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Anxiety: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy with Children and Young People (CBT with Children, Adolescents and Families)
by Paul StallardCognitive behavioural therapy has proven to be an effective treatment for anxiety disorders in children and young people. This book provides an overview of CBT and explores how it can be used to help children with anxiety disorders. In Anxiety: Cognitive Behaviour Therapy with Children and Young People Paul Stallard describes the nature and extent of anxiety problems that are suffered in childhood and discusses evidence for the effectiveness of the cognitive behavioural model as a method of treatment. This concise and accessible book, written specifically for the clinician, provides a clear outline of how CBT can be used with children suffering from anxiety disorders in an easy to follow format. The book provides many ideas that can be incorporated into everyday practice, as well as clinical vignettes, case examples, and worksheets for use with the client. This straightforward text will prove essential reading for professionals involved with children who have significant anxiety problems including mental health workers, social services staff and those working in educational settings. The final chapter of this book contains worksheets that can be downloaded free of charge to purchasers of the print version. Please visit the website to find out more about this facility.
Anxiety Aesthetics: Maoist Legacies in China, 1978–1985
by Jennifer Dorothy LeeAnxiety Aesthetics is the first book to consider a prehistory of contemporaneity in China through the emergent creative practices in the aftermath of the Mao era. Arguing that socialist residues underwrite contemporary Chinese art, complicating its theorization through Maoism, Jennifer Dorothy Lee traces a selection of historical events and controversies in late 1970s and early 1980s Beijing. Lee offers a fresh critical frame for doing symptomatic readings of protest ephemera and artistic interventions in the Beijing Spring social movement of 1978–80, while exploring the rhetoric of heated debates waged in institutional contexts prior to the '85 New Wave. Lee demonstrates how socialist aesthetic theories and structures continued to shape young artists' engagement with both space and selfhood and occupied the minds of figures looking to reform the nation. In magnifying this fleeting moment, Lee provides a new historical foundation for the unprecedented global exposure of contemporary Chinese art today.
Anxiety and Cognition: A Unified Theory (Essays in Cognitive Psychology)
by Michael EysenckIt is argued in this book that there are three major approaches to anxiety. First, there is anxiety as an emotional state. Second, there is trait anxiety as a dimension of personality. Third, there is anxiety as a set of anxiety disorders. What is attempted is to produce a unified theory of anxiety which integrates all these major approaches. According to this unified theory, there are four sources of information which influence the level of experienced anxiety: (1) experimental stimulation; (2) internal physiological activity; (3) internal cognitions, (e.g., worries); and (4) one's own behaviour. The unified theory is essentially based on a cognitive approach. More specifically, it is assumed that individual differences in experienced anxiety between those high and low in trait anxiety depend largely on cognitive biases. It is also assumed that the various anxiety disorders depend on cognitive biases, and that the main anxiety disorders differ in terms of the source of information most affected by such biases (e.g., social phobics have biased interpretation of their own behaviour). In sum, this book presents a general theory of anxiety from the cognitive perspective. It is intended that this theory will influence theory and research on emotion, personality, and the anxiety disorders.
Anxiety and Depression: Sheldon Mindfulness (Sheldon Mindfulness Ser.)
by Cheryl RezekThis book provides an introduction to mindfulness, the concepts and theory behind it and how it can help manage not only anxiety, but a number of physical and emotional issues. It includes step-by-step practices to manage your anxiety and depression, and links to an audio download of guided meditations. Topics include:Understanding anxiety and mindfulnessNo magic pillsHow did I get to be like this?Anxiety and depression in contextThe stress responseBreaking the cycleEffects of mindfulness on the brainMoving forwards ? take care
Anxiety and Depression: Sheldon Mindfulness
by Cheryl RezekThis book provides an introduction to mindfulness, the concepts and theory behind it and how it can help manage not only anxiety, but a number of physical and emotional issues. It includes step-by-step practices to manage your anxiety and depression, and links to an audio download of guided meditations. Topics include:Understanding anxiety and mindfulnessNo magic pillsHow did I get to be like this?Anxiety and depression in contextThe stress responseBreaking the cycleEffects of mindfulness on the brainMoving forwards – take care
Anxiety and Depression in Children and Adolescents: Assessment, Intervention, and Prevention
by Thomas J. HubertyAlthough generally considered adult disorders, anxiety and depression are widespread among children and adolescents, affecting academic performance, social development, and long-term outcomes. They are also difficult to treat and, especially when they occur in tandem, tend to fly under the diagnostic radar. Anxiety and Depression in Children and Adolescents offers a developmental psychology perspective for understanding and treating these complex disorders as they manifest in young people. Adding the school environment to well-known developmental contexts such as biology, genetics, social structures, and family, this significant volume provides a rich foundation for study and practice by analyzing the progression of pathology and the critical role of emotion regulation in anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, and in combination. Accurate diagnostic techniques, appropriate intervention methods, and empirically sound prevention strategies are given accessible, clinically relevant coverage. Illustrative case examples and an appendix of forms and checklists help make the book especially useful. Featured in the text: Developmental psychopathology of anxiety, anxiety disorders, depression, and mood disorders. Differential diagnosis of the anxiety and depressive disorders. Assessment measures for specific conditions. Age-appropriate interventions for anxiety and depression, including CBT and pharmacotherapy. Multitier school-based intervention and community programs. Building resilience through prevention. Anxiety and Depression in Children and Adolescents is an essential reference for practitioners, researchers, and graduate students in school and clinical child psychology, mental health and school counseling, family therapy, psychiatry, social work, and education.
