UNDER PRESSURE

A general guide to stress—its causes and effects, research, and ways to reduce and manage it.

Each chapter opens with a hypothetical stressful scenario and concludes with “stress busters,” drug-free suggestions for managing each type of stress. The book also uses real-life stress-inducing situations, including crises such as natural disasters and high-stress first-response occupations, to illustrate how people deal with traumatic events. Readers will learn about fight-or-flight response and the roles of the amygdala and the autonomic nervous system and its hormones in inducing and regulating stress. Other interesting facts include how stress can affect the formation of memories, how quick bursts of stress can boost immunity, and that stress can be contagious. Readers will learn that although stress can negatively affect the body, it can also be beneficial. For example, something scientists call post-traumatic growth can help those who have experienced traumatic events to grow stronger emotionally and mentally. This helpful guide is laid out textbook style with plenty of white space and sidebars as well as faux-handprinted block letters that introduce section breaks. The digitally rendered full-color art portrays its characters with cartoonish expressions that lend a light tone to a serious subject. A wide array of skin colors and ages add diversity.

Excellent for research into the subject as well as personal enjoyment for science lovers.