What do you think?
Rate this book
The Woman Who Cracked the Anxiety Code: the extraordinary life of Dr Claire Weekes
The true story of the little-known mental-health pioneer who revolutionised how we see the defining problem of our era: anxiety.
Panic, depression, sorrow, guilt, disgrace, obsession, sleeplessness, low confidence, loneliness, agoraphobia … Dr Claire Weekes knew how to treat them, but was dismissed as underqualified and overly populist by the psychiatric establishment. In a radical move, she had gone directly to the people. Her international bestseller Self Help for Your Nerves, first published in 1962 and still in print, helped tens of millions of people to overcome all of these, and continues to do so.
Weekes pioneered an anxiety treatment that is now at the cutting edge of modern psychotherapies. Her early explanation of fear, and its effect on the nervous system, is state of the art. Psychologists use her method, neuroscientists study the interaction between different fear circuits in the brain, and many psychiatrists are revisiting the mind–body connection that was the hallmark of her unique work. Face, accept, float, let time pass: hers was the invisible hand that rewrote the therapeutic manual.
This understanding of the biology of fear could not be more contemporary — ‘acceptance’ is the treatment du jour, and all mental-health professionals explain the phenomenon of fear in the same way she did so many years ago. However, most of them are unaware of the debt they have to a woman whose work has found such a huge public audience. This book is the first to tell that story, and to tell Weekes’ own remarkable tale, of how a mistaken diagnosis of tuberculosis led to heart palpitations, beginning her fascinating journey to a practical treatment for anxiety that put power back in the hands of the individual.
Panic, depression, sorrow, guilt, disgrace, obsession, sleeplessness, low confidence, loneliness, agoraphobia … Dr Claire Weekes knew how to treat them, but was dismissed as underqualified and overly populist by the psychiatric establishment. In a radical move, she had gone directly to the people. Her international bestseller Self Help for Your Nerves, first published in 1962 and still in print, helped tens of millions of people to overcome all of these, and continues to do so.
Weekes pioneered an anxiety treatment that is now at the cutting edge of modern psychotherapies. Her early explanation of fear, and its effect on the nervous system, is state of the art. Psychologists use her method, neuroscientists study the interaction between different fear circuits in the brain, and many psychiatrists are revisiting the mind–body connection that was the hallmark of her unique work. Face, accept, float, let time pass: hers was the invisible hand that rewrote the therapeutic manual.
This understanding of the biology of fear could not be more contemporary — ‘acceptance’ is the treatment du jour, and all mental-health professionals explain the phenomenon of fear in the same way she did so many years ago. However, most of them are unaware of the debt they have to a woman whose work has found such a huge public audience. This book is the first to tell that story, and to tell Weekes’ own remarkable tale, of how a mistaken diagnosis of tuberculosis led to heart palpitations, beginning her fascinating journey to a practical treatment for anxiety that put power back in the hands of the individual.
496 pages, Paperback
First published September 11, 2019
112 people are currently reading
1303 people want to read
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
May 12, 2022
In 1930 she made history as the first woman to gain a doctorate of science at the University of Sydney, and also won the university medal in zoology. Weekes' work led to eight published papers, including a major summary published in 1935 in the Proceedings of the Zoological Society of London and provided the basis of an understanding of reptile placentation that lasted for nearly 50 years.
In 1945, she qualified as a medical doctor, eventually becoming a specialist general physician dealing with difficult-to-diagnose cases. She then hurdled what was the highest bar in medicine, being selected as a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
She suffered from panic attacks and anxiety.
In 1962 she wrote Self Help For Your Nerves, with a revolutionary approach to dealing with anxiety which has helped millions. She is something of a patron saint of the online anxiety community, mainly for the simple reason that her approach works. She was, of course, dismissed by her peers at the time, and her work ignored. Now the latest work on anxiety treatment (mainly ACT etc) is basically identical to her approach all those years ago, and much of the "mindfullness" movement sounds eerily similar to her advice.
Face it. Accept whatever comes. Float through it. Don’t tense, don’t try and fight or resist. Don’t be bluffed by fear. It is just your body doing what it was designed to do to keep you safe. There is nothing really wrong with you. All those unpleasant sensations and unpleasant thoughts are ultimately hollow and empty and they will simply flow through and over you if you let them. It is your fear of fear, of the anxiousness, that is causing the problem. Recovery is on the other side of fear. You have to pass through it to realise there is calm waiting for you there. Anxiety and fear will always come, there will always be setbacks and tough times, but who cares. You can get through them too. Don’t let them bluff you into thinking you can’t. This is hard and you have to be brave, but those with anxiety are brave every single day of their lives. Just breathe and float and accept what is happening in your body. Once your amygdala has flooded your body with adrenaline and cortisol, there is nothing your rational brain can do but ride it out. And as you relax and observe, rather than struggle and withdraw and fight, you will see all that unpleasant sensation and thought slowly melt away and you will realise that it doesn’t matter in the slightest.
Without her I would not be off medication, and functioning well regardless of the extent anxiety may come flashing through me from time to time. It is no exaggeration to say she saved my life, as there were dark times indeed before I heard her.
More here: https://psyche.co/ideas/one-womans-si...
In 1945, she qualified as a medical doctor, eventually becoming a specialist general physician dealing with difficult-to-diagnose cases. She then hurdled what was the highest bar in medicine, being selected as a fellow of the Royal Australasian College of Physicians.
She suffered from panic attacks and anxiety.
In 1962 she wrote Self Help For Your Nerves, with a revolutionary approach to dealing with anxiety which has helped millions. She is something of a patron saint of the online anxiety community, mainly for the simple reason that her approach works. She was, of course, dismissed by her peers at the time, and her work ignored. Now the latest work on anxiety treatment (mainly ACT etc) is basically identical to her approach all those years ago, and much of the "mindfullness" movement sounds eerily similar to her advice.
Face it. Accept whatever comes. Float through it. Don’t tense, don’t try and fight or resist. Don’t be bluffed by fear. It is just your body doing what it was designed to do to keep you safe. There is nothing really wrong with you. All those unpleasant sensations and unpleasant thoughts are ultimately hollow and empty and they will simply flow through and over you if you let them. It is your fear of fear, of the anxiousness, that is causing the problem. Recovery is on the other side of fear. You have to pass through it to realise there is calm waiting for you there. Anxiety and fear will always come, there will always be setbacks and tough times, but who cares. You can get through them too. Don’t let them bluff you into thinking you can’t. This is hard and you have to be brave, but those with anxiety are brave every single day of their lives. Just breathe and float and accept what is happening in your body. Once your amygdala has flooded your body with adrenaline and cortisol, there is nothing your rational brain can do but ride it out. And as you relax and observe, rather than struggle and withdraw and fight, you will see all that unpleasant sensation and thought slowly melt away and you will realise that it doesn’t matter in the slightest.