Anxiety and Depression in Primary Care: International Perspectives (WONCA Family Medicine)
by Sherina Mohd Sidik Felicity Goodyear-SmithThis book provides practical information about depression and anxiety in primary care, with a focus on the approach in different countries and incorporating global ranges/prevalence, risk factors and health burden including that associated with COVID-19 and its pandemic. To ensure the challenges of a wide international primary care community are reflected fully, authors from different world regions – Africa, Asia Pacific, East Mediterranean, Europe, IberoAmericana-CIMF, North America and South Asia – have co-contributed to individual chapters on the detection and management of depression and anxiety in primary care in their own countries, including the screening tools used, how widely these tools are adopted and by whom, and current policies. As well as the medical model, it also presents the alternative viewpoint that feeling low or anxious is part of the human condition and the attention should be on supporting people in their journey through life, struggling to deal with the mainly social challenges they meet, rather than defining these problems as disorders or diseases requiring identification and treatment. Key Features: Explores the instruments used for the detection of depression and anxiety in primary care in various countries, and why and how these instruments are being used Describes the pharmaceutical and non-drug interventions for treating depression and anxiety in primary care and compares the similarities and differences in detecting and managing depression and anxiety in primary care among different countries Includes in-depth regional examples of how screening tools are used in practice and how policies can be established in the management of depression and anxiety in primary care Concludes with lessons learned from various countries and from different stakeholders with clear advice on what to do and, importantly, what not to do Addressing primary care detection and management of mental health issues across the globe, the book will be an invaluable practical aid for family medicine practitioners and the wider primary and community care teams and a useful reference for those involved in policy setting at regional and national levels including ministries of health.
Anxiety and Depression in the Classroom: A Teacher's Guide to Fostering Self-Regulation in Young Students
by Nadja ReillyGuidance for teachers on two pressing problems in student mental health. Anxiety and depression are two of the most common mental health problems for young students, and can be particularly hard to detect and support. In this book, the first of its kind for teachers, Nadja Reilly lays out with richly detailed examples the signs to look for so educators can direct their students to help and ensure emotional wellness in the classroom. Grounded in recent psychological research and practical self-regulation tools, Reilly opens her study out onto nourishing emotional wellness in all students, communicating with parents, and schoolwide mental health advocacy.
Anxiety and Depression Workbook For Dummies
by Laura L. SmithTackle anxiety and depression head-on with this practical workbook If you're one of the millions of people affected by—or whose loved ones are affected by—anxiety and depression, you're probably looking for strategies to help subdue or even transcend these debilitating and painful disorders. In that case, Anxiety and Depression Workbook For Dummies is a great place to start. This book is filled with chapters that cut across diagnostic categories, incorporating treatment techniques based on Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, Emotion Focused Therapy, and Interpersonal Therapy. Use the techniques explored in this book to start making real changes, which can quickly lead to you feeling better. It also includes: Practical and hands-on descriptions of mindfulness-based practices you can implement immediately Brand-new updates to reflect modern changes in technology, social media, and the prevalence of loneliness Consideration of the pros and cons of medications and other biological interventions for depression and anxiety, including exploration of the placebo effect Additional worksheets online available for download Perfect for anyone trying to work through the challenging issues presented by anxiety and depression, for those trying to help a loved one do the same thing, or for those in therapy, this book is an excellent supporting resource that can help contribute to positive changes in the lives of people affected by emotional distress.
