JasonKoivu

Though I tend to have allergic reactions to self-help books, I saw Conquering Fear... on the shelves and thought about reading it, then put it back thinking, "What do I need a book about fear for?" A minuscule part of me was also afraid of what people would think if they saw me reading a book about fear. Yes, I feared people would think I harbored some form of fear. "Perhaps I should read this book," I said in defeated resignation.

Conquering Fear: Living Boldly in an Uncertain World follows a lifetime's path of fears, starting with common childhood concerns like the fear of the dark and ending with the fear of getting old and dying. It is not an all-encompassing encyclopedia WebMD of symptoms and cures for what ails ya in the fear department, rather it touches upon the most common of our worries and woes. The touch is a tad light and not terribly helpful at times. This is not where you should turn to break out of your crippling agoraphobia for instance, but if for instance you feel some light unease about 9/11 and think you'd feel better having someone talk it out for a bit, this might be what the doctor ordered a well-meaning-but-unqualified friend might tell you.

Not recognizing Kushner as the author of the popular When Bad Things Happen to Good People or realizing that he was a prominent rabbi, I was caught off guard by the book's religious tone and numerous references to the Bible, scripture, etc. Some of that was difficult to endure. However, Kushner is a very laid back holy man and seldom did I feel overly put-upon by the religious subtext, even when it became ubertext.