Some Nerve

Patty Chang Anker grew up eager to please and afraid to fail. But after thirty-nine years, she decided it was time to stop being a chicken. Motivated initially to become a better role model for her two young daughters, she vowed to face the fears that had taken root like weeds, choking the fun and spontaneity out of life. She learned to dive into a swimming pool, ride a bike, do a handstand, and surf. As she shared her experiences, she discovered that most people suffer from their...
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Patty Chang Anker grew up eager to please and afraid to fail. But after thirty-nine years, she decided it was time to stop being a chicken. Motivated initially to become a better role model for her two young daughters, she vowed to face the fears that had taken root like weeds, choking the fun and spontaneity out of life. She learned to dive into a swimming pool, ride a bike, do a handstand, and surf. As she shared her experiences, she discovered that most people suffer from their own secret terrors - of driving, flying, heights, public speaking, and more. It became her mission to help others do what they thought they couldn't, and to feel for themselves the powerful sense of being alive that is the true reward of becoming brave.

Inspired and inspiring, Some Nerve draws on Anker's interviews with teachers, therapists, coaches, and clergy to impart both practical advice and profound wisdom. Through her own journey and the stories of dozens of others who have triumphed over common fears, she conveys with humor and infectious exhilaration the most vital lesson of all- Fear isn't an end point, but the point of entry to a life of incomparable joy.

'I am so much more inspired by Patty Chang Anker's memoir than I am by all those books people write about scaling Mount Everest or hiking across the Gobi Desert. With humor, humility, and )most of all) self-compassion, she tells a compelling story of everyday courage - one that is sure to touch and help counterless other people like her, like me, like all of us who have made worry into an art form. She proves that we can truly change ourselves and enlarge our worlds.' Elizabeth Gilbert, author or Eat, Pray, Love

'This book is for anyone who needs to be reminded that it is possible to conquer our greatest fears at any age, and in the process learn more about what it feels like to really live.' Lee Woodruff, coauthor of In an Instant

'Not everyone experiences the fear of flying, or water, or sharks, or the dark, but everyone understands what it is like to be afraid. Happily, everyone can give themselves the joyous gift of Patty Chang Anker's insightful, funny, and brave book.' Josh Hanagarne, author of The World's Strongest Librarian