Without her I would not be off medication, and functioning well regardless of the extent anxiety may come flashing through me from time to time. It is no exaggeration to say she saved my life, as there were dark times indeed before I heard her.
More here: https://psyche.co/ideas/one-womans-si...
November 1, 2019
Loved this account of the life of Dr Claire Weekes. Who knew there was this bold Australian woman who pioneered anxiety treatment and helped millions of people worldwide? Such an interesting life story as well as her incredible achievements that were generally unacknowledged by her professional peers at the time. She was worshipped by readers of her practical self help books worldwide and gave people the understanding and power to manage their anxiety and get their lives back on track. Doctorate in Science (zoology) then studied neurology, studied voice and toured Europe with pianist Betty Coleman (who became life long companion), started a travel agency and wrote weekly columns, became a Doctor of Medicine at the age of 42. All this by 1941. Her great insight seems to have come from a long period of suffering from anxiety in her 20s resulting from a false diagnosis of TB and remote extended isolation. I love the extracts of her super practical, straight-to-the-point advice from her 1960s best sellers. On housework: find something else to do. “Housework is rarely interesting to a woman with a breakdown, and since interest is the force that will lift you back to normal, find it if you reasonably can”. More seriously she saved many lives and offered people hope and positivity to make change for themselves. There are so many examples throughout the book of people devoted to her for ‘prescribing’ the acceptance protocol of face, accept, float, let time pass. Sound familiar? Dr Claire Weekes was way ahead of her time.
Read
November 5, 2020It’s truly astonishing that Dr Claire Weekes is not a household name … this book shines a light on her considerable achievements with great respect and meticulous detail.
Leigh Sales
By thinking outside the box, and exercising extraordinary clinical sensitivity, the brilliant physician Claire Weekes created a treatment protocol to the unending benefit of tens of millions of patients over the years.
Dr David Barlow, professor emeritus of psychology and psychiatry at Boston University
Australian doctor Claire Weekes found worldwide fame with her bestselling books on ‘nervous illness’ in the 1960s and 1970s — but despite gratitude from thousands of sufferers, she is almost forgotten today. This revelatory biography should change that … Journalist Judith Hoare has comprehensively captured the unconventional life of this brilliant woman who was lauded for her evolutionary studies. FOUR STARS
Julia Taylor, Books + Publishing
A vivid portrait of an intriguing woman ahead of her time, this is a story of hope, empowerment, and vindication.
Gina Perry, author of Behind the Shock Machine and The Lost Boys
An intimate portrait ... Contributions of this kind — high in influence but low in prestige, because “popular” — are often overlooked. In this fine book, Hoare has rescued the legacy of a great Australian from that fate.
Nick Haslam, Inside Story
A fascinating tale about a trailblazer who helped millions face their fears.
Fiona Capp, Sydney Morning Herald
Hoare charts Dr Weekes’ professional achievements, which happened almost in spite of her lack of business acumen and a difficult private life. FOUR STARS
Robyn Douglass, SA Weekend
Don’t miss this biography, especially if you have been helped, as I was, by this wonderful woman. It is very detailed but well worth a read. FOUR STARS
Merle Morcom, Good Reading
With Judith Hoare’s The Woman Who Cracked the Anxiety Code, we have a chance to learn about Weekes’s varied life and, as important, become reacquainted with her work … A splendid tribute to Claire Weekes — a tribute long overdue.
Sally Satel, Wall Street Journal
In her biography of Weekes, veteran journalist Judith Hoare has rescued the Australian doctor from obscurity and placed her squarely in the history of the diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders … Displaying the hallmarks of an accomplished journalist, this is a fascinating biography of a free-spirited and innovative woman, an insight into the history of evolutionary and psychiatric theories, and an introduction to Weekes’s methods and her books.
Carol Middleton, Australian Book Review
Journalist Hoare chronicles Weekes's life, from an early career in zoology to an attempt at singing professionally to becoming a doctor at age 42 … This biography restores Weekes’s often overlooked contributions to anxiety treatment.
Andrea Thompson, Scientific American ‘Recommended Books’
Leigh Sales
By thinking outside the box, and exercising extraordinary clinical sensitivity, the brilliant physician Claire Weekes created a treatment protocol to the unending benefit of tens of millions of patients over the years.
Dr David Barlow, professor emeritus of psychology and psychiatry at Boston University
Australian doctor Claire Weekes found worldwide fame with her bestselling books on ‘nervous illness’ in the 1960s and 1970s — but despite gratitude from thousands of sufferers, she is almost forgotten today. This revelatory biography should change that … Journalist Judith Hoare has comprehensively captured the unconventional life of this brilliant woman who was lauded for her evolutionary studies. FOUR STARS
Julia Taylor, Books + Publishing
A vivid portrait of an intriguing woman ahead of her time, this is a story of hope, empowerment, and vindication.
Gina Perry, author of Behind the Shock Machine and The Lost Boys
An intimate portrait ... Contributions of this kind — high in influence but low in prestige, because “popular” — are often overlooked. In this fine book, Hoare has rescued the legacy of a great Australian from that fate.
Nick Haslam, Inside Story
A fascinating tale about a trailblazer who helped millions face their fears.
Fiona Capp, Sydney Morning Herald
Hoare charts Dr Weekes’ professional achievements, which happened almost in spite of her lack of business acumen and a difficult private life. FOUR STARS
Robyn Douglass, SA Weekend
Don’t miss this biography, especially if you have been helped, as I was, by this wonderful woman. It is very detailed but well worth a read. FOUR STARS
Merle Morcom, Good Reading
With Judith Hoare’s The Woman Who Cracked the Anxiety Code, we have a chance to learn about Weekes’s varied life and, as important, become reacquainted with her work … A splendid tribute to Claire Weekes — a tribute long overdue.