Anxiety and Dysautonomia: Do I Have POTS or Autonomic Dysfunction?
by Nicholas L. DePace Joseph Colombo Donald J. ParkerWhat causes anxiety to be so prevalent in so many people? How is it best prevented and treated? What can patients and physicians do to better understand this common medical issue? Anxiety is a component of many physical and mental disorders, from depression to PTSD. Unfortunately, not many patients find relief in the associated therapies and medications, and simply adding more of the same often causes other disorders. Additionally, many who suffer from anxiety may in fact have other, anxiety-like conditions, such as the frequently misdiagnosed postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS), which can make any attempt at treatment futile. But now, with Anxiety and Dysautonomia: Do I Have POTS or Autonomic Dysfunction?, Donald J. Parker and physicians Joseph Colombo and Nicholas L. DePace aim to show, with a simplified analysis and discussion focusing on this common patient complaint and how best to treat it, that no longer does anxiety need to be merely managed with the forced lifestyle changes that are often required. Topics covered include: Parasympathetic and Sympathetic (P&S) dysfunctions that lead to anxiety-like conditions, plus clear concepts of anxiety and anxiety-like symptoms, the six-pronged Mind-Body Wellness Program, and the P&S nervous systems. How many of these anxiety-like conditions are actually caused by a lack of proper blood flow to the brain, which may cause mild symptoms of depression, fatigue, malaise, brain fog, and cognitive and memory difficulties, sleep difficulties, and more. The way these issues, when exacerbated, may trigger &“adrenaline storms&” that cycle the anxiety-like symptoms. Treatments that in many cases enable a return to a &“normal&” (as defined by the patient) quality of life, including natural therapies to relieve symptoms and promote wellness. Presenting discussions with patients and doctors side-by-side to help physicians see how to present information to their patients and patients to learn what physicians need to know to tailor therapy to their individual needs, Anxiety and Dysautonomia is an essential resource for anyone concerned with anxiety and anxiety-like disorders, from medical professionals to patients to family and friends.
Anxiety and Evil in the Writings of Patricia Highsmith: Writing Aristocratic Identity In Late Medieval French And English Literatures
by Fiona PetersDrawing on an impressive range of secondary material, including many elusive reviews, interviews and articles from the under-explored Highsmith Archive, Fiona Peters suggests that the usual generic distinctions -crime fiction, mystery, suspense - have been largely unhelpful in elucidating Patricia Highsmith's novels. Peters analyzes a significant selection of Highsmith's works, chosen with a view towards demonstrating the range of her oeuvre while also identifying the main themes and preoccupations running throughout her career. Adopting a psychoanalytic approach, Peters proposes a reading of Highsmith that subordinates murder as the primary focus of the novels in favor of the gaps between periods of activity represented through anxiety, waiting, lack of desire and evil. Her close readings of the Ripley series, This Sweet Sickness, Deep Water, The Tremor of Forgery, and The Cry of the Owl, among others, reveal and illuminate Highsmith's concern with minutiae and the particular. Peters makes a strong case that the specific disturbances within her texts have resulted in Highsmith's writing remaining resistant to explication and to the more sophisticated interpretative strategies that would seek to position her within a specific genre.
Anxiety And The Garden In Me: Conquering anxiety by going back to its roots
by Danilo H. GomesThere is a seemingly invincible monster that, at this very moment, haunts the lives of countless people around the world. This monster called anxiety has devastated souls like a hurricane that destroys everything on its way. Knowing the Perfect Gardener and the garden of the soul, we see a light at the end of the tunnel for anxious souls. ANXIETY AND THE GARDEN IN ME is a Christian work that promotes mainly philosophical self-knowledge while working on faith in the Creator. A short but profound book. Beat your anxiety while getting to know your inner garden better.
Anxiety and Its Disorders, Second Edition
by David H. BarlowThis landmark work is indispensable for anyone studying anxiety or seeking to deliver effective psychological and pharmacological treatments. David H. Barlow comprehensively examines the phenomena of anxiety and panic, their origins, and the roles that each plays in normal and pathological functioning. Chapters coauthored by Barlow with other leading experts then outline what is known about the classification, presentation, etiology, assessment, and treatment of each of the DSM-IV anxiety disorders. A definitive resource for researchers and clinicians, this is also an ideal text for graduate-level courses.
