The Art of Fear

Why Conquering Fear Won't Work and What to Do Instead

By: Kristen Ulmer

Narrated by: Jane Oppenheimer

Length: 11 hrs and 54 mins

Publisher's Summary

A revolutionary guide to acknowledging fear and developing the tools we need to build a healthy relationship with this confusing emotion - and use it as a positive force in our lives.

We all feel fear. Yet we are often taught to ignore it, overcome it, push past it. But to what benefit? This is the essential question that guides Kristen Ulmer's remarkable exploration of our most misunderstood emotion in The Art of Fear. 

Once recognized as the best extreme skier in the world (an honor she held for 12 years), Ulmer knows fear well. In this conversation-changing audiobook, she argues that fear is not here to cause us problems - and that in fact, the only true issue we face with fear is our misguided reaction to it (not the fear itself). 

Rebuilding our experience with fear from the ground up, Ulmer starts by exploring why we've come to view it as a negative. From here, she unpacks fear and shows it to be just one of 10,000 voices that make up our reality, here to help us come alive alongside joy, love, and gratitude. Introducing a mindfulness tool called "Shift", Ulmer teaches listeners how to experience fear in a simpler, more authentic way, transforming our relationship with this emotion from that of a draining battle into one that’s in line with our true nature. 

Influenced by Ulmer's own complicated relationship with fear and her more than 15 years as a mindset facilitator, The Art of Fear will reconstruct the way we react to and experience fear - empowering us to easily and permanently address the underlying cause of our fear-based problems and setting us on course to live a happier, more expansive future. 

©2017 Kristen Ulmer (P)2020 HarperCollins Publishers

Life changing!

I chose this book to read in the audio book club I formed and I’m very glad that I did. This is eye opening in so many ways! When you think you know something, you’ll find out that you don’t, and when you realize you don’t know anything that you thought you did, it’s somehow very uplifting and inspirational (sorry if that statement was hard to follow haha!)

Ultimately, her take on fear is TRULY eye opening. Everything I thought About fear was wrong. My approach was wrong, as is probably ~90% of the population. Even after reading this book I’m delighted to now move forward after this actual journey and live the rest of my life as balanced as possible while also questioning everything and anything I experience or go through.

This book is a hidden gem that EVERYONE needs to read. I’m already throwing it at everyone I know.

Long story short, this book will challenge and inform you of your relationship with fear and what is “is” or “could/should” be. It’s hard for me to sum everything spoken about in one review, but I guarantee you won’t regret listening!

Great info but a tad redundant

I really loved thinking from a totally different perspective but towards the end of the book I felt like the author was saying the same thing over and over without adding much new stuff. I felt like I could have stopped listening in the last three hours and still had the same benefit. It’s cool though, because too much information is always better than not enough! I still found great value in the info and the reader was great too.

All over the place

This book is sort of all over the place. It seems like she is constantly contradicting herself and it’s a little hard to follow her ideology and philosophy on fear. The one thing I do understand is that fear will always be with you and therefore, you should treat it like an old friend and not try to shut it out. Her performance in reading the book is good though.

A beautiful book

I feel a bit odd giving this book a rating after reading it, as I have come away with a newfound appreciation for questioning my beliefs and judgements. While I can’t say that any book is objectively good, I can say that this one was incredibly impactful for me. I will continue to question the advice in it, as well as the act of questioning. For now all I can say is that I have a new direction and passion in life. I’ve never felt this at peace with myself before. Thank you!

To anyone who struggles with their emotions in the slightest, this book brings a really unique perspective to the table. It’s much more than just fear.

A Gift

I am honored to have listened to this book. A work of art Thank you. Thank you

Thus book will change your life

I loved the reader's performance too. Felt like a podcast more than a book. gives a fresh perspective to life!

life changing information

I absolutely loved the book but was very disappointed that the author did not narrate the audiobook.

fantastic

this is really helpful to me.face your fear.love it.highly recommended title for everyone.try it for yourself

insults all other books for self esteem

A lot of talk, mainly criticising every other idea for self improvement. offers very little so I can not recommend this book.

Different Way of Looking at Fear

‘The Art of Fear’ by Kristen Ulmer calls on you to be in tune with your emotions, especially fear, not to repress any emotion, feel it and this releases any kink in the way. It is a radical and contrary way of living but worth listening to and considering.

Kristen Ulmer, the writer is no light weight and if nothing has earned our respect. She is a ski athlete, named the best and most fearless big mountain extreme skier in the world for 12 years. She was voted the most overall fearless woman athlete in North America, beating all dangerous sports stars, not just skiers. If anyone, she knows one or two things about fear.

Old wisdom is to overcome our fear, Kristen postulate that we are to welcome fear, listen to it, have a relationship with it. Embrace fear as fear will always be with us. Acknowledging our so called negative emotions especially fear is the way forward. Kristen has an annoying way of going on and on about her message, belabouring the point, but we can forgive this irritation because she is asking for a monumental change in the way we approach our negative emotions, a message that may not penetrate unless it is repeated and emphasised.

You will fall in love with Kirsten but not at first sight, she grows on you, if you tarry. She sure has a crystal clear cutting message but sometimes hidden in her wordiness.