Daniel
Smith
If you are
curious about the experience of clinical anxiety, Daniel Smith's memoir
describes it in vivid (and often quite funny) detail. From his fraught
childhood with two anxious parents to his traumatic first sexual encounter to
his panicked reactions to work stresses and mundane daily events, Smith shares
it all. The style and humour of the book is reminiscent of David Sedaris,
leaning towards Dan Savage—unless you want to explain what a winking vagina is,
don't leave this one where your 10-year-old will find it. Personally, I'm hard
to shock and appreciated the craft with which Smith tells his story. There are
no cheap jokes here. In fact, the humour is laced with a real sense of
compassion, insight, and, ironically enough, steady-mindedness. I was
particularly impressed by the way he talks about his mother: although clearly
recognizing her parenting as a factor in his anxiety disorder, he also
acknowledges her strengths and never turns her into either a villain or a
caricature. Although this memoir is by no means a feel-good kind of book, it's
certainly reassuring that someone so gripped by oversized fears could write
with such a sense of perspective. Maybe there's hope for us all.
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