as no book ever has before. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (36)

Great Read
Really, really loved this book. Hard to believe that you could get some of the insight I've always wanted to read about from an outsider allowed inside a team.

One of my favorite books
I bought the MP3 CD from Amazon. Great format. The whole unabridged book is on one CD. Most modern CD players can play them without a hitch.

I, like many other American males, have thought that the easiest way into professional sports would be as a kicker in the NFL, because it is a few repetitive motions. Stefan Fatsis thought the same, and actually did it!

Aside from living through the author and rooting for him throughout the book, it was amazing to hear what really goes on in the locker room and on the practice field. Shockingly, NFL players are people too. It makes it hard to get down on these players when they are trying so hard... but I'm sure I will the next time the Patriots fail to convert an "easy" first down. :)

Good story, terrible writer
There's lots of great details about how an NFL organization works and anyone who reads this book should have a very different understanding of what it's like to play in the NFL. Like being an actor, being an NFL athlete is about far more than your moment in the spotlight. It's mostly about the slog of practice and, unstinting dedication in spite of your body's and your family's needs, and having your career decided by people who don't care about you as a person. But Fatsis is a terrible writer. He's just, he's flat. He's not funny. He doesn't know how to turn a phrase. And his whining about not being able to play in a pre-season game gets a little old. I was really tired of his company well before the end of the book. A good story, but a slog to get through in Fatsis' company.

Excellent book
Very insightful.An interesting look into how the NFL operates.Best part was the look into the players minds/moods as they progress through training camps and towards the full season.Not too technical for us girls - LOL!

The ultimate, er, well, one fantasy... :)
As a 40-something American male, I ate it up.Fatsis, a middle-aged writer, is given the chance to be a part of the pre-season Denver Broncos.He told a story that most of us have never heard, the stress, injuries, pain, stress, hierarchy, pressure, and stress that 95% of all NFL players go through just trying to stay healthy and employed.Not many books keep me up till 2 in the morning anymore, this one definately did.You'll never look at professional football the same.

One warning to my conservative friends...football players talk like, well, football players and Fatsis quotes accurately and extensively. ... Read more

Product Description
A car crashes in Wyoming: A young mother is thrown clear of the devastating car crash. Dazed, she sees a figure pull her infant son from the flames. Or does she? The police believe it's a case of trauma playing cruel tricks on the mind, until the night the grief-stricken woman hears a voice through the phone: "Your baby is alive."

A bomb explodes in a Rio de Janeiro café: The heinous act kills ten people, including two journalists with the World Press Alliance news agency. Jack Gannon's first international assignment is to find out whether his colleagues were innocent victims or targets who got too close to a huge story.

A Caribbean cruise ends in horror: Doctors are desperate to identify the mysterious cause of a cruise ship passenger's agonizing death. They turn to the world's top scientists, who fear that someone has resurrected their long-buried secret research. Research that is now being used as a deadly weapon.

With millions of lives at stake, experts work frantically against time. And as an anguished mother searches for her child and Jack Gannon pursues the truth, an unstoppable force hurls them all into the panic zone. ... Read more

Customer Reviews (8)

Highly recommend this suspense/thriller
This gripping novel takes you from Wyoming to the poverty and ganglands of some of the neighborhoods in Rio de Janeiro to a Caribbean cruise that ends in horror. If you love a first rate thriller, spellbinding plot, and multi-dimensional characters that you immediately connect with and cheer for, then I highly recommend THE PANIC ZONE.

From the opening page, the story will captivate you and won't let you put the book down until the very end. Quick paced, strong writing and fascinating backdrops and characters make this complex book an enthralling, suspenseful read.

The Panic Zone
You notice a strange white car following you. Initially, you dismiss it. Maybe you are seeing things. Then you start to receive strange phone calls from a blocked number. The caller doesn't speak, he or she hangs up after a few seconds. Could this mean something? Maybe. You let all of that go to enjoy a picnic with your husband and son. Then tragedy strikes on a day that was supposed to be filled with joy.

And all of that is in just the first chapter of The Panic Zone by Rick Mofina, the second novel in the Jack Gannon series.

Emma Lane of Big Cloud, Wyoming, is left to pick up the pieces after a car accident takes the life of her husband, Joe, and son Tyler. Emma accepts Joe's death, she felt him slip away while holding his hand amidst the pieces of metal and glass. But in her heart, Emma knows she saw someone rescue Tyler. She tells anyone who will listen that Tyler is alive, but Emma's words are dismissed as the ramblings of a grieving mother. To make matters worse, Emma receives another mysterious phone call. This time the caller speaks, "Your baby is alive." Will anybody believe the anguished mother? How will she find Tyler?

