Scan barcode
amandadelbrocco's review against another edition
1.0
The description of this book was quite misleading. Around 75% of it read like a textbook, explaining different psychologist's research in the area of phobias, or worse, not even relating to phobias! I thought most of this was boring, especially since it didn't particularly fit into his narrative of living with phobias.
leighmowzer's review against another edition
1.0
From the very beginning this book was utterly depressing and boring. I found myself trying to feel something for the author but I couldn't. I think I should have felt pity? I'm not sure as the dry and Freudian way in which he described his life and the human psyche was as humorless as a textbook yet not informative.
rachelisblue's review against another edition
3.0
This is the kind of book where the writer explores a broader phenomenon (in this case, anxiety and phobia) through the lens of personal experience. Unfortunately I wasn't as interested in the writer's personal experience as I was in the sections where he explores broader issues like the origins of anxiety disorders and phobias; those sections I found really fascinating and I would like to read more about that.
kirstena's review against another edition
I picked this up from work (it just came out in paperback).
bartendm's review against another edition
4.0
It is always helpful to understand others difficulties from their own mouths. I found this to be an interesting memoir and appreciate Allen's bravery in being willing to share his story with the world.
taylornowandthen's review against another edition
4.0
You first have to realize this is not a self-help book. The author is not promising a cure from this book, but a relief of not being alone in the strange world of phobias. I'm not cured of mine, but I am relieved that I am not the only one that feels insane. With brief references (and history) of Sigmund Freud ever now and then, a few relevant poems by Emily Dickinson, and inspiring quotes before the start of each chapter, this book will be an all-time favorite of mine. [a:Allen Shawn|74487|Allen Shawn|http://www.goodreads.com/images/nophoto/nophoto-U-50x66.jpg] had an interesting childhood.
There are some long points in which the author goes into great detail of psychology as well as neurology; I personally found it all interesting in relation to phobias. This is a non-fiction book; I would describe it as interesting rather than fun. Very enjoyable.
There are some long points in which the author goes into great detail of psychology as well as neurology; I personally found it all interesting in relation to phobias. This is a non-fiction book; I would describe it as interesting rather than fun. Very enjoyable.
tachyondecay's review
2.0
To be honest, I bought this book more because it was in a bargain bin for $5 than because it looked interesting. Although I don't go out much, I've never considered myself agoraphobic so much as misanthropic. Nevertheless, there was something intriguing about the idea of a memoir/professional discussion of phobias.
By telling aspects of his life through the lens of phobia, Allen Shawn engages in what is probably the most interesting part of the story: the cause of the phobia. Rather than attempting to simplify the situation, Shawn examines every level of his life, including his father's phobia, his parents' relationship, his relationship to his twin sister, who is autistic, etc. He talks about how his phobia did not manifest fully until he went to college, not because he feels those years caused or amplified the phobia, but just because he had more control over his life, more ability to create a routine that reinforced phobic behaviour. By giving us that personal perspective, Shawn makes this more than a dry book that looks at phobias as clinical or psychological beasts.
And that's good, because the psychological parts of this book are the weaker parts. Shawn spends most of his time talking about Freud, so opponents of Freud be warned! I haven't read enough to make an informed decision on Freud, but I would have liked to see a more thorough coverage of the various opinions on phobia. I don't question Freud's impact on psychology, considering he pretty much founded psychoanalysis. But as Shawn's own bibliography points out, there's so many other sources to consider.
Wish I Could Be There was an OK book but doesn't give you anything to go, "wow" about—hence the brief review. It didn't bore me out of mind, but unlike almost every book I read, there's nothing in particular about it that I want to celebrate.
By telling aspects of his life through the lens of phobia, Allen Shawn engages in what is probably the most interesting part of the story: the cause of the phobia. Rather than attempting to simplify the situation, Shawn examines every level of his life, including his father's phobia, his parents' relationship, his relationship to his twin sister, who is autistic, etc. He talks about how his phobia did not manifest fully until he went to college, not because he feels those years caused or amplified the phobia, but just because he had more control over his life, more ability to create a routine that reinforced phobic behaviour. By giving us that personal perspective, Shawn makes this more than a dry book that looks at phobias as clinical or psychological beasts.
And that's good, because the psychological parts of this book are the weaker parts. Shawn spends most of his time talking about Freud, so opponents of Freud be warned! I haven't read enough to make an informed decision on Freud, but I would have liked to see a more thorough coverage of the various opinions on phobia. I don't question Freud's impact on psychology, considering he pretty much founded psychoanalysis. But as Shawn's own bibliography points out, there's so many other sources to consider.
Wish I Could Be There was an OK book but doesn't give you anything to go, "wow" about—hence the brief review. It didn't bore me out of mind, but unlike almost every book I read, there's nothing in particular about it that I want to celebrate.
thefourthvine's review
3.0
This book is kind of an unholy union. Half of it is an interesting memoir about Allen Shawn's family, his life, and his phobias (and the intersections of the three). The other half is a relatively boring summary of neurological and psychological aspects of phobias.
The memoir part of it is, well, like I said: really interesting. Shawn's family background is fascinating. That's a little disingenuous, because I honestly think that almost anyone could write a good book about their family and childhood if they wrote honestly and well. But. Still. The family stuff was good. Even better, though, was Shawn's description of the development of his phobias and how they affect his life. He does a fabulous job of describing what phobias feel like and how he, as what we might call a high-functioning agoraphobic, lives and copes.
Unfortunately, there's not a lot of that, because much of the book is dedicated to the science side of things. If he'd been writing in depth about that, it would also have been interesting, but as it was, he kind of skims along the surface. He doesn't go into a lot of depth, and what he does cover is the stuff most people already know. There's nothing new in this information, and he's not a science writer, so it's not presented particularly well, either. A lot of the time I felt like he was using the science portion more as filler than as content, which was a pity, because he could have said a lot more about his family and his life (or a lot more interesting things about neurology and psychology, if he was more of that kind of person).
So the melding of the two types of book was unsuccessful. Still - the parts that were personal were good enough to make me glad I'd read the whole book.
The memoir part of it is, well, like I said: really interesting. Shawn's family background is fascinating. That's a little disingenuous, because I honestly think that almost anyone could write a good book about their family and childhood if they wrote honestly and well. But. Still. The family stuff was good. Even better, though, was Shawn's description of the development of his phobias and how they affect his life. He does a fabulous job of describing what phobias feel like and how he, as what we might call a high-functioning agoraphobic, lives and copes.
Unfortunately, there's not a lot of that, because much of the book is dedicated to the science side of things. If he'd been writing in depth about that, it would also have been interesting, but as it was, he kind of skims along the surface. He doesn't go into a lot of depth, and what he does cover is the stuff most people already know. There's nothing new in this information, and he's not a science writer, so it's not presented particularly well, either. A lot of the time I felt like he was using the science portion more as filler than as content, which was a pity, because he could have said a lot more about his family and his life (or a lot more interesting things about neurology and psychology, if he was more of that kind of person).
So the melding of the two types of book was unsuccessful. Still - the parts that were personal were good enough to make me glad I'd read the whole book.
More...