Sally Satel, Wall Street Journal
In her biography of Weekes, veteran journalist Judith Hoare has rescued the Australian doctor from obscurity and placed her squarely in the history of the diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders … Displaying the hallmarks of an accomplished journalist, this is a fascinating biography of a free-spirited and innovative woman, an insight into the history of evolutionary and psychiatric theories, and an introduction to Weekes’s methods and her books.
Carol Middleton, Australian Book Review
Journalist Hoare chronicles Weekes's life, from an early career in zoology to an attempt at singing professionally to becoming a doctor at age 42 … This biography restores Weekes’s often overlooked contributions to anxiety treatment.
Andrea Thompson, Scientific American ‘Recommended Books’
August 23, 2020
In giving this book a mere one star I'm saying that I consider it in the bottom quintile of books I've read.
This book *could* have been an interesting story about a little-known and under-appreciated Australian woman who had a lasting impact on the treatment of anxiety around the world. It could have engaged the reader by highlighting how she did this despite patriarchal attitudes, her own health issues, and the demands of her family life.
Instead, it feels more like the author was determined to include everything she'd learnt about Dr Claire Weekes, and that her editor didn't put up enough of a fight. The book just has to much miscellany, too much trivia, all these random things that yes, they did happen in Claire's life, but there is no effort to weave them together into an actual story. It ends up being like a bad pasta sauce where someone was just trying to use up everything they had in the fridge.
I think you could be better off reading a wikipedia article about Dr. Weekes, or this book could instead have been a compendium in which Weekes' story was just a single chapter. And if you are interested in anxiety or the treament thereof, maybe even just check out Weekes' own books.
This book *could* have been an interesting story about a little-known and under-appreciated Australian woman who had a lasting impact on the treatment of anxiety around the world. It could have engaged the reader by highlighting how she did this despite patriarchal attitudes, her own health issues, and the demands of her family life.
Instead, it feels more like the author was determined to include everything she'd learnt about Dr Claire Weekes, and that her editor didn't put up enough of a fight. The book just has to much miscellany, too much trivia, all these random things that yes, they did happen in Claire's life, but there is no effort to weave them together into an actual story. It ends up being like a bad pasta sauce where someone was just trying to use up everything they had in the fridge.
I think you could be better off reading a wikipedia article about Dr. Weekes, or this book could instead have been a compendium in which Weekes' story was just a single chapter. And if you are interested in anxiety or the treament thereof, maybe even just check out Weekes' own books.
July 1, 2020
What can I say but superb. A great book about a great woman who gave a lifeline to thousands of Australian women including my mother and my aunt who were originally dismissed with 'women's problems'. Dr Claire Weekes became a well-known name in our family because she 'got it' she had been there, she understood and offered a way out of panic attacks and anxiety still relevant today. Judith Hoare has written an insightful and fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the personal life and work of Dr Weekes not known at the time.
Photos and info on my blog https://thoughtsbecomewords.com/2020/...
Photos and info on my blog https://thoughtsbecomewords.com/2020/...
December 7, 2019
Dr Claire Weekes is an Australian legend who probably has a lower profile than she deserves. But this lady whose life and work spanned most of the 20th century was a history-maker and life-saver who completely changed the trajectory of treatment for severe anxiety disorder and panic attack.
I bought this bio as soon as I saw it for my mother's birthday, because my family are big fans of her work and my brother even says she should be made a saint. Between us we probably own all her books, including the classic, 'Self Help for your Nerves.' Basically, Claire was her own personal experiment at the very outset. After crazy diagnoses in which she thought she was dying, young Claire Weekes realised that by freaking out about her heart palpitations and such, she was in effect trying to fight fear itself, a battle any nervous sufferer is bound to lose.
She was first to identify the paradox that mastery over nervous illness is only achieved when control is completely relinquished. It's a fascinating read, which I discovered before wrapping it up, and I'd recommend it to anyone who could do with Dr Claire's famous advice to face, float, accept and let time pass.
I bought this bio as soon as I saw it for my mother's birthday, because my family are big fans of her work and my brother even says she should be made a saint. Between us we probably own all her books, including the classic, 'Self Help for your Nerves.' Basically, Claire was her own personal experiment at the very outset. After crazy diagnoses in which she thought she was dying, young Claire Weekes realised that by freaking out about her heart palpitations and such, she was in effect trying to fight fear itself, a battle any nervous sufferer is bound to lose.
She was first to identify the paradox that mastery over nervous illness is only achieved when control is completely relinquished. It's a fascinating read, which I discovered before wrapping it up, and I'd recommend it to anyone who could do with Dr Claire's famous advice to face, float, accept and let time pass.
March 8, 2020
Her understanding of the destructive power of anxiety and panic was the culmination of a lifetime of professional attention. However, it had been her searing experience of 'nerves' as a young woman that had inspired her work. She knew she could cure others because she had cured herself.
I read Self Help for Your Nerves last year thanks to a recommendation from my Grandpa. He also included a couple of leaflets and articles in the copy he lent me, one of which was about this book. The Woman Who Cracked the Anxiety Code is a fascinating read about the life of Dr Claire Weekes. The book was engaging to read and has re-energised my love for non-fiction.
The occasional tangent away from Weekes was well worth it as context and parallel events are important. I'm particularly intrigued now by the life of Dr Phoebe Chapple (mentioned in Chapter 2), a doctor who wanted to serve in WW1 but was rejected by the Australian army on the grounds of gender. She paid her own way to England where she join the Royal Army Medical Corps and was sent to the front. 'Amid relentless shelling in the trenches in France, Chapple continued to tend to the wounded.' The legal battles were less fun to read about but were a part of Weekes' life so there you are. WW1 soldiers and their experience of panic and fear in the trenches play a part in her journey too. There is a lot about the history and evolution of psychology and psychiatry. The slicing and defining of panic and nerves by the DSM & more and the various other ways of looking at mental health.
Something particularly compelling to read about was the family unit surrounding Weekes. How she became a sort of matriarch of a large clan. Financially supporting a lot of women around her (and men too), reading to her nieces, giving them emotional and practical advice, being the family's doctor, house-hunting and painting after a long day of work and more. She regularly counselled calm, 'Don't get excited, and be prepared for disappointment.' Weekes was engaged to a man at one point but never married. She had some very close relationships with women. This book discusses rumours of more than friends which was neat, there is very little evidence either way but it was refreshing to explore that and not just make assumptions.