Emma's story is just the beginning of this intricate plot. A reporter in Rio de Janeiro gets a tip about a big story. But before reporter Gabriella Rosa and a co-worker can get the story, the tipster, Maria Santo, and the journalists are killed by a bomb. Enter Jack Gannon, a reporter from the New York office. Gannon is dispatched to put together the pieces of the puzzle. Gannon is loathed by his Brazilian counterparts, who feel he isn't experienced enough. Despite the animosity, Gannon is undeterred. Attempts on his life can't stop this determined man. Gannon picks up where Maria Santo left off, investigating a Brazilian law firm, which serves as a front for illegal adoptions, human trafficking, and many other nefarious deeds. Piecing the puzzle together takes Gannon to London, Morocco, the Bahamas and Wyoming. Every step of Gannon's odyssey is filled with danger.

There are so many characters and locations, it was a little hard for me to keep it straight. We have government official Robert Lancer, who is hell bent on capturing rogue, ex-CIA scientist Gretchen Sutsoff. This particular scientist is determined to make the world pay for her pain. How she intends to do that is rather disturbing, you'll just have to read the book to find out, but I can tell you it involves experimenting on human subjects!

Human trafficking, illegal adoptions, and questionable science experiments, any one of those topics alone would make for a good book. At times I was wondering how does this all come together? It felt like reading a full season of 24. The conspiracy at the heart of the novel is extremely complex. In real life, I have a hard time believing it could be pulled off. But as a work of fiction, I enjoyed it. As the final 80 pages ticked away, I was reading at a rapid pace. You pull for Emma and Jack immediately because they are everyday people. They are people you come across on your way to work or the grocery store. Does Emma get Tyler back? Will Jack get the story? Will Gretchen be stopped? Of course I won't answer those questions, but you will quickly get sucked into this story.

Rating: Give it a try


Notes: I received a copy of the novel from Planned Television Arts in exchange for an honest review. For more information on author Rick Mofina visit: [...]

It's Hard to relax when you're in The Panic Zone
Rick Mofina follows up his first rate thriller, Vengeance Road, with an encore performance in The Panic Zone. Both feature newcomer Jack Gannon, a top notch journalist with a tortured past. Despite recognition for his writing skills, he still must battle to win respect in the cutthroat world of the newsroom. When he isn't staring down the barrel of a gun while pursuing leads in a cafe bombing, he's fighting his jealous colleagues to keep his story alive.

And you thought your job was tough?

Rick's hero is a little different from the usual detective/private eye/FBI character we see in crime fiction. Yet we shouldn't be surprised. Journalists around the globe are often the first at a crime scene, ready to report the facts to the reading public. Yet this tenacious talent puts them in the crosshairs between cops who don't want to reveal crucial information and gangsters who don't want anyone to shine the light on their criminal activities.

Rick Mofina does a great job of showing us this hidden world while giving us a page turner that I couldn't put down.

While investigating a bombing in Brazil that killed two of his co-workers, Jack Gannon stumbles across evidence of a child adoption ring that may involves terrorism on a massive scale. His instincts and leads take him to the slums of Rio de Janeiro, to London and then Morocco. Along the way he crosses paths with a woman whose son is presumed dead but has actually been kidnapped in order to serve as the host to a deadly biological weapon.

If Jack can put the clues together, he can reunite the son with his desperate mother and prevent an international catastrophe.

A first rate thriller with a working class hero that could be anyone of us. One man can make a difference in the world. Jack Gannon proves it.

Up all night
I couldn't put this book down...really its 3am!It was fabulous even once I figured the story line out it still sent meon twists and turns. There is some scary stuff in this story but nothing so far fetched that it takes away from the adventure. I felt Emma's frustration and the thrill of chasing a good story. The characters were great very believable real people that all played an important role in this exhilirating story. Even with Gannon's incredible bad luck your hoping he pulls it off right to the last page. This is the third book I have read by Mr. Mofina, previous two were real page-turners as well I am sad this book was so good I finished it so soon but am eager to see what hekeeps me up all night with next.

You have nothing to lose but time getting lost in this book.
Emma Lane, her husband Joe and their son Tyler are on vacation. Everything was going along just fine, when suddenly an oncoming truck has a head on collision with them. The last thing Emma remembers before waking up in the hospital is seeing someone take Tyler. Emma insists that Tyler is alive but everyone around her thinks she is crazy. Emma starts to doubt herself, when she receives a mysterious phone call where the caller tells her that Tyler is alive.

