A review by theyellowbrickreader
The Dance of Fear: Rising Above the Anxiety, Fear, and Shame to Be Your Best and Bravest Self by Harriet Lerner

5.0

I happened upon this book after searching amazon.com for The Dance of Anger, the NY Times best seller also by Harriet Lerner, which was recommended to me by my therapist. I decided this one would suit me better as never having thought of myself with anger issues (until somewhat recently), and I decided I would start with The Dance of Fear, and if I liked it, then I would also read The Dance of Anger. Once I saw the title to Chapter One in the table of contents, "Why Can't a Person Be More Like a Cat?", I knew I would enjoy this book. It is categorized as "self-help" but it's not really filled with direct strategies for reversing fears or getting rid of anxiety. Rather, Lerner informs the reader on the concepts of fear, anxiety and shame, and how they find their way into our lives, work places and societies. The book is filled with anecdotal evidence of Lerner's own dealings with these "uninvited guests" as well a stories from her clients. These stories help the reader relate and feel less alone, which is what we all want anyway. For a shy, quiet young woman of almost 30 years old, I am appreciative that I can now put a name to the way I feel a lot of the time. I never considered myself to have anxiety, at least not with that given name. Just the pure understanding from the book of what anxiety, fear and shame are and how they are always with us or come to be with us was enough for me to enjoy and recommend this book.