This is a book about an ambitious and driven woman. Throughout her life she set her sights on multiple careers and worked hard towards each one (inc. zoology, a travel advice business, singing, being a doctor and a writer). Weekes was confident in her own ability and when few in the professional field took her seriously she spoke up about her own achievements. She was bold, made a difference to many people's lives and is a brilliant subject for a book.
. . . .
'To recover he must know how to face, accept and go through panic until it no longer matters... Recovery is in his own hands, not in drugs, not in avoidance of panic, not in "getting used to" difficult situations, nor in desensitisation by suggestion. Permanent recovery lies in the patient's ability to know how to accept the panic until he no longer fears it.'
It was easy to confuse 'floating' with 'relaxing', but they were quite different. 'It is certainly relaxing,' she later wrote in her fourth book, 'but it is more than that; it is relaxing with action. One faces, relaxes and then floats on through.'
...the phenomenon Weekes was to make central to her diagnosis - fear of fear would be one of her most enduring insights into understanding, treatment, and cure. She was the first to point out that so-called agoraphobia was less a fear of the 'agora' or the outside world, but instead was a dread of the return of unbearable feelings associated with going out. It was fear of the feelings returning.
Weekes understood [agoraphobia] was not gender specific. Far more importantly, she did not like using labels. She avoided them, believing they were worse than counterproductive. 'Patients are individuals... and labelling a patient only tends to give him added fears.' Weekes was quoted as saying.
I read Self Help for Your Nerves last year thanks to a recommendation from my Grandpa. He also included a couple of leaflets and articles in the copy he lent me, one of which was about this book. The Woman Who Cracked the Anxiety Code is a fascinating read about the life of Dr Claire Weekes. The book was engaging to read and has re-energised my love for non-fiction.
The occasional tangent away from Weekes was well worth it as context and parallel events are important. I'm particularly intrigued now by the life of Dr Phoebe Chapple (mentioned in Chapter 2), a doctor who wanted to serve in WW1 but was rejected by the Australian army on the grounds of gender. She paid her own way to England where she join the Royal Army Medical Corps and was sent to the front. 'Amid relentless shelling in the trenches in France, Chapple continued to tend to the wounded.' The legal battles were less fun to read about but were a part of Weekes' life so there you are. WW1 soldiers and their experience of panic and fear in the trenches play a part in her journey too. There is a lot about the history and evolution of psychology and psychiatry. The slicing and defining of panic and nerves by the DSM & more and the various other ways of looking at mental health.
Something particularly compelling to read about was the family unit surrounding Weekes. How she became a sort of matriarch of a large clan. Financially supporting a lot of women around her (and men too), reading to her nieces, giving them emotional and practical advice, being the family's doctor, house-hunting and painting after a long day of work and more. She regularly counselled calm, 'Don't get excited, and be prepared for disappointment.' Weekes was engaged to a man at one point but never married. She had some very close relationships with women. This book discusses rumours of more than friends which was neat, there is very little evidence either way but it was refreshing to explore that and not just make assumptions.
This is a book about an ambitious and driven woman. Throughout her life she set her sights on multiple careers and worked hard towards each one (inc. zoology, a travel advice business, singing, being a doctor and a writer). Weekes was confident in her own ability and when few in the professional field took her seriously she spoke up about her own achievements. She was bold, made a difference to many people's lives and is a brilliant subject for a book.
. . . .
'To recover he must know how to face, accept and go through panic until it no longer matters... Recovery is in his own hands, not in drugs, not in avoidance of panic, not in "getting used to" difficult situations, nor in desensitisation by suggestion. Permanent recovery lies in the patient's ability to know how to accept the panic until he no longer fears it.'
It was easy to confuse 'floating' with 'relaxing', but they were quite different. 'It is certainly relaxing,' she later wrote in her fourth book, 'but it is more than that; it is relaxing with action. One faces, relaxes and then floats on through.'
...the phenomenon Weekes was to make central to her diagnosis - fear of fear would be one of her most enduring insights into understanding, treatment, and cure. She was the first to point out that so-called agoraphobia was less a fear of the 'agora' or the outside world, but instead was a dread of the return of unbearable feelings associated with going out. It was fear of the feelings returning.
Weekes understood [agoraphobia] was not gender specific. Far more importantly, she did not like using labels. She avoided them, believing they were worse than counterproductive. 'Patients are individuals... and labelling a patient only tends to give him added fears.' Weekes was quoted as saying.
September 23, 2023
Was looking forward to reading this but left disappointed.
A wonderful woman in her own right but found it very difficult to read (took me a long time to finish and didn’t look forward to reading it) and it felt repetitive.
Agree with a previous review that stated it was a random bunch of things from her life put on a page with little order or coherency.
Wanted to get an insight into the emotions and feelings of Claire Weeks however it was a lot more factual, and "this happened then this happened".
Sad to say its not a book I would recommend.
A wonderful woman in her own right but found it very difficult to read (took me a long time to finish and didn’t look forward to reading it) and it felt repetitive.
Agree with a previous review that stated it was a random bunch of things from her life put on a page with little order or coherency.
Wanted to get an insight into the emotions and feelings of Claire Weeks however it was a lot more factual, and "this happened then this happened".
Sad to say its not a book I would recommend.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 18, 2019
I haven’t read Claire Weekes books on mental health. I don’t know anything about agoraphobia, depression, nervous illness, and so on. This biography shows some of the up and downs, confusions and mistakes, the diligent doctor Weekes plunged through to provide help to sufferers of these conditions and more.
June 10, 2025
This is a very extensive biography on the life of an amazing woman. I think some of the poor reviews on this book can be attributed to how extensive this biography actually is. Halfway through the book I realized I really just want to read Claire Weekes’ book Self Help for Your Nerves.
But I was still beyond impressed at the work Weekes did before ever publishing this book. At 26 years of age, Weekes had a professional record that eluded most men of her generation. She headed abroad with honours, a doctorate, a scholarship, and the backing of eminent scientists in her field.
She had the distinction of being the first woman to be awarded the degree of Doctor of Science at Sydney University. And she graduated as a doctor of medicine in March 1945, at the age of 42.
As a doctor she worked so closely with her patients struggling with anxiety, she literally had them move into her home until they were cured! Because of that (and her own struggles with nerves) she was able to write a book that actually CURES people with anxiety. Seriously this woman is amazing (and maybe in line with Mother Theresa when I think about it).