Anxiety and Lucidity: Reflections on Culture in Times of Unrest (Classical and Contemporary Social Theory)
by Leszek KoczanowiczThis book explores the nature of modern culture as a culture of anxiety, analyzing the modes in which such anxiety presents itself. Drawing on sociological and philosophical concepts of modernity, the author builds on the work of Marx, Nietzsche, and Freud to offer an understanding of modern anxiety culture as the reverse side of risk culture, which stabilizes itself by concealing or making familiar the social phenomena of risk society. Through explorations of memory, politics, art, clairvoyance, notions of national community, and identity, this volume sheds light on the fissures in our culture where anxiety appears, thus revealing its underlying volatility. A study of the ruptures in our modern culture, Anxiety and Lucidity will appeal to scholars of sociology, social theory, anthropology, and philosophy with interests in late modern culture.
Anxiety and Mood Disorders Following Traumatic Brain Injury: Clinical Assessment and Psychotherapy (The Brain Injuries Series)
by Rudi CoetzerWhile there are many excellent texts addressing cognitive impairment and behavioural difficulties and on rehabilitation associated with traumatic brain injury, few textbooks specifically address the most common emotional problems that can have such an adverse effect on rehabilitation and outcome. Uniquely this book deals exclusively with the identification and psychotherapeutic management of mood and anxiety disorders after traumatic brain injury. Furthermore, a systematic approach to identifying and diagnosing anxiety and mood disorders is followed throughout the text. As well as providing an introduction to anxiety and mood disorders after traumatic brain injury, it provides a psychological perspective on their evolution and management. It is aimed at a range of professionals in training (or those responsible for providing training in psychopathology, neuropsychology and psychotherapy), as well as those who may have an interest in working with the type of patients with anxiety or depression, commonly seen in post-acute brain injury rehabilitation settings. Case studies, summaries and suggested references for further reading are used throughout to facilitate understanding and teaching where relevant.
Anxiety and Neurosis (Maresfield Library)
by Charles RycroftAnxiety may be debilitating or stimulating; it can result in neurotic symptoms or in improved, heightened performance in an actor or athlete. It is something every human being has experienced. As Professor G. M. Carstairs points out in his Foreword: 'During the course of the twentieth century we have found it progressively easier to concede that we are all to often swayed by emotion rather than reason. We have come to recognize the symptoms of neurotically ill patients are only an exaggeration of experiences common to us all, and hence that the unraveling of the psychodynamics of neurosis can teach us more about ourselves'. Although Charles Rycroft is also a psychoanalyst, it is as a biologist that he has made this study of anxiety, the three basic responses to it - attack, flight or submission - and the obsessional, phobic and schizoid and hysterical defenses. Written in precise but everyday language, Anxiety and Neurosis is based on adult experiences rather than the speculative theories of infantile instinctual development. Its clarity and authority can only add to Dr Rycroft's established international reputation.
Anxiety and Panic: How to reshape your anxious mind and brain (The Flag Series #1)
by Dr Harry BarryTHE NUMBER 1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER'Holds the key to easing the mental torture of those who have endured a lifelong struggle with the symptoms of acute and chronic anxiety. A unique book by a unique doctor' IRISH TIMESA practical guide to understanding, managing and overcoming anxiety and panic attacks by bestselling author and GP Harry Barry. Do you or does someone you love suffer from general anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks, a phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder? Or are you a health-care worker treating people with these disorders? Then this book is for you. Dr Harry Barry combines a deep knowledge of the inner workings of the mind and brain with a wealth of experience treating patients as a GP to offer a way out of the fear, worry and shame of anxiety. In this wise, supportive book, Dr Barry explains clearly and simply what it is about our minds and brains that generates the symptoms of anxiety. Through a series of case studies based on his real-life experiences treating patients, he explains and demonstrates how to use lifestyle changes, mindfulness, exercise and CBT techniques to cope with these symptoms and ultimately feel better.Previously published as Flagging Anxiety: How to Reshape Your Anxious Mind and Brain, this edition has been fully revised and updated.