Meanwhile in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, a bombing takes places, killing two reporters. World Press Alliance reporter Jack Gannon is sent to the scene to find out the truth about his fellow reporters. At first Jack believes the bombing is the job of drug gangs but quickly dismisses the idea, when he learns what his fellow reporters were working on. Jack's investigation leads him down a path of no return.

The Salida del Sol cruise liner is heading towards the Florida coast. One of the passengers on the liner suddenly drops dead of a horrific death. The passenger was bleeding from every pore of his body. Before the doctor can figure out the cause of death, another passenger dies. What is happening to the passengers of Salida del Sol is beyond your worst nightmares.

The Panic Zone is the latest Jack Gannon thriller from Mr. Mofina. Mr. Mofina really knows how to crank up the intensity. I really like the Jack Gannon novels. Thus far, I have not been disappointed. Jack was the main focal point in this story. Jack is one tough cookie. No matter how many times you kick him, you can't keep him down. The moments when Jack was involved was full of high octane. Emma was also strong in face of adversity. I felt for Emma and was rooting for her. The things that were happening to the passengers of Salida del Sol was like something from the X-Files. It was creepy and scary.

There were many other secondary and minor characters in this book. Each new character brings a new layer to the story. If you have never read a Rick Mofina novel then you are missing out on something spectacular. So do yourself a favor and pick up a copy of The Panic Zone today. You have nothing to lose but time getting lost in this book.
... Read more

Product Description
When Panic Attacks and Anxiety take over your life, a dark period begins. Worry takes over and things that should be fun are not fun anymore.When you start to avoid doing certain things, when you try to find excuses to not go somewhere or do something, this book is for you.I have had this problem for 14 years, including:- generalized anxiety disorder- panic attacks- agoraphobia- social phobia- fear of driving or traveling- a stressful feeling 24/7 with symptoms like a racing heart, a dry mouth and a red face, nausea, dizziness, headaches, a feeling of warmth going through my body, and some aches and pains everywhere in my body. The doctors couldn't find anything and all my therapist did was prescribe more pills that gave me side-effects.In 2004 I found a way out and since then I've been sharing my method with other people all over the world. It's not a miracle, it's not a magic cure but it seems to work very well for the people who give it a try.In this book you will learn techniques that will stop your anxiety and panicattacks. They will teach you how to do things again with friends and family so you can actually ENJOY everything you do instead of fearing it.I'm glad to have you on board and I wish you the best of luck! ... Read more

Customer Reviews (14)

A published infomercial
I purchased this book to aid in an upcoming flight after not flying for 2 1/2years.I was hoping it would help. I was wrong.This book is basically a published infomercial for the author's website.It was a HUGE disappointment and not helpful in the least.I'm amazed that anyone would publish it.I couldn't finish it and moved quickly on to a different book that I had purchased at the same time and found that one to be filled with information of use to me.Skip this one.Trust me.

Great Book
This book is very helpful for someone who has panic attacks. Geert knows firsthand what it is like and who but someone who has experienced panic, should write a book about how to stop it.His advice is easy to understand and put into practice in your own life. I have had panic for about 40 years and have read a lot of self help books but this one is the best, by far.I use his techniques and they do work.I have not had a panic attack for over a year.I am driving again too, thanks to this book and Geert's advice.My mantra now is "Whatever happens, it's ok."Read this book and get the help that you need with panic attacks and anxiety.

Thank you geert !!!!!!
I have suffered from panic attacks since i was 18 i amnow 29 , but for some reason the past 4 months were major waves of panic attacks ! I went to the doctors and they gave me 10mg of prozac ! It's an anti- depressant and like i told the doctor of course im depressed right now i have these anoying panic attacks ! Well after finding ilovepanicattacks.com and geert i saw the book and immedately got it ! I read the whole thing 4 nights ago and woke up feeling so good i havent had a panic attack since and when any anxiety comes i know how to stop it ! Geert exsplained things so well and i finally got off the prozac and im not as tired ! If you tryed everything else i hope you will stop and get this book it is 10 dollars that will change your life forever ! Thank you geert !!

Great Book A Must Buy
This is a great easy to read book.

Highly recomend this book to anyone who is suffering with anxiety.