So I know what’s next on my reading list. 📖
But I was still beyond impressed at the work Weekes did before ever publishing this book. At 26 years of age, Weekes had a professional record that eluded most men of her generation. She headed abroad with honours, a doctorate, a scholarship, and the backing of eminent scientists in her field.
She had the distinction of being the first woman to be awarded the degree of Doctor of Science at Sydney University. And she graduated as a doctor of medicine in March 1945, at the age of 42.
As a doctor she worked so closely with her patients struggling with anxiety, she literally had them move into her home until they were cured! Because of that (and her own struggles with nerves) she was able to write a book that actually CURES people with anxiety. Seriously this woman is amazing (and maybe in line with Mother Theresa when I think about it).
So I know what’s next on my reading list. 📖
September 15, 2020
What an interesting life story. Claire Weekes, a Phd and medical doctor from Australia was quite remarkable—ahead of her time in identifying strategies to help people suffering from anxiety, including complex cases like agoraphobia, panic disorder and obsessive compulsive disorder. Her apparent on-the-surface simplistic strategy was dismissed by experts—physicians and psychiatrists, yet her self-help book, Self Help for Your Nerves sold hundreds of thousands of copies worldwide. It’s still in print today.
Weekes life was tumultuous which made her story that much more interesting. Her family was complicated with members who suffered from anxiety and depression, who Weekes treated, often with tranquilizers. I found this disturbing, but realized that ALL people’s lives can be messy, contradictory and complicated.
A terrific, interesting story about a life full of accomplishments and success but also a great deal of sadness.
Weekes life was tumultuous which made her story that much more interesting. Her family was complicated with members who suffered from anxiety and depression, who Weekes treated, often with tranquilizers. I found this disturbing, but realized that ALL people’s lives can be messy, contradictory and complicated.
A terrific, interesting story about a life full of accomplishments and success but also a great deal of sadness.
July 31, 2025
Glad this book exists. Claire Weeks was a big influence and I am glad she has a biography dedicated to her. Interesting to hear about her background and life
March 23, 2021
Claire Weekes was a remarkable Australian woman, and this book is an important biography of a pioneer in mental health. Her "face, float, accept and let time pass" approach to the onset of nervous symptoms was a beautifully simple, practical, and incredibly effective method in treating anxiety and panic.
I really enjoyed learning of her life and the importance of her work. It was such a shame she faced distribution issues in the US (of her recordings) as the individuals involved no doubt prevented much needed help to many that could of used it. And whilst she wasn't awarded the accolades she deserved, her legacy lives on in the many, many people she has helped that have adopted her approach.
Recommended reading.
I really enjoyed learning of her life and the importance of her work. It was such a shame she faced distribution issues in the US (of her recordings) as the individuals involved no doubt prevented much needed help to many that could of used it. And whilst she wasn't awarded the accolades she deserved, her legacy lives on in the many, many people she has helped that have adopted her approach.
Recommended reading.
Read
November 5, 2020It’s truly astonishing that Dr Claire Weekes is not a household name … this book shines a light on her considerable achievements with great respect and meticulous detail.
Leigh Sales
By thinking outside the box, and exercising extraordinary clinical sensitivity, the brilliant physician Claire Weekes created a treatment protocol to the unending benefit of tens of millions of patients over the years.
Dr David Barlow, professor emeritus of psychology and psychiatry at Boston University
Australian doctor Claire Weekes found worldwide fame with her bestselling books on ‘nervous illness’ in the 1960s and 1970s — but despite gratitude from thousands of sufferers, she is almost forgotten today. This revelatory biography should change that … Journalist Judith Hoare has comprehensively captured the unconventional life of this brilliant woman who was lauded for her evolutionary studies. FOUR STARS
Julia Taylor, Books + Publishing
A vivid portrait of an intriguing woman ahead of her time, this is a story of hope, empowerment, and vindication.
Gina Perry, author of Behind the Shock Machine and The Lost Boys
An intimate portrait ... Contributions of this kind — high in influence but low in prestige, because “popular” — are often overlooked. In this fine book, Hoare has rescued the legacy of a great Australian from that fate.
Nick Haslam, Inside Story
A fascinating tale about a trailblazer who helped millions face their fears.
Fiona Capp, Sydney Morning Herald
Hoare charts Dr Weekes’ professional achievements, which happened almost in spite of her lack of business acumen and a difficult private life. FOUR STARS
Robyn Douglass, SA Weekend
Don’t miss this biography, especially if you have been helped, as I was, by this wonderful woman. It is very detailed but well worth a read. FOUR STARS
Merle Morcom, Good Reading
With Judith Hoare’s The Woman Who Cracked the Anxiety Code, we have a chance to learn about Weekes’s varied life and, as important, become reacquainted with her work … A splendid tribute to Claire Weekes — a tribute long overdue.
Sally Satel, Wall Street Journal
In her biography of Weekes, veteran journalist Judith Hoare has rescued the Australian doctor from obscurity and placed her squarely in the history of the diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders … Displaying the hallmarks of an accomplished journalist, this is a fascinating biography of a free-spirited and innovative woman, an insight into the history of evolutionary and psychiatric theories, and an introduction to Weekes’s methods and her books.
Carol Middleton, Australian Book Review
Journalist Hoare chronicles Weekes's life, from an early career in zoology to an attempt at singing professionally to becoming a doctor at age 42 … This biography restores Weekes’s often overlooked contributions to anxiety treatment.
Andrea Thompson, Scientific American ‘Recommended Books’
Leigh Sales
By thinking outside the box, and exercising extraordinary clinical sensitivity, the brilliant physician Claire Weekes created a treatment protocol to the unending benefit of tens of millions of patients over the years.
Dr David Barlow, professor emeritus of psychology and psychiatry at Boston University
Australian doctor Claire Weekes found worldwide fame with her bestselling books on ‘nervous illness’ in the 1960s and 1970s — but despite gratitude from thousands of sufferers, she is almost forgotten today. This revelatory biography should change that … Journalist Judith Hoare has comprehensively captured the unconventional life of this brilliant woman who was lauded for her evolutionary studies. FOUR STARS
Julia Taylor, Books + Publishing
A vivid portrait of an intriguing woman ahead of her time, this is a story of hope, empowerment, and vindication.
Gina Perry, author of Behind the Shock Machine and The Lost Boys
An intimate portrait ... Contributions of this kind — high in influence but low in prestige, because “popular” — are often overlooked. In this fine book, Hoare has rescued the legacy of a great Australian from that fate.
