"On Edge" by Andrea Petersen was an interesting mix of personal experience and journalistic investigation about anxiety. The author switches between her personal experience and scientific fact, sometimes leaning too hard into each. For example, in one chapter we are walked through each of her romantic relationships from high school to adulthood and given times when anxiety negatively and positively affected each. The strongest chapter in the book, and the chapter with the most balance, covers anxiety and its effect on young adulthood and college. I gave this book three stars, I enjoyed reading it but it was not one I would recommend to other readers.

I am sorry for not reviewing fully but I don’t have the time to read this anymore. I believe that it wouldn't benefit you as a publisher or your book if I only skimmed it and wrote a rushed review. Again, I am sorry for not fully reviewing!

During my childhood, anxiety wasn't discussed. If one exhibited signs, they were labelled as "unable to handle stress" and steered toward quiet pursuits and easy coursework. Mental health was spoken about in hushed and unflattering tones. I picked up this book because I was curious how someone else first realized they experienced anxiety and how it was initially managed (or not). As I read Petersen's tale, I found myself often nodding my head in agreement, and frustration. This book shines most for my generation (Gen X) because it shares that you're ok, what you experience may be a panic attack/anxiety. It's ok to admit it. Even more, it's ok to find help. There are resources from cognitive behavioral therapy to medicines to other options (I like trail running and yoga). The narrative is changing and no longer will people need to spend their life having anxiety manage them. I am thankful for the time and gift Petersen provides in this memoir.

I have a family member that suffers from anxiety and this book reads like an instruction manual that fits that person's situation to a "t." It is a sad state for many people to deal with this very real disease and how hard the author has had to work to resolve her issues over the years. The descriptions of her condition, her responses, and her various treatment options are worth this book alone. I think anyone who knows a fellow sufferer should read her book and learn more about the various conditions, medications, and methods that can be used to cope. I highly recommend this book.

I voluntarily reviewed an Advance Reader Copy of this book. Boy, am I glad I did! It was well-written and well-researched.

Do you suffer from anxiety/depression like I do? Have you taken every drug the doctor prescribed and not have it work at all? Here is someone who has. I personally related to this book. Andrea Petersen tells her story while relating it to the science in history and current treatments for these ailments. She tells about her experiences helping us to see all the things in her life that could have or didn't cause her own problems. She owns what she can but it isn't a blame game for her. It is trying to understand how it was she thought she was going to die during anxiety episodes.

I am going to put a bit of a spoiler here as it is the one takeaway I want to remember. And I'll tell you why. Have you had a panic attack? I have. But I've also had stage fright. I used to sing solos at churches. I found this to be true: If I could get excited about singing the song in front of people I rarely made mistakes and the song sounded pretty good. I never could have said that about giving a speech or playing solos on the piano. TERRIFIED FROZEN POOL OF SWEAT. The same applies to talking to people on the phone, even people I love. If I had the performance memorized and I was excited (which can also cause shaking hands) I did fine. If I can work on making sure to build the excitement, I might be able to overcome the phone issues. It's an idea I plan to try as I think of it. You see, you can't memorize what you are going to say on the phone. I tried when I did phone sales. My stuff was memorized for the person if they followed their lines, they never did. But maybe when I plan to talk to someone I love, friends, and the family I can start applying this excitement over anxiety. Have you tried it? Did it work for you?

You may find a ton of things to help you in Ms. Petersen's story. As a journalist she gets personal yet she hangs onto that ability to step back and remain 'just the facts, M'am' research writer. I loved reading this book! I hope others who have had to endure mental illness either personally or someone you love, will take the time to read it. Maybe you'll find some answers.

A great pairing of the author's own experience with anxiety along with in-depth scientific research.

After reading the novel On Edge by Andrea Petersen I feel as if I have a much better understanding of anxiety and how it can effect your life. I do not suffer from anxiety but this author's novel made me as if I am a much better person because I can now appreciate how difficult it must be to live with this disease. I also appreciated how the author explored both conventional and holistic approaches to anxiety. The role genetics plays regarding anxiety was also very interesting. Andrea Petersen, the author, took a huge personal risk by writing this novel and sharing her own personal journey with anxiety. I will be rereading this novel in the future in order to make sure that I have absorbed all of the information that On Edge gives the reader. As a high school teacher I feel that this novel is a must read for teachers who encounter anxiety in their students on a regular basis. I want to thank the author for writing such a comprehensive novel.

I wanted to read this book because I thought combining the science of the disorder and the author's own personal experience would be a home run. I've struggled with anxiety my entire life, and I have often wondered about the science behind it and if researchers are gaining more insight about how to sustain a healthy, happy life after getting this diagnosis. I found that that I often felt the author stopped short while talking about her own personal experience and that instead the narrative was dragged out by too much scientific information, the many acronyms were kind of overwhelming to remember! I did enjoy the author's optimistic outlook, which is kind of a rarity with books like this. I was happy to see lots of suggestions about how to relieve anxiety when a person might not want to go down the medication route for treatment.

