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The Anxiety Project
"The most interesting Dutch writer of his generation" Herman Koch
"Vivid and moving. A marvellous hybrid of a book about one of the major contemporary causes of sickness and unhappiness. In it we recognise ourselves, our restlessness and insecurity" George Szirtes
Something inside will not let me be . . .
Daan Heerma van Voss is not just anxious. According to tests on the cortisone levels in his hair, he is seventy-four times as anxious as the average person. And that makes him hard to live with.
When another relationship is broken by his crippling fears, the only way to cope is to get to the roots of his condition. But he also wants to dig deeper and tackle the big questions. Why are 264 million people worldwide suffering from anxiety, and why is this number growing every day? Is it hereditary? Is there a link with creativity? And how can you love when you're living in a constant state of fear?
In his quest for answers, he takes us on a profoundly moving journey from his apartment in Amsterdam to France, Jakarta and San Francisco. Along the way we'll meet philosophers, artists, writers and other fascinating individuals from around the world. But this is also a journey through literature, the classics, the history of anxiety and the science behind it.
Timely, learned and heartfelt, The Anxiety Project fuses the sharp musings of a curious mind with a raw and honest dissection of a relationship undercut by fear. It will appeal to anyone trying to remain calm on our very nervous planet.
Translated from the Dutch by David Doherty
"Vivid and moving. A marvellous hybrid of a book about one of the major contemporary causes of sickness and unhappiness. In it we recognise ourselves, our restlessness and insecurity" George Szirtes
Something inside will not let me be . . .
Daan Heerma van Voss is not just anxious. According to tests on the cortisone levels in his hair, he is seventy-four times as anxious as the average person. And that makes him hard to live with.
When another relationship is broken by his crippling fears, the only way to cope is to get to the roots of his condition. But he also wants to dig deeper and tackle the big questions. Why are 264 million people worldwide suffering from anxiety, and why is this number growing every day? Is it hereditary? Is there a link with creativity? And how can you love when you're living in a constant state of fear?
In his quest for answers, he takes us on a profoundly moving journey from his apartment in Amsterdam to France, Jakarta and San Francisco. Along the way we'll meet philosophers, artists, writers and other fascinating individuals from around the world. But this is also a journey through literature, the classics, the history of anxiety and the science behind it.
Timely, learned and heartfelt, The Anxiety Project fuses the sharp musings of a curious mind with a raw and honest dissection of a relationship undercut by fear. It will appeal to anyone trying to remain calm on our very nervous planet.
Translated from the Dutch by David Doherty
335 pages, Kindle Edition
Published September 28, 2023
8 people are currently reading
47 people want to read
About the author
Daan Heerma van Voss
35 books32 followersDaniel Jan (Daan) Heerma van Voss is een Nederlandse schrijver. Hij is de zoon van het schrijvende echtpaar Arend Jan Heerma van Voss en Christien Brinkgreve en de broer van schrijver Thomas Heerma van Voss.
Daniel Jan (Daan) Heerma van Voss is a Dutch writer. He is the son of two writers, Arend Jan Heerma van Voss and Christien Brinkgreve and a brother to the author Thomas Heerma van Voss.
Daniel Jan (Daan) Heerma van Voss is a Dutch writer. He is the son of two writers, Arend Jan Heerma van Voss and Christien Brinkgreve and a brother to the author Thomas Heerma van Voss.
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Displaying 1 of 1 review
January 7, 2024
There were many aha! moments when I was reading this book but I will not spoil the book by listing them. Of course, there are now plenty of self-help books on anxiety, but what made The Anxiety Project stand out was how it was a personal recount of the author's own struggles with anxiety (which continues even today). He doesn't offer you "solutions" like other books mostly do, but companionship. He doesn't tell you how he fixed his anxiety, but how he tries to manage. A great book to read when you're going through a difficult season and all you need is a friend who understands.
Ps. on top of all that I've said above, the writing is simple, engaging and excellent.
Ps. on top of all that I've said above, the writing is simple, engaging and excellent.
Displaying 1 of 1 review