I must say I loved this book A Layman’s Guide to Managing Fear. It is concise. It is wise. As a writer, myself I could tell it was written to help others. It is a great first step in dealing with fear and the  depression or anxiety that may ensue. As for the “Negative Nancy” psychologists, they may have had a bit of envy that Mr. Popovich has written such a useful and popular book. Otherwise, I am not sure why else their reviews went so long and so negative. It does not pretend to be a treatise on managing fear. It gives a useful orientation and some very useful, practical strategies and invites the reader to learn more That is all. It just goes to show you that sometimes “The Professionals” need a bit of a reality check.

To continue, I want to say, just because someone is a believer they are not immune from the “slings and arrows of outrageous fortune”. Not at all. The bible says in Matthew 5:45 , “That ye may be the children of your. Father which is in heaven: for he maketh. his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust.”  It is not helpful to ignore a problem, and one of the best things one can do when one is facing fear or other challenges is to educate oneself about the problem to deal with it more effectively.

So, picking up the book is a big deal for a lot of people because they are acknowledging that there is a problem, and that can be very difficult, but it is a necessary first step to start dealing with an issue, especially a serious one like fear. Stan goes beyond just acknowledging that is is possible to have issues with fear and also be Christian. In this brief, easy read, he gives more than ten really good coping strategies to employ, each a gem. Then, he gives some of the best resources to keep digging, to keep learning. One of the sources he cites later in his book is one that I used routinely as a “best” resource as a Columbia Psychiatry Library Chief- NIMH or The National Institute of Mental Health. NIMH has curated some of the best ready reference materials and information on Fear for the layman as well as many of the major mental health issues.

If you are looking for a quick, useful introduction to get a handle on fear I give “A Layman’s Guide To Managing Fear” By Stan Popovich 5 Stars!