From the #1 bestselling author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People, an illuminating book about fear—and what we can do to overcome it. An inescapable component of our lives, fear comes in many guises. In uncertain times, coping with these fears can be especially challenging, but in this indispensable book, Harold S. Kushner teaches us to confront, master, and even embrace fear for a more fulfilling life. Drawing on the teachings of religious and secular literature and on the true stories of people who have faced their fears, we are again inspired by Kushner’s wisdom, at once deeply spiritual and eminently practical.

When Oxford published Emotion and Adaptation, the landmark 1991 book on the psychology of emotion by internationally acclaimed stress and coping expert Richard Lazarus, Contemporary Psychology welcomed it as "a brightly shining star in the galaxy of such volumes." Psychiatrists, psychologists and researchers hailed it as a masterpiece, a major breakthrough in our understanding of the emotional process and its central role in our adaptation as individuals and as a species. What was still needed, however, was a book for general readers and health care practitioners that would dispel the myths still surrounding cultural beliefs about emotion and systematically explain the relevance of the new research to the emotional dramas of our everyday lives. Now, in Passion and Reason, Lazarus draws on his four decades of pioneering research to bring readers the first book to move beyond both clinical jargon and "feel-good" popular psychology to really explain, in plain, accessible language, how emotions are aroused, how they are managed, and how they critically shape our views of ourselves and the world around us. With his co-author writer Bernice Lazarus, Dr. Lazarus explores the latest findings on the short and long-term causes and effects of various emotions, including the often conflicting research on stress management and links between negative emotions and heart disease, cancer, and other aspects of physical and psychological health. Lazarus makes a strong case that contrary to common assumption, emotions are not irrational--our emotions and our analytical thought processes are inextricably linked. While not a "how-to" book, Passion and Reason does describe how readers can interpret what lies behind their own emotions and those of their families, friends, and co-workers, and how to manage them more effectively. Exploring fifteen emotions in depth, from love to jealousy, the authors show how the personal meaning we give to the events and conditions of our lives trigger such emotions as anger, anxiety, guilt, and pride. They provide fascinating vignettes to frame a "biography" of each emotion. Some are composite case histories drawn from Dr. Lazarus's long career, but most are stories of people the Lazaruses have known over the years--people whose emotional fears, conflicts, and desires mirror readers' own. The Lazaruses also offer a special chapter on the diverse strategies of coping people use in managing their emotions, and another, "When Coping Fails," on psychotherapy and its approaches to emotional stress and dysfunction, from traditional Freudian psychoanalysis to continuing research into relaxation techniques, meditation, hypnosis, and biofeedback. Packed with insight and compellingly readable, Passion and Reason will enrich all readers fascinated by our emotional lives.

A guide for dealing with personal crises, either for self-help or as an accompanying book for a course, teaching methods for averting personal crises and for recovering from the ones experienced. It covers the four main areas of life that are the foundation for happiness: mental health, spiritual balance, personal finances, and lawful-ethical behavior. Although this book's audience can include anyone, it is focused on common issues for four main categories of people: adolescents, those afoul of the law, midlifers, and the elderly. Each lesson in the book includes exercises and worksheets to help the reader in several ways: Identify personal risks that can turn into crises, Assess the likely causes of an existing crisis, Formulate strategies for avoiding and managing crises, and Create an action plan for recovering from an ongoing crisis. These are imparted by four accomplished experts in their fields who give you actionable insights for achieving happiness: Dr. Peter Tarlow, a world-renowned speaker and columnist writing about philosophy and religion, discusses spirituality; Dr. Tom Marrs, a licensed psychologist and behaviorist, shows you what you can do to attain and maintain good mental health; Dr. Eduardo Leite, a management and finances expert, helps you establish essential personal finances; and Nathaniel Tarlow, a successful civil and criminal defense attorney, explains how society and laws affect you before and after a personal crisis. By the end of Personal Reconstruction, the reader have a good understanding of the psychological, spiritual, financial and legal factors that affect happiness. The reader will also know which actions to take before suffering a crisis, and will have tools and strategies for recovery that can be applied after experiencing a personal crisis that is not averted .