“I really enjoyed Nerve—it has a good balance of personal story and actual science. And I appreciated the clarity with which Holland describes her experiences. Nerve gave me a lot to think about.” —Alex Honnold, professional rock climber, author of Alone on the Wall, and star of Free Solo
“Eva Holland put herself on the line to probe what makes us cower, and the result is this brave and emboldening book. Weaving memoir with science research and reportage, Nerve exposes fear for what it really is: a flush of chemicals, an evolutionary instinct, a mirror to the self—sometimes a liability, but often a guide.” —Kate Harris, author of Lands of Lost Borders
“Nerve is a white-knuckle journey into extreme states of terror and grief, but it does more than merely evoke those feelings. It also illuminates them. It’s a gift for all of us who are fated to live with fear and sorrow—that is, for human beings.” —Brian Phillips, author of the bestselling Impossible Owls
“A harmonious blend of memoir and science reporting…[Holland] makes her story both specific and universal.”—Kirkus Reviews
“A moving, groundbreaking look at how we can live in a world filled with dangers, both real and perceived, by one of the most talented writers working today.” —Frank Bures, author of The Geography of Madness.
“Holland presents us with a raw, intimate account of her deepest terrors, then invites us along as she fights to overcome them, embarking on a globe-trotting journey of self-discovery and scientific exploration. This book about fear is scarily good and profoundly brave.” —Luke Dittrich, author of Patient HM
“An enlightening intellectual road trip across the vast and seldom-explored science of fear. On this journey, Holland is an ideal companion—warm and intelligent, open-hearted and clear-eyed. But more than anything, she is a person who has felt, and conquered—and then captured and made sense of—fears so intense that they made me wince just reading about them.” —Rob Moor, author of On Trails
“Brave, surprising, and gorgeous, Nerve plunges into some dark territory—fear, loss, trauma—and shines a lovely light. Holland is a gifted storyteller, and by using science to understand and confront her own worst fears, she shows us how to find peace with our own.” —Jason Fagone, author of the bestselling The Woman Who Smashed Codes: A True Story of Love, Spies, and the Unlikely Heroine Who Outwitted America’s Enemies