A thought-provoking look at how to change fear from a debilitating weakness to a motivating strength It's a well-known fact that most of us perform poorly in pressure situations. We let fear get the best of us, worrying and “stressing” until we?re immobilized, panic-stricken or just plain helpless. In Intelligent Fear, author Michael Clarkson takes an in-depth look at this often debilitating force — from its prehistoric origins to its numerous modern incarnations — and offers effective formulas that help change fear from a weakness into a strength. Readers will learn how to: - adapt the fear response to life in the 21st century - change the mind-body chemistry in order to focus fear on the task at hand - hone mental powers to help handle pressure situations - harness fear's physical gifts Intelligent Fear is the product of 13 years of research. Clarkson has interviewed more than 1,000 superachievers, psychologists, biochemists, neurobiologists and crisis survivors. He also drew on his own personal experiences. Clarkson's accessible, insightful text is peppered with advice and comments from business leaders (Bill Gates, Ted Turner), sports heroes (Tiger Woods, Nancy Lopez), and numerous everyday heroes from across North America. (March, 2002)

Michael Clarkson has written six psychology books, including Intelligent Fear and The Secret Life of Glenn Gould, and has won many newspaper awards for investigative stories, including a Pulitzer Prize nomination for a rendezvous with reclusive author J. D. Salinger. He is considered an expert in fear, producing new research and lecturing on the subject. While working in the Niagara region, he researched many ghost stories and got the only interview with a young man thought to have caused a poltergeist incident that affected an entire shift of police officers. He lives in Fort Erie, Ontario.

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