Anxiety and Panic: How to reshape your anxious mind and brain (The Flag Series #7)
by Dr Harry BarryTHE NUMBER 1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER'Holds the key to easing the mental torture of those who have endured a lifelong struggle with the symptoms of acute and chronic anxiety. A unique book by a unique doctor' IRISH TIMESA practical guide to understanding, managing and overcoming anxiety and panic attacks by bestselling author and GP Harry Barry. Do you or does someone you love suffer from general anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks, a phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder? Or are you a health-care worker treating people with these disorders? Then this book is for you. Dr Harry Barry combines a deep knowledge of the inner workings of the mind and brain with a wealth of experience treating patients as a GP to offer a way out of the fear, worry and shame of anxiety. In this wise, supportive book, Dr Barry explains clearly and simply what it is about our minds and brains that generates the symptoms of anxiety. Through a series of case studies based on his real-life experiences treating patients, he explains and demonstrates how to use lifestyle changes, mindfulness, exercise and CBT techniques to cope with these symptoms and ultimately feel better.Previously published as Flagging Anxiety: How to Reshape Your Anxious Mind and Brain, this edition has been fully revised and updated.Written and Read by Dr Harry Barry(p) Orion Publishing Group 2018
Anxiety and Panic: How to reshape your anxious mind and brain
by Harry BarryTHE NUMBER 1 INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLER'Holds the key to easing the mental torture of those who have endured a lifelong struggle with the symptoms of acute and chronic anxiety. A unique book by a unique doctor' IRISH TIMESA practical guide to understanding, managing and overcoming anxiety and panic attacks by bestselling author and GP Harry Barry. Do you or does someone you love suffer from general anxiety, social anxiety, panic attacks, a phobia, obsessive-compulsive disorder or post-traumatic stress disorder? Or are you a health-care worker treating people with these disorders? Then this book is for you. Dr Harry Barry combines a deep knowledge of the inner workings of the mind and brain with a wealth of experience treating patients as a GP to offer a way out of the fear, worry and shame of anxiety. In this wise, supportive book, Dr Barry explains clearly and simply what it is about our minds and brains that generates the symptoms of anxiety. Through a series of case studies based on his real-life experiences treating patients, he explains and demonstrates how to use lifestyle changes, mindfulness, exercise and CBT techniques to cope with these symptoms and ultimately feel better.Previously published as Flagging Anxiety: How to Reshape Your Anxious Mind and Brain, this edition has been fully revised and updated.
Anxiety and Personality: The Concept of a Directing Object and its Applications
by Karl KoenigThe concept of a "directing object" is based on extensive clinical observations linked to a combination of ego psychology and object relations theory in the tradition of Otto Kernberg and Anne Marie and Joseph Sandler. People with a phobic disposition are those who were not, during childhood, permitted to learn by trial and error and thus gain confidence in their actions. They did not learn to direct their own actions and did not develop confidence in their capability to act successfully. In their inner world, they did not establish an internal directing object. Thus, they now need an external directing object, who watches over them. This has considerable influence on interpersonal relationships and on work. Phobic persons can work without difficulty when there is a external directing object, but they will not be able to work without such a companion. In therapy, they use their therapist as a directing object, which can create the illusion that the phobic patient is already much better. However the patient will fall back into phobic symptomatology when the therapist is no longer available as a directing object. Applying the concept of a directing object helps to understand a phobic person's psychodynamics. This will improve the results of therapy, and also help phobic persons to compensate difficulties arising from the lack of a companion, and deal with difficulties in finding and keeping one. Therapy can help them to develop their own internal directing object.
The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook
by Edmund J. BourneNow in its sixth edition and recommended by therapists worldwide, The Anxiety and Phobia Workbook has been the unparalleled, essential resource for people struggling with anxiety and phobias for almost thirty years. Living with anxiety, panic disorders, or phobias can make you feel like you aren't in control of your life. If you're ready to tackle the fears that hold you back, this book is your go-to guide. Packed with the most effective skills for assessing and treating anxiety, this evidence-based workbook contains the latest clinical research. You'll develop a full arsenal of skills for quieting fears and taking charge of your anxious thoughts. Written by a leading expert in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) and a classic in its field, this fully revised edition offers powerful, step-by-step treatment strategies for panic disorders, agoraphobia, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), worry, and fear. You will also find updated information compatible with the DSM-V, as well as current information on medications and treatment, nutrition, mindfulness training, exposure therapy, and the latest research in neurobiology. Whether you suffer from anxiety and phobias yourself, or are a professional working with this population, this book will provide the latest treatment solutions for overcoming the fears that stand in the way of living a full, happy life. This workbook can be used on its own or as a supplement to therapy.
