Customer Reviews

Embracing Fear: How to Turn What Scares Us into Our Greatest Gift

5 star:		(4)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

I read an Amazon Reviewer who mentioned this book while reviewing another book. By happenstance I bought a great read. Thom Rutledge writes from the heart and mind and simply communicates his wisdom about embracing fear. On page 35, Ruthledge writes a poignant sentence, "...how we relate to fear determines how we do in life, and maybe it is the essence of who we are." It is a must read if you want understand the root of your fear and how to transform it into a benefit.

I read this book as a follow-up to Jenni Schaefer's book "Life Without Ed" since I was fascinated with Thom Rutledge's methods of externalizing our fears or "Bullys" as he calls them in this book, and taking authority over them with the "Ally" we all have in us. I have NEVER read a book that consistently made me nod my head the entire way through. This book touched my spirit and made me realize how we really can be in charge of those voices within our mind that threaten us or tell us what we should have or could have done better or how their way, despite being so destructive, is really the way we should go. It amazes me how many times I have followed the destruction course of the bully only to find myself more saddened by these fear-induced choices. Thom Rutledge is so real, funny and compassionate. We need more of this guy in the world. He just wraps you up from the first page and you truly feel like you're hanging out in a cozy place with him as he takes you on this wonderful journey of self-discovery and empowerment. I will be giving this book as gifts to so many people I know. I feel this book in itself is a gift to any individual who wants to improve the quality of their life with such a simple approach as a change in the way we look at fear. Thom Rutledge has a servant's heart by sharing such great wisdom in such a simple, enjoyable book. You know while reading this book that it is so in his heart to help people and have fun along the way. It's a book you'll want to read over and over again, as it is so life-affirming and encouraging!!

I really got a lot of useful tips/reminders out of this book in dealing with stress, fear and panic attacks. It is an easy read and the author has a good sense of humor. All good things when dealing with fear!

I run a community called MentorCONNECT, and our several hundred members who are in recovery from eating disorders are very vocal about their favorite books. I came across this book after several MentorCONNECT members very persistently brought it to my attention (I was already a fan of one of Thom's other great books, Life Without Ed, which he co-wrote with Jenni Schaefer). From the first page I was hooked. This book takes the reader through strategies to confront and triumph over not just their specific struggles but the essence of all human limitation - self-limiting FEAR. Thom teaches us a simple acronym for FEAR, and a simple four-step process for addressing it that helps us welcome fear as the great teacher that it is. I highly recommend this book. To anyone.
Shannon Cutts
Founder of MentorCONNECT: Where Relationships Replace Eating Disorders
Author of Beating Ana: How to Outsmart Your Eating Disorder and Take Your Life BackBeating Ana: How to Outsmart Your Eating Disorder and Take Your Life Back

This book is great for a person who's never read a psychology book. Maybe for the self-help newbie this is a great book that will let a person feel all warm and fuzzy but I was looking for something better. Original thought and clarity are missing and the numbered mottos at the back remind me of political slogans - simply slogans. It feels like the author took his clinical notes, changed patient's names and popped the stories into a book. The book's organization is not clear. It feels like one chapter rolls into the next. As I read the kindle edition I fast forwarded at one point... My suggestion..save your money, buy a used one that's hard-copy or pass altogether. Definitely a disappointment

*****
This book is a great read all about fear. Specifically, it is about embracing fear---facing fear---rather than running from it, stuffing it, etc. Unlike most self-help books, the author does not presume to be an authority with easy answers; instead, he is a fellow human being who struggles with his own fear and that of his clients. He shares very practical techniques to approach your fears so that you can still have the life you want, regardless of your fears.

Fear underlies most if all negative emotions. I found this book to be very helpful. The author asks many helpful questions such as "What would I do today if I were brave?"...leading me to see where my fears stopped me.

Another technique he uses is splitting our self-talk into the negative voices of unhealthy unnecessary fear (which he calls The Bully) and the positive voices of what we know with our heads and hearts (which he calls The Ally). This has been really helpful to me, too. He makes the point that we will never rid ourselves of fear, but we will be less and less bothered by it as we learn how to face it.

This book differs from an ordinary self-help book in that it is amazingly useful, plus the author is practical, transparent, realistic, and humble. I loved reading it, highlighted it all over the place, and will read it again.

It is an excellent value and worth hours of therapy. I would even suggest it in lieu of therapy! I immediately bought two copies to send to two of my closest friends.

Note that this book is a later edition of the very same book "Embracing Fear: and Finding the Courage to Live Your Life", published several years earlier...so if you have one, you have the other.

Highly recommended.
*****

I ordered this book on the strength of reviews by other therapists (I am not a therapist myself but have undergone a fair amount over the years). I was disappointed. Rutledge seems unable to maintain a clear focus on his theme of overcoming and embracing fear. Instead, the reader must sift through an almost stream-of-consciousness exposition that meanders off into general therapeutic theories, anecdotes about Rutledge's clients that don't seem to illustrate his points (if you can locate them), and far too many non sequiturs about his own recovery process and the comments of his wife. Maybe there is useful information in this book, but I found myself far too impatient with the author's disconnected psychobabble to want to look very hard for it.