I received a copy of this book from the publisher via NetGalley so I could write an honest review.

As someone who suffers from anxiety, I was worried that reading this book would stir up my slight tendencies toward hypochondria. Parts of it did, but nothing too extreme. The sections of the book in which Petersen focuses on her own struggles with anxiety were extremely interesting and relatable. But the sections detailing various anxiety-related studies and medications felt too much like I was reading a medical textbook, which caused those chapters to drag.

I requested this book because a close family member suffers from anxiety, and I was interested in a first-hand account. Perhaps it was the journalistic style; perhaps it was the boyfriend tales, but I enjoyed this much more than I expected. Ms. Petersen weaves her personal story through the broader context of a comprehensive summary of anxiety research and treatment through the years. While her experiences are heartbreaking at times, she maintains her natural optimism and determination throughout, and especially at the end. I think that this book will be very helpful to those suffering from anxiety and those that love them.

Special thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.

Thank you for the chance to review this book, however, unfortunately, I was unable to read and review this title before it was archived.

This book delivers insight and a reality check for those unaware of the reality of anxiety.

As someone who has experienced anxiety and panic attacks (for which I sought counseling and was on medication for a time) it was interesting to read about it from someone else's perspective.

There is something intimate about memoirs that give readers a voyeuristic glimpse into a life or situation that may be alien to us. This is not the case with this book. I think everyone can relate to feeling anxiety. However, Petersen draws us in to her story and peppers it with scientific data that paints a more complete picture of what anxiety is and how it may be manifested.

First line: Fear ambushes me.

Summary: Part personal experience. Part research study. This book delves into what it is like to have an anxiety disorder and how to understand them. Millions of people in this country suffer from anxiety. There are many new techniques and treatments being developed in order to help the people struggling with this disorder.

Highlights: I really enjoyed reading about her personal stories dealing with anxiety. When I am feeling anxious, it seems like no one else can seem to understand. Knowing that there are so many other people out there that are feeling the same way is comforting. I have considered trying the mindfulness training and yoga as another way to help with my anxiety but have yet to start either.

Lowlights (or what could have been better): I did get a little lost in the technical babble at times and all the acronyms. I wanted more of her personal success stories as a guide to help myself.

FYI: Slow reading but very informative.

The premise of this book really intrigued me. When I requested this book i was going through a life crisis in which i was suffering from many panic attacks every day and crippling anxiety. I thought that this book would help me better understand my situation. Unfortunately this book is writing with a lot of medical and scientific jargon making it difficult to comprehend for the most part. Maybe a good read for something who would like more of a scientific study.

In On Edge, Wall Street Journal columnist Andrea Petersen does an admirable job of not only sharing her struggles with anxiety/panic attacks/panic disorder, but intersperses them with history about how psychology has viewed anxiety and panic, possible explanations for why some people develop anxiety/panic issues, and treatment methods--past, present, and on the horizon.

Andrea Peterson’s On the Edge: A Journey Through Anxiety had the potential to be such a great book. Unfortunately, I found myself incredibly bored while reading. Peterson writes for The Wall Street Journal and her writing style screams, “Journal.” Even though the sentences are beautifully structured, the entire novel reads like one long (but not terribly interesting) news story.

I received this book through NetGalley and its publisher, Crown. This is a book about the author’s experiences with anxiety and learning to cope with it. It is definitely a journey through anxiety as noted in the title. A significant amount of detail is provided on the physical reasons for anxiety, depression, and other psychological issues. It has almost too much detail to give it an academic tone. It is a worthy read but be prepared for more than her personal journey.

We all experience anxiety to some degree, and some amount of anxiety is helpful to decision making. But what happens when anxiety becomes disabling? In “On Edge”, Andrea Peterson tells us her story of struggling with anxiety, the ups and downs, the treatments that have worked or failed, and how she has come to terms with it. In addition to her personal story, she has interwoven the science behind what causes anxiety, what eases anxiety, and ways to cope with it. This book is a fascinating journey into the mental process that is anxiety and the many ways that it manifests itself in our daily lives.

I really enjoyed this book. The author has thoroughly researched every aspect of the topic, with chapters focusing on medications, alternative treatments, anxiety in children, and how anxious parents can avoid creating anxious kids. I like that in every chapter she tells a part of her story but then talks about the science that relates to that aspect of her journey. The book is very well organized and presents even the more difficult scientific pieces in an easy-to-read format. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who lives with anxiety, no matter how severe, or to someone who wants a better understanding of a friend or loved one’s anxiety experience. Anxiety is here to stay but understanding it can make it easier to cope with.