A Conversation with Fear

by Mermer Blakeslee

“We all pack different ideas and feelings into the word fear of the unknown, fear of failure, of losing control, of aging, of falling down, fear of the body reacting and fear of the body not reacting, even the fear of saying the word fear. This audiobook does not attempt to define fear or explain why a frightened person experiences certain physiological responses. It doesn’t separate students into categories or classify symptoms.

"What this book does attempt is to offer you both audacity and comfort. Although comfort feels quiet, it arrives through a bold accepting the presence of fear. To do this, we must pick our way between two powerful tendencies, to control and to cure, the Scylla and Charybdis of our culture. These tendencies show themselves constantly in words like manage, handle, overcome, conquer, dispel, banish, fix.… By regarding fear as a pathology to control or cure, we assume that life without its presence is possible, normal, or even desirable. But once we accept fear as a habitual acquaintance in an imaginative, meaningful life, we can begin to cultivate a conversation with it rather than engage it in a fight.”

Genres: Self Help

Audible Audio

First published December 13, 2010

Reviews

[SistaQuie · Rating 1 out of 5]

I think this book was a love letter to people who ski and if you are not a skier you will have a hard time finding yourself in this book. I think she really may have had a ghost writer because some of the book parts seem like they are written by someone else, and then here she comes back with her ski analogies and such. It was very difficult to make my way through this book, but I made a commitment with a friend to read the book with her and we struggled. We struggled to complete it. I really wanted to put it in the DNF pile.

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

An unexpected find & a real keeper: a self-help book with an emphasis on athletics (skiing in particular). Written with keen perception and bracketed with excellent excerpts of poetry (Rilke, Bly, etc).

[Vicki · Rating 5 out of 5]

I got the audio version of this book. Not an easy thing to listen to in the car. Requires thinking and chewing and listening. Deep listening and thoughtful thinking. Loved it. Even knowing I'll need to do it again because there's so much to process and consider. Beautiful and poetic writing.

[Jean V. Naggar Literary · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Plenty of encouragement (and examples of folks who've succeeded) in these pages.” --Publishers Weekly