17/08/2025
The impact of a book is as much about the reader as it is the quality and depth of the book itself. Visiting (or revisiting) a book at the right time can give it permission to be the catalyst, big or small, that leads to a future step being taken at a slightly different angle than its previous trajectory would have placed it.
This book, Anxiety by Samir Chopra is a great example. For the past 9 years I felt my anxiety was something to resolve. A tear in the fabric of who Iām supposed to be. So, I tried many patches in attempts to cover it up. Latelyā¦ Iāve felt the need to accept it rather than constantly stress and fight against it; and this book highlights that anxiety can actually be a feature, not a flaw, of our authentic expression. Something to walk hand-in-hand with through our life journey. If youāre anxious about your anxiety and have a little experience reading philosophy, I definitely recommend this book. Itās pretty short and not full of too much philosophical jargon (but some experience with Existentialist philosophy in particular will be helpful).
I will note that I have some questions for the editor of this bookā¦ some pretty obvious grammar and editing issues in the print and the use of semicolons isā¦ interestingā¦ Iād be curious what someone with an English degree thinks. But the content of the book is nonetheless excellent.
