Nerve: Poise Under Pressure, Serenity Under Stress, and the Brave New Science of Fear and Cool by Taylor Clark

Nerves make us bomb job interviews, first dates, and SATs. With a presentation looming at work, fear robs us of sleep for days. It paralyzes seasoned concert musicians and freezes rookie cops in tight situations. And yet not everyone cracks. Soldiers keep their heads in combat; firemen rush into burning buildings; unflappable trauma doctors juggle patient after patient. It's not that these people feel no fear; often, in fact, they're riddled with it.

In Nerve, Taylor Clark draws upon cutting-edge science and painstaking reporting to explore the very heart of panic and poise. Using a wide range of case studies, Clark overturns the popular myths about anxiety and fear to explain why some people thrive under pressure, while others falter-and how we can go forward with steadier nerves and increased confidence.

Anxiety is thirty percent genetic.  I did not know that, but I do believe that if our parents are worrywarts, we will pick that up and utilize that in our own lives.  Worrying about things you cannot change is not good for you.  Neither is suppressing your feelings and thoughts.  The best way to stay calm and collected is to avoid things that worry or scare us.  Seems sensible, but it is not realistic.  Nerve validates different scientific case studies and reporting to show us why some people thrive under pressure, like a firefighter, and why some don't.  It's very interesting, thought-provoking, and just may help you feel a bit more confident when your in an anxious or nerve-wracking scenario.