REVIEW: Lawrence Doochin — A Book on Fear (BOOK)
I read Lawrence Doochin’s A Book on Fear: Feeling Safe in a Challenging World respectful of his intentions but not entirely convinced who needs this book more — Doochin’s intended readers or himself? Doochin deserves considerable respect sharing his history of childhood sexual abuse and his long journey towards healing and reconciliation but you can make an argument, without exerting much, A Book on Fear: Feeling Safe in a Challenging World represents another step in his ongoing healing process rather than a revelatory offering on the ancient human emotion of fear. He has a handful of insights laced through this book but much of the observations Doochin offers during A Book on Fear will have occurred to many.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: https://lawrencedoochin.com/books.htm
Its greatest value for readers comes in the form of fellowship. If you are dealing with traumatic past experiences of your own, Doochin’s point of view and his recitation of his experiences do more to give his arguments credibility than anything else; he has mulled the subject of fear and how to master it in an often threatening world, but his own struggles mastering fear is the real foundation of whatever wisdom he can share. You read Doochin’s words and know you are not alone. Instead, it has the inspiring effect of saying if this one man can move past the deleterious effects of childhood sexual abuse and live a productive family-centered life devoted to helping others, there’s ample hope anyone can accomplish the same.
He doesn’t just talk, he walks the walk as well. His work with an assortment of small startups and corporations with global reach has proven the efficacy of his ideas. A Book on Fear is devoted to his writing, but the text utilizes a couple of features such as brief summaries at the end of each chapter and encourages readers to pen their own thoughts about the concluded section.
The book is not constructed in any sort of linear fashion so readers can, frankly, dip into the text anywhere and find traction. Pointed reading, depending on a topic you are particularly interested, is possible as well, but I would recommend giving it a complete read on your initial encounter. The book is more rewarding appreciated in full and then more focused excursions into the volume are possible with all appropriate context.
AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/Book-Fear-Feeling-Challenging-World-ebook/dp/B08B14Q3M5
I admire the prose style Doochin exhibits with this work. He seamlessly blends the book’s autobiographical elements with extended passages of intelligent exposition and maintains a far-reaching yet conversational tone throughout A Book on Fear. Readers of any level will have little to no difficulty with his authorial voice. He comes across as well versed with his subject, both academically as well as personally, but the book thankfully never embraces a scholarly slant. Nor does it ever “talk down” to the reader in any manner. Lawrence Doochin’s desire to help his fellow human beings is really what powers this self-help book and we should consider it a happy bonus if its conception and writing helped him as well.
Colin Jordan
