Smith is spot-on in his descriptions of how anxiety manifests itself. The book will ring true to those who have experienced anxiety and/or panic attacks, and to those who have witnessed this disorder in someone whom they care for and love. It has all the bells and whistles from a sufferer's perspective and from the perspective of accepted therapies.

This is not a staid, clinical account of anxiety. Instead, it is a refreshing, humorous approach to understanding, and dealing with, the debilitating condition that anxiety can become. The book's title, "Monkey Mind" comes from a Buddhist term meaning "a consciousness that is bombarded by anxious thoughts that flip, bounce and jump around in the skull", much like extreme participants in a mosh pit. I find this description of anxiety pretty accurate!

There is humor when relating his mother's apology for any contribution she may have had in his anxiety: "I'm sorry!...I was anxious...I was naive...I thought we'd get it right by the time you came along...Raising kids was supposed to be like making pancakes. The first couple always come out a little mangled, but by the third everything's pretty smooth".!!! Now, if that line doesn't crack you up, then I suggest you don't read this book.

There is more reading enjoyment as Smith tells of his parents dropping him off at college. It's sad to know what he was feeling at 18 years old: "...freedom afforded by college...exciting and desirable...freedom afforded by college is inevitably also unsettling and confusing and deeply thought-provoking." This section of his book will definitely give pause to those of us who have abandoned our offspring at college!

Another interesting section relates his parents' visit while he was still at school in Boston. For me, being very familiar with the area, "...McCloskey's orderly bronze ducklings in the Public Garden...gilded State House...terraced slope of Government Center...", made me realize that I also feel "fear and dread" when walking by the New England Holocaust Memorial. All of this serves to understand his state of mind and to identify his demons.

Smith adds a footnote regarding Linda Andre's book, "Doctors of Deception: What They Don't Want You To Know About Shock Treatment", which according to Smith, provides a "seriously unflattering portrayal of yours truly." That Smith can poke fun at himself and his condition through the memories he shares, allows this book to speak honestly to people who may have experienced, or are in throes of, acute anxiety.

The book is lighthearted and disturbing at the same time. I definitely recommend it.