In The Yikes! Zone: What Skiing Can Teach Us About Surrender and Trust [Hardcover]

Mermer Blakeslee (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 31, 2002

In this one-of-a-kind book, Mermer Blakeslee shares the proven techniques that have earned her international recognition as an expert on fear management.

As Mermer Blakeslee points out in her introduction, fear "resonates far, spreads widely across many boundaries, sinks to the lowest levels, and grows big very quickly." In this compelling meditation on fear, Blakeslee uses skiing as a metaphor to introduce us to what she calls our "nags and guides." Knowing when and why we should heed-or silence-these competing inner voices, can help us expand our areas of comfort as we strategically move into and out of our personal YIKES! Zone. And she encourages us fearlessly engage our fear in dialogue, demonstrating how we can make the subtle and not so subtle adjustments necessary to lead the life we desire.

With her reassuring, non-confrontational approach, Blakeslee shows how the mind, body, and spirit can work together to foster trust and positive action. Much more than a self-help manual or a guide to skiing, In the Yikes Zone is a provocative, accessible book that will help us to revitalize our lives and use the power of surrender to exist fully in the moment. In the Yikes Zone is for anyone who has ever stood at the top of a literal or figurative slope and contemplated taking the big plunge.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Ski instructor, novelist (Same Blood) and leader of fear workshops Mermer Blakeslee teaches readers to accept fear "as a habitual acquaintance in an imaginative, meaningful life" in In the Yikes Zone: A Conversation With Fear. Using skiing as a metaphor, she argues that surrendering and "letting go" are an essential part of any creative process one must plunge down that mountain or dive into that new job. While the analogy of the slopes may cloud her advice for nonskiers, there's plenty of encouragement (and examples of folks who've succeeded) in these pages. (Dutton, $23.95 240p ISBN 0-525-94638-1; Feb.)

Copyright 2002 Cahners Business Information, Inc.

About the Author

Mermer Blakeslee is a poet and the author of the acclaimed novels Same Blood and In Dark Water. In addition, she is member of the elite National Demonstration Team of the Ski Instructors of America.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 216 pages
• Publisher: Dutton Adult (January 31, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0525946381
• ISBN-13: 978-0525946380
• Product Dimensions: 8.3 x 5.6 x 1 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.4 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,138,162 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Performance Success, April 11, 2002

By 

Jo Ellen Kirsch (Wilmington, VT United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In The Yikes! Zone: What Skiing Can Teach Us About Surrender and Trust (Hardcover)

"In the Yikes Zone" provided me with the tools to manage my performance anxiety for a recent Professional Ski Instructor Association (PSIA) exam. Mermer's book is filled with real-life anecdotes that the reader can relate to and transfer to their own experiences. "In the Yikes! Zone" lets you know when to push it and when to back-off, and how to manage your fears and emotions through-out. A definite read for athletes and non-athletes, this book is filled with important strategies to handle the many fears we face in all aspects of life.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Much more than I bargained for!, March 25, 2002

By 

Mary Pavitt (Solebury Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: In The Yikes! Zone: What Skiing Can Teach Us About Surrender and Trust (Hardcover)

Mermer's book gave me much more than I bargained for! As a Professional Ski Instructor for Women's Clinics, I found her perspective on fear invaluable. Fear is real - it's not always rational, but it's real and we learn to deal with it. Males and females will both recognize themselves in this book. It was a big help to me not only as a teaching tool, but also in my personal skiing and most recently in a PSIA (Professional Ski Instructors of America) ski exam. Thanks to Mermer, I was relaxed and comfortable. Whether preparing to audition for a Broadway Play or to ski a steep, icy mogul field - this book helps.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Read this book if you've ever been afraid of anything, February 8, 2002

By 

Peter Bregman "Peter Bregman" (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: In The Yikes! Zone: What Skiing Can Teach Us About Surrender and Trust (Hardcover)

Mermer Blakeslee's book is a refreshing, thoroughly enjoyable, and masterful perspective on working with the fears that prevent us from achieving our goals. She clearly has equal expertise in writing, skiing and fear. Blakeslee teaches how to live with fear without being controlled by it. It is a delightful, well-written book, a great and unusual combination of being helpful without being "self-helpy."