Anxiety and Self-Focused Attention (Routledge Library Editions: Anxiety)
by Ralf Schwarzer Robert A. WicklundFirst published in 1991, this book consists of 13 articles that were originally published in the journal Anxiety Research. They address the topic of anxiety and self-focused attention from a variety of perspectives, representing recent advances in social, clinical and personality psychology at the time. As a whole, the book poses a stimulating theoretical challenge to traditional anxiety research, which had been dominated by psychometric issues, clinical case studies and stable personality constructs. The contributors share the view that anxiety is an emotional state of distress dependent upon specific antecedent cognitive processes such as self-awareness, perceived role discrepancy or unfavourable expectancies.
Anxiety and Stress Management (Routledge Library Editions: Anxiety #3)
by Trevor J. Powell Simon J. EnrightMost stress is a normal part of daily life, and can be coped with adequately by the individual. Prolonged or more serious stress however may require professional help. A local GP can often provide this but in many cases will refer the client to a mental health worker or other health professional. Originally published in 1990, this title was written for each of these groups: as a practical handbook and guide for those professionals working in the field of mental health, but also written for the referring GP and those seeking help themselves. The authors integrate theoretical and academic material relating to anxiety and stress research with clinical experience. The book begins with a theoretical section offering a working model of stress, a guide to diagnostic classification, and alternative models of anxiety. This is followed by chapters on assessment, explaining the problem and treatment procedures to the client, teaching specific self-help skills, and changing stressful lifestyles. Advice is also given on running anxiety and stress management groups, and individual case studies are examined. The authors make extensive use of analogy and metaphor to ensure ready understanding and recall. They also include many useful inventories, questionnaires, charts and client handouts. Anxiety and Stress Management will be of use to all health professionals working with people who have anxiety and stress related problems, but will prove equally valuable for the clients themselves as a reference book and as a means of self-education and self-help.
Anxiety and the Anxiety Disorders
by A. Hussain Tuma and Jack MaserThe 1980s have been called the decade of anxiety. Not only is this true of the popular press, but students of behavior and psychopathology have contributed to the rather sudden reemergence of anxiety as a respectable and fascinating field of investigation. This volume is a culmination of more than two years of planning, literature reviews, writing, conference discussions, revising of original papers, and integrating the material for final publication. It is a series of interrelated statements about research on anxiety and the anxiety disorders written by many of the leading investigators currently active in this field. First published in 1985. Routledge is an imprint of Taylor & Francis, an informa company.
Anxiety and the Equation: Understanding Boltzmann's Entropy
by Eric JohnsonA man and his equation: the anxiety-plagued nineteenth-century physicist who contributed significantly to our understanding of the second law of thermodynamics. Ludwig Boltzmann's grave in Vienna's Central Cemetery bears a cryptic epitaph: S = k log W. This equation was Boltzmann's great discovery, and it contributed significantly to our understanding of the second law of thermodynamics. In Anxiety and the Equation, Eric Johnson tells the story of a man and his equation: the anxiety-plagued nineteenth-century physicist who did his most important work as he struggled with mental illness. Johnson explains that “S” in Boltzmann's equation refers to entropy, and that entropy is the central quantity in the second law of thermodynamics. The second law is always on, running in the background of our lives, providing a way to differentiate between past and future. We know that the future will be a state of higher entropy than the past, and we have Boltzmann to thank for discovering the equation that underlies that fundamental trend. Johnson, accessibly and engagingly, reassembles Boltzmann's equation from its various components and presents episodes from Boltzmann's life—beginning at the end, with “Boltzmann Kills Himself” and “Boltzmann Is Buried (Not Once, But Twice).” Johnson explains the second law in simple terms, introduces key concepts through thought experiments, and explores Boltzmann's work. He argues that Boltzmann, diagnosed by his contemporaries as neurasthenic, suffered from an anxiety disorder. He was, says Johnson, a man of reason who suffered from irrational concerns about his work, worrying especially about opposition from the scientific establishment of the day. Johnson's clear and concise explanations will acquaint the nonspecialist reader with such seemingly esoteric concepts as microstates, macrostates, fluctuations, the distribution of energy, log functions, and equilibrium. He describes Boltzmann's relationships with other scientists, including Max Planck and Henri Poincaré, and, finally, imagines “an alternative ending,” in which Boltzmann lived on and died of natural causes.