Nick Haslam, Inside Story
A fascinating tale about a trailblazer who helped millions face their fears.
Fiona Capp, Sydney Morning Herald
Hoare charts Dr Weekes’ professional achievements, which happened almost in spite of her lack of business acumen and a difficult private life. FOUR STARS
Robyn Douglass, SA Weekend
Don’t miss this biography, especially if you have been helped, as I was, by this wonderful woman. It is very detailed but well worth a read. FOUR STARS
Merle Morcom, Good Reading
With Judith Hoare’s The Woman Who Cracked the Anxiety Code, we have a chance to learn about Weekes’s varied life and, as important, become reacquainted with her work … A splendid tribute to Claire Weekes — a tribute long overdue.
Sally Satel, Wall Street Journal
In her biography of Weekes, veteran journalist Judith Hoare has rescued the Australian doctor from obscurity and placed her squarely in the history of the diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders … Displaying the hallmarks of an accomplished journalist, this is a fascinating biography of a free-spirited and innovative woman, an insight into the history of evolutionary and psychiatric theories, and an introduction to Weekes’s methods and her books.
Carol Middleton, Australian Book Review
Journalist Hoare chronicles Weekes's life, from an early career in zoology to an attempt at singing professionally to becoming a doctor at age 42 … This biography restores Weekes’s often overlooked contributions to anxiety treatment.
Andrea Thompson, Scientific American ‘Recommended Books’
Read
November 5, 2020It’s truly astonishing that Dr Claire Weekes is not a household name … this book shines a light on her considerable achievements with great respect and meticulous detail.
Leigh Sales
By thinking outside the box, and exercising extraordinary clinical sensitivity, the brilliant physician Claire Weekes created a treatment protocol to the unending benefit of tens of millions of patients over the years.
Dr David Barlow, professor emeritus of psychology and psychiatry at Boston University
Australian doctor Claire Weekes found worldwide fame with her bestselling books on ‘nervous illness’ in the 1960s and 1970s — but despite gratitude from thousands of sufferers, she is almost forgotten today. This revelatory biography should change that … Journalist Judith Hoare has comprehensively captured the unconventional life of this brilliant woman who was lauded for her evolutionary studies. FOUR STARS
Julia Taylor, Books + Publishing
A vivid portrait of an intriguing woman ahead of her time, this is a story of hope, empowerment, and vindication.
Gina Perry, author of Behind the Shock Machine and The Lost Boys
An intimate portrait ... Contributions of this kind — high in influence but low in prestige, because “popular” — are often overlooked. In this fine book, Hoare has rescued the legacy of a great Australian from that fate.
Nick Haslam, Inside Story
A fascinating tale about a trailblazer who helped millions face their fears.
Fiona Capp, Sydney Morning Herald
Hoare charts Dr Weekes’ professional achievements, which happened almost in spite of her lack of business acumen and a difficult private life. FOUR STARS
Robyn Douglass, SA Weekend
Don’t miss this biography, especially if you have been helped, as I was, by this wonderful woman. It is very detailed but well worth a read. FOUR STARS
Merle Morcom, Good Reading
With Judith Hoare’s The Woman Who Cracked the Anxiety Code, we have a chance to learn about Weekes’s varied life and, as important, become reacquainted with her work … A splendid tribute to Claire Weekes — a tribute long overdue.
Sally Satel, Wall Street Journal
In her biography of Weekes, veteran journalist Judith Hoare has rescued the Australian doctor from obscurity and placed her squarely in the history of the diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders … Displaying the hallmarks of an accomplished journalist, this is a fascinating biography of a free-spirited and innovative woman, an insight into the history of evolutionary and psychiatric theories, and an introduction to Weekes’s methods and her books.
Carol Middleton, Australian Book Review
Journalist Hoare chronicles Weekes's life, from an early career in zoology to an attempt at singing professionally to becoming a doctor at age 42 … This biography restores Weekes’s often overlooked contributions to anxiety treatment.
Andrea Thompson, Scientific American ‘Recommended Books’
Leigh Sales
By thinking outside the box, and exercising extraordinary clinical sensitivity, the brilliant physician Claire Weekes created a treatment protocol to the unending benefit of tens of millions of patients over the years.
Dr David Barlow, professor emeritus of psychology and psychiatry at Boston University
Australian doctor Claire Weekes found worldwide fame with her bestselling books on ‘nervous illness’ in the 1960s and 1970s — but despite gratitude from thousands of sufferers, she is almost forgotten today. This revelatory biography should change that … Journalist Judith Hoare has comprehensively captured the unconventional life of this brilliant woman who was lauded for her evolutionary studies. FOUR STARS
Julia Taylor, Books + Publishing
A vivid portrait of an intriguing woman ahead of her time, this is a story of hope, empowerment, and vindication.
Gina Perry, author of Behind the Shock Machine and The Lost Boys
An intimate portrait ... Contributions of this kind — high in influence but low in prestige, because “popular” — are often overlooked. In this fine book, Hoare has rescued the legacy of a great Australian from that fate.
Nick Haslam, Inside Story
A fascinating tale about a trailblazer who helped millions face their fears.
Fiona Capp, Sydney Morning Herald
Hoare charts Dr Weekes’ professional achievements, which happened almost in spite of her lack of business acumen and a difficult private life. FOUR STARS
Robyn Douglass, SA Weekend
Don’t miss this biography, especially if you have been helped, as I was, by this wonderful woman. It is very detailed but well worth a read. FOUR STARS
Merle Morcom, Good Reading
With Judith Hoare’s The Woman Who Cracked the Anxiety Code, we have a chance to learn about Weekes’s varied life and, as important, become reacquainted with her work … A splendid tribute to Claire Weekes — a tribute long overdue.
Sally Satel, Wall Street Journal
In her biography of Weekes, veteran journalist Judith Hoare has rescued the Australian doctor from obscurity and placed her squarely in the history of the diagnosis and treatment of anxiety disorders … Displaying the hallmarks of an accomplished journalist, this is a fascinating biography of a free-spirited and innovative woman, an insight into the history of evolutionary and psychiatric theories, and an introduction to Weekes’s methods and her books.
Carol Middleton, Australian Book Review
Journalist Hoare chronicles Weekes's life, from an early career in zoology to an attempt at singing professionally to becoming a doctor at age 42 … This biography restores Weekes’s often overlooked contributions to anxiety treatment.