Panic attacks
Thank you Geert. A really helpful little book with many practical tips on beating panic attacks, and a useful introduction to the CD and online course which is more comprehensive and even better. Some of the material can be found elsewhere, but Geert has a gift for compiling and presenting it in a way that is easily digested and applied. Definitely recommended and well worth the money. ... Read more

Product Description
Now, at last, there's a simple, easy-to-follow method for reducing the anxiety and panic attacks that feel like they are taking over your life. Developed by a renowned stress management consultant who has been there himself, you will discover the simple five-step prgram that will help you, conquer fear, reduce or eliminate anxiety, end stress-related illness, and change bad habits, and more--all without drugs or expensive therapy. You don't have to suffer anymore--join the countless number of people who have been helped by Robert Handly's LIFE-PLUS PLAN--starting right now!
"Readable and timely, this is an important self-help book in our stressful times."
Booklist
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Customer Reviews (20)

Best Help with Anxiety and Panic Disorder
This book has helped me to understand the reason behind my disorder and gives practical steps to help overcome it. With this book, you are given immediate info about reducing and eventually eliminating anxiety and PHOBIAS. Program is easy to follow, and it WORKS. Same advice as given to me by my psychologist for desensitization to anxiety provoking situations. I agree with a previous reviewer who said that she felt a camaraderie with the author who suffered severe anxiety himself. Who better to advise treatment than one who has been there himself. My favorite book on this topic.

If your anxiety has caused insomnia, I highly recommend this cd that helped me sleep the first time I used it.Natural Music for Sleep

Anxiety & Panic Attacks
This books did not fit the discription. It was labeled as "Good Condition" but in reality it is a very old book. The fading of the pages makes it unreadable. I was very diepleased!!!

Don't get bitter...get better! Panic Disorder can cause the best changes in your life!
Robert Handly's book is easily one of the most helpful books I have experienced. The life lesson being taught is much greater than how to defeat fear and panic; it highlights the importance of self-image, self-confidence and positive attitude. This is no cliche'-Handly shares this life changing information in a way that only a person having first-hand experience with panic can. The author offers what seems to be an outrageous idea- panic disorder was the best thing to ever happen to him!
Fifteen years ago, I suffered from panic, fear and depression. Just a weekend read of this book started me on a journey of self-discovery. I have enjoyed the full recovery that Handly said was possible; my outlook on life and my world view have transformed into a much more beautiful vista.I now agree...panic disorder was the pivotal event in my life that forced me to change the polarity of my negative outlook.
Read this book and be confident that it may just change your life.

Very effective book, easy to read
I have used the book personally and I have given copies of this book to several friends who have panic and anxiety attacks and they have used the techniques successfully.

Very easy to read and apply.Expect results within a week.

Very Helpful Book.
This is a great book and if you really do the exercises, you can dramatically change your life.Just keep at it every day and don't give up!I first read this book over twenty years ago and I buy them occasionally now to give to someone who struggles with severe panic.I strongly recommend it. ... Read more

Product Description
We all get scared sometimes. Our hearts race, our breath gets shallow, and our hands and feet turn icy cold--these physical expressions of fear are our normal responses to things that threaten us.

But moments of panic can cause you to experience these feelings with no apparent cause, robbing you of confidence and composure unexpectedly throughout your day. You deserve to be free from these troublesome moments, and the ten easy and effective techniques you'll find in this book make it not only possible but also easy. Learn how to monitor your episodes of panic, and find out how to replace your anxious, racing inner monologue with calm, realistic thinking. Discover safe and comfortable ways to face fearful situations. Breathing exercises, stress reduction techniques round out this approach to overcoming panic that promises to restore your security and peace of mind.Amazon.com Review
According to published research, one in three people are prone to panic or anxiety attacks. As the authors explain, panic and anxiety attacks differ from fear in that they usually occur without any obvious cause or triggering event. (They can even occur during sleep.) Once underway, they are often accompanied by a wide range of physical sensations, as well as emotional overwhelm.

In this book, Antony and McCabe provide easy-to-follow guidelines that will help sufferers of panic attacks better understand their condition and, more importantly, gain control over it using the same strategies that the authors have successfully employed with their clients in their own psychology practices. Of particular interest is their discussion of anxious thinking and realistic thinking. They maintain that it is often the beliefs that one has about their panic attacks that are the problem, not the panic attacks themselves. They provide a number of exercises readers can use to start thinking more realistically, thus reducing anxiety. They also offer a variety of empowering suggestions for dealing with the situations that can cause panic attacks, provide self-care tools for setting and achieving short- and long-term goals, and review medications that might also be helpful. What gives their book authority is the scientific evidence that their solutions are based upon.--Larry Trivieri Jr. ... Read more