Anger and Anxiety

Dr. Bob Rich

8/2/2003

Review by Molly

Anger and Anxiety is presented in eighty-six pages comprising eight chapters plus a well rounded Bibliography. Dr. Bob Rich tells his readers: "I have tried hard to make the book easy and enjoyable to read, and to keep the concepts in it non-technical. … The tools I describe have worked for huge numbers of people whose suffering was eased. … Don’t expect a single-step recovery. You will need weeks, maybe months, of hard work, and even then the bad habits will occasionally return to pester you."

Rich then proceeds to extend commendable, solid wisdom regarding phobia and what it takes to withstand the detriment they can cause in our lives. The effects of apprehension and three ways of responding to stress are described in chapter two. Included in the chapter are methods for learning to distinguish what stress is doing to us. In chapter five the reader is offered tools for fighting phobia. I found particularly interesting the section with respect to "Isolation and what to do about it". This specific issue is one that many in our society face. The section presents good proposals for those who endure feelings of isolation. The sentiment that ‘isolation is within, not out there’ is one many of those who are lonely may not like to accept. However, I have no doubt Dr. Rich has hit the nail on the head. Rich follows up with suggestions on how to combat those feelings of isolation.

I discovered Anger and Anxiety to be very readable. Writer Rich gives keen solutions for controlling phobias and dealing with emotions. Case examples serve to assist the reader in a non-threatening and effortlessly understood manner. Rich presents his Cognitive-Behavioral techniques in the clear uncomplicated language too often left out of self help books. Frequently psychological data is neither particularly helpful while couched either as dull as dust or in too technical jargon for the ones most in need of self help information.

During my years as a teacher I was often the ‘sounding board’ for those who were trying to change their lives. Along with suggesting the hurting think about meeting with a trained counselor; I always tried to offer titles for books I thought might serve as self help. Over the years I have read innumerable self help manuals and require that an exemplary self help work offer comprehensible definitions of problems, goals for dealing with them, and worthy practical methods for achieving those goals and suggestions for life after the book. I want all of that presented in the most understandable mode possible. I found Rich meets my criterion. I’m sorry this book has not been available until now.

Anger and Anxiety is an engaging, creative work in which Rich cites a great many examples taken from a wide variety of sources. This method serves to keep the reader reading. The reader learns how to improve their own tools for coping with the stings of life. The overall upbeat tone of the book can help to bolster the most discouraged. Life is an ongoing learning process, Rich presents some great suggestions for helping the reader make the most of the process. The stress relieving techniques presented in the book do work, and that is nice to discover.

This book can be found at Zumaya Publications.