Andrea Thompson, Scientific American ‘Recommended Books’
January 29, 2020
I, like many people around Australia had never heard of Dr Claire Weekes, although her worked changed the face of psychological therapies for anxiety and highlighted the brain-body connection when the medical world was still enthralled by psychotherapy. The book highlights the bright early part of her life as an up and coming student, her changes of career and the many shenanigans brought upon her by her family and her many devotees.
At times the book is an eye opening examination of the world before behaviourism, CBT therapies and drug-dependance were the norm. It explores the male-centric world of medicine and how she was never taken seriously in her work. Other times it is an uncritical examination of her life, which left members of my book club wanting more. An easy read that does credit to someone the world should know more about.
At times the book is an eye opening examination of the world before behaviourism, CBT therapies and drug-dependance were the norm. It explores the male-centric world of medicine and how she was never taken seriously in her work. Other times it is an uncritical examination of her life, which left members of my book club wanting more. An easy read that does credit to someone the world should know more about.
June 24, 2021
I found this book so boring. I read it because I can't leave books unfinished. It literally was just a list of her achievements you hardly got any emotion or feeling about her. It felt quite un personal to me compared to other memoirs or autobiographies. I also got really confused with all the different friends and family members hard to keep track of. She is an amazing pioneering woman for her time but this book is just not good at all.
February 24, 2020
Fascinating story! Highly recommended. While I did have a few minor quibbles with the writing (the book could have done with another overall edit, in my opinion), it's a thorough presentation of a complex, talented individual whose contribution to the treatment of anxiety cannot be overstated.
March 6, 2020
This book is a must-read. In an expertly researched and beautifully written biography, Author Judith Hoare unfolds why Australian psychologist Dr Claire Weeks was lauded internationally by many thousands of patients, yet barely known in Australia. Fascinating.
December 28, 2021
I have been wanting to read this ever since my sister bought it to my attention near on two years ago. She had heard the author Judith Hoare interviewed on a radio program. Weirdly it was hard to track down an in stock copy, I finally succeeded in finding one and waited five months for it to arrive……Now that I’ve finished I’m not sure if it was wort all the effort. Either way I’m very glad to have read it and feel satisfaction that Dr Claire Weekes story has been told. It’s important.
When my sister mentioned the interview to me she wondered if it was the same woman who wrote the book our Mother recommended to anyone suffering emotional distress. It so was - Dr Claire Weekes “Self Help for Your Nerves” is a book cover etched into my brain. As are some of her strategies which ironically play a part in my own clinical practice regularly. I have clear memories of my Mother’s experience of anxiety, her fear of driving over bridges (phobia) and obvious depression. In combination with face, accept, float, let time pass and transcendental meditation my Mothers fragile mental health improved significantly with lasting progress till her death. So it is with certainty that I can vouch for the claims in this book that her methods changed lives. A truth and one I am grateful for.
There is no doubt Dr Weekes was an astounding humanitarian and trail blazer yet there were times where I found the writing of her story laborious and frequently reiterating points previously made and already well understood. That were perhaps mired in the author’s own biases. I was rather shocked at how the last ten years of her life were so difficult. I can’t help but wonder if there was honesty and transparency about the relationship with Beth Coleman perhaps there would have been less suffering. The way Judith has approached the subject feels as if the possibility of there being a sexual nature to their relationship must be kept shrouded. Which frankly does no one any favours and is most unconvincing possibly stultifying relatives narratives.
My three star rating is for the quality of the narration rather than the content and I rather hope someone else picks up the remarkable feats of Dr Weekes and gives it another go from a different frame. Her achievements and understanding of mental health were well before her time and the topic deserves to be shouted about rather than having men like Stephen Hayes claim the limelight with something previously established by a woman and not themselves. The medical misogyny and hierarchical structure has absolutely done it’s best to keep quiet about something and someone that absolutely deserves the kudos and recognition.
When my sister mentioned the interview to me she wondered if it was the same woman who wrote the book our Mother recommended to anyone suffering emotional distress. It so was - Dr Claire Weekes “Self Help for Your Nerves” is a book cover etched into my brain. As are some of her strategies which ironically play a part in my own clinical practice regularly. I have clear memories of my Mother’s experience of anxiety, her fear of driving over bridges (phobia) and obvious depression. In combination with face, accept, float, let time pass and transcendental meditation my Mothers fragile mental health improved significantly with lasting progress till her death. So it is with certainty that I can vouch for the claims in this book that her methods changed lives. A truth and one I am grateful for.
There is no doubt Dr Weekes was an astounding humanitarian and trail blazer yet there were times where I found the writing of her story laborious and frequently reiterating points previously made and already well understood. That were perhaps mired in the author’s own biases. I was rather shocked at how the last ten years of her life were so difficult. I can’t help but wonder if there was honesty and transparency about the relationship with Beth Coleman perhaps there would have been less suffering. The way Judith has approached the subject feels as if the possibility of there being a sexual nature to their relationship must be kept shrouded. Which frankly does no one any favours and is most unconvincing possibly stultifying relatives narratives.
My three star rating is for the quality of the narration rather than the content and I rather hope someone else picks up the remarkable feats of Dr Weekes and gives it another go from a different frame. Her achievements and understanding of mental health were well before her time and the topic deserves to be shouted about rather than having men like Stephen Hayes claim the limelight with something previously established by a woman and not themselves. The medical misogyny and hierarchical structure has absolutely done it’s best to keep quiet about something and someone that absolutely deserves the kudos and recognition.
August 25, 2022
I had heard of Claire Weekes while reading Clare Bowditch's memoir of her fight with anxiety and depression. This memoir unpacks an amazing life ... not a perfect life, but the life of a talented, determined and generous woman who sacrificed much to keep learning more and helping others.
Born in 1903 she had to be determined to get into university and even though she glowed academically there were still challenges from being a woman in a man's world. From researching placental lizards she went on to music, chumming up with pianist Elizabeth Colman to travel and perform in Europe. Accepting that she wasn't going to be able to support herself in that field she started a travel business, but the timing, just before WWII, wasn't a good time to be encouraging people to travel in Europe.
At that point she undertook Medicine and specialized in difficult to diagnose cases, with many having their origin in anxiety.
Claire, herself had suffered from anxiety as a young woman at uni and was misdiagnosed with TB and the resultant extended isolation exacerbated the condition. It was only on speaking to a returned WWI soldier who talked about accepting the then un-named PTSD condition and then 'floating' through the episode, not fighting but letting time pass.
