Eva Holland (2)

Nerve is an interesting blend of nonfiction scientific exploration, and memoir. Eva Holland suffers from phobias, and the first part of the book discusses her own experiences with terror, and the traumas that generated them. The middle part was her own efforts at treating the phobias. The final part delved into how fear affects the body, how terror leads to irrational reactions, and the emotion steam fueling responses.

This is a fascinating book on one person taking control back from their phobias. I applaud the bravery that goes into that. I did something similar long ago, developing and carrying out my own phobia treatment for a fear of needles (actually anticipated pain) and spiders. The final tasks involved donating blood, getting a tattoo, and keeping a pet tarantula. Ironically, I'd had several scorpions as pets and no fear of them. Today, I suffer from demophobia, as a direct result of losing an eye at age 20. I urge anyone who knows someone with phobias to read this book. It will help you understand them better. Holland does a magnificent job of describing what a panic attack feels like. Once irrationality is triggered, logic goes out the door.… (meer)