Hi, anxiety Life with a bad case of nerves

Meet Kinsman, who calls herself nervous. Labeled a Nervous Nelly since childhood due to a crippling case of anxiety, Kinsman is also the food and drinks editor for breakfast-food website Extra Crispy, a wife, a daughter, and now, an author. In her first book, she lists her fears like groceries, providing the reader with a valuable understanding of what it's like being terrified of, well, just about anything: talking on the phone; getting her hair cut (she actually trims her own at home); and going to the doctor, to name but a few. Kinsman opens up to the reader like a friend, explaining how talking about her illness was the only thing that helped her move forward, even though it often felt like scraping off my skin with a butter knife. With witty humor and an enduring boldness, Kinsman's insightful read will have readers cringing at times, like when her nerves keep her from picking up a pair of designer shoes at the repair shop, but never fails to showcase her inner strength all the same.--Chesanek, Carissa Copyright 2016 Booklist

Kinsman, senior food and drinks editor for the Time, Inc. website Extra Crispy and founder of the mental-health awareness website Chefs with Issues, here chronicles a lifetime of worry and fear. She writes about her childhood and the crippling anxiety she felt but didn't understand. Kinsman presents the various methods she tried to control her anxiety, including medications, meditation, supplements, etc., but never found a solution. The author comes to the realization that there is no one method that works for everyone, and many can't manage the fear well, but that these emotions come from an illness and shouldn't be a source of shame. Kinsman encourages those suffering from the malady to acknowledge what is happening so that they can get the support they deserve. VERDICT An insightful look at an often misunderstood disorder that doesn't have an immediate cure, this book should appeal to anyone who has struggled with anxiety or loves someone who has.- Terry Lamperski, Carnegie Lib. of Pittsburgh, PA © Copyright 2016. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.