Daily Archives: November 16, 2014

What, Me Worry?

You’d think that in a world where we have more accessible information than ever, we would feel powerful enough to tamper our anxiety. Instead, it seems we suffer more needless anxiety than our ancestors. Most of us do not live in a war zone and do not have to worry about the basic needs of life. In fact, one of our challenges seems to be what to do with all of our possessions; that is when we’re not anxious that someone is out to take our possessions.

The daily dose of news launches all sorts of anxieties, without regard to how remote a threat to our wellbeing might actually exist. Whether it is disease, unwelcome foreigners, crime or just plain change we take in the news like a vacuum. To be sure, there are things in the world that can cause anxiety. What attracts us to stories that are designed to cause even more anxiety?

Whether you prefer nonfiction books to help you understand and overcome anxiety or fiction about characters dealing with anxiety, there are plenty of very worthy books to choose from.

On the nonfiction end, you might want to check out these books:
The Anxiety and Phobia Workout Book – Edmund J. Bourne
The Chimp Paradox – Dr. Steve Peters
Overcoming Anxiety – Helen Kennerley

If you prefer to seek entertainment in anxious characters, you’ll find them in these novels:
Oscar & Lucinda – Peter Carey
Of Human Bondage – Somerset Maugham
The Catcher in the Rye – J.D. Salinger
The Perks of Being a Wallflower – Stephen Chbosky
Portnoy’s Complaint – Philip Roth
A Confederacy of Dunces – John Kennedy Toole

For children:
Scaredy Squirrel – Melanie Watt
Little Mouse’s Big Book of Fears – Emily Gravett

Dare I wish you “happy reading”?

Recommended

This week’s Booked webcast re-broadcast (starting November 17th) continues my thought-provoking interview with David Murrary, co-author with Lt. Col. Mark Weber of the true, inspirational bestseller Tell My Sons. At the age of 41, Mark lost a valiant 3-year battle with cancer. He spent the last year of his life transforming his lifelong personal journals into a book with the David Murray’s skillful help. While Tell My Sons began as a legacy to Mark’s children, it took on a life of its own as an inspirational memoir with remarkable wisdom we can all apply to our own lives. David Murray shares the incredible backstory of this transformative book this week on U-Stream and, as always, in the Booked Archives.

The third annual Chicago Book Expo will be held Saturday, December 6, 2014, from 11 a.m. to 5 p.m. at Columbia College Chicago, 1104 South Wabash. The centerpiece of the event will be an expo of Chicago area independent publishers and literary organizations on the first and eight floors of the building. This will be an expansion of last year’s event, which was named by New City as one of the top five literary events of 2013.