Born in 1903 she had to be determined to get into university and even though she glowed academically there were still challenges from being a woman in a man's world. From researching placental lizards she went on to music, chumming up with pianist Elizabeth Colman to travel and perform in Europe. Accepting that she wasn't going to be able to support herself in that field she started a travel business, but the timing, just before WWII, wasn't a good time to be encouraging people to travel in Europe.
At that point she undertook Medicine and specialized in difficult to diagnose cases, with many having their origin in anxiety.
Claire, herself had suffered from anxiety as a young woman at uni and was misdiagnosed with TB and the resultant extended isolation exacerbated the condition. It was only on speaking to a returned WWI soldier who talked about accepting the then un-named PTSD condition and then 'floating' through the episode, not fighting but letting time pass.
April 19, 2021
Amazing Story
This book provides an amazingly well researched account of the life of a vital, and heretofore unknown to me, contributor to the annals of social history and medicine. As a physician, plagued with emotional discomforts and serious depressions since medical school, treated by innumerable psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and therapists over several decades, I was shocked to discover Dr. Claire Weeks, through this work, which I read on the recommendation of my current therapist. Engaging and informative, This book should be required reading in medical schools, for its content and as a cautionary tale. Individuals suffering with “mental illness”, having suffered years of ineffective treatments, and those caring for such persons would do well to become familiar with the life and work of Dr. Weeks presented here. This book is a source of knowledge and HOPE. Well done!
This book provides an amazingly well researched account of the life of a vital, and heretofore unknown to me, contributor to the annals of social history and medicine. As a physician, plagued with emotional discomforts and serious depressions since medical school, treated by innumerable psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers and therapists over several decades, I was shocked to discover Dr. Claire Weeks, through this work, which I read on the recommendation of my current therapist. Engaging and informative, This book should be required reading in medical schools, for its content and as a cautionary tale. Individuals suffering with “mental illness”, having suffered years of ineffective treatments, and those caring for such persons would do well to become familiar with the life and work of Dr. Weeks presented here. This book is a source of knowledge and HOPE. Well done!
November 29, 2019
An interesting memoir, though, like Dr Weekes herself, the author seems to confuse Darwin's The Expression of the Emotions in Man and Animals with the debilitating physical conditions from which he suffered.
I was already aware of Dr Weekes' work, but reading this book, I became distracted by her ' difficult private life' . Was this book really about her ' devoted and deep' relationship with her ' soulmate' companion, Elizabeth Coleman ? As she acknowledged, she could never have achieved the life she made for herself if she'd been married to a man. Dr Weekes's unease with any sexual matters is disconcerting . How much stress and anxiety is experienced in a completely asexual context ?
I was already aware of Dr Weekes' work, but reading this book, I became distracted by her ' difficult private life' . Was this book really about her ' devoted and deep' relationship with her ' soulmate' companion, Elizabeth Coleman ? As she acknowledged, she could never have achieved the life she made for herself if she'd been married to a man. Dr Weekes's unease with any sexual matters is disconcerting . How much stress and anxiety is experienced in a completely asexual context ?
June 20, 2021
The rating is for the knowledge gained from reading the book for our Book Club. The writing itself I found rather drab and not at all engaging.
What a shame Dr Claire Weekes is not well known & recognised in Australia for her immense work with anxiety. She was a true polymath - her knowledge spanning from music, writing a travel book to of course medicine. Certainly ahead of her time, she achieved much and help many with anxiety. Highly recommended to learn about Weekes & her work.
I would have liked to have known more about her, a complex person she may have been as well as people who had a vital place in her life like her partner, Elizabeth Coleman.
What a shame Dr Claire Weekes is not well known & recognised in Australia for her immense work with anxiety. She was a true polymath - her knowledge spanning from music, writing a travel book to of course medicine. Certainly ahead of her time, she achieved much and help many with anxiety. Highly recommended to learn about Weekes & her work.
I would have liked to have known more about her, a complex person she may have been as well as people who had a vital place in her life like her partner, Elizabeth Coleman.
January 24, 2021
An interesting biography of this Australian doctor. I found the descriptions of her family particularly fascinating with Claire Weekes emphasis on non medication therapy for her patients but she handed out drugs to her family. That’s not to say they didn’t need them as they seem to be pretty dysfunctional. The other interesting aspect was that the assumption that Claire was gay was glossed over. I can understand that it wasn’t acceptable when she was a young woman to come out but it felt as though the author had to be careful what she said for fear of offending the family.
March 16, 2023
an AMAZING read about an inspiring woman who changed the game and has never received remotely close to the respect she deserves. very well written and engaging look at the long and very eventful life of a pioneer in multiple fields, with a good balance of awe-inspiring and bittersweetness that only retrospect on an individual’s whole life can bring. i genuinely am sad i didnt know about this woman and her work sooner, as she should be recognised as an iconic australian woman and a brilliant professional in the medical field
July 29, 2020
Judith's book is a fascinating story of one of Australia's least known champions. From her role in evolutionary biology, her brothers Vegemite fame and her role in developing a therapeutic approach to anxiety that impacted my life some 50 years after she published her work Dr Claire Weekes story is important and a must read.
Thank you Judith for bringing her story to the page and for sharing it with us all.
Thank you Judith for bringing her story to the page and for sharing it with us all.
March 29, 2020
3.5 stars
What a fascinating woman Dr Claire Weekes was. I’m ashamed to say, despite being a psychologist, I only heard about her through Clare Bowditch’s memoir.
The author did a fantastically thorough job of researching her subject. My only criticism is that at times I found myself feeling withdrawn from the level of detail provided in some sections of the book.
What a fascinating woman Dr Claire Weekes was. I’m ashamed to say, despite being a psychologist, I only heard about her through Clare Bowditch’s memoir.
The author did a fantastically thorough job of researching her subject. My only criticism is that at times I found myself feeling withdrawn from the level of detail provided in some sections of the book.
Read
June 11, 2020great story, great woman, seriously under represented in our history.
Book was probably too full on, with detail that was less useful than representing how much work Judith Hoare had done.
But thanks for the passion and persistence, a relevant subject for modern times of women forging new paths, of professional jealousy and preservation of reputations and unconventional thinking.
Book was probably too full on, with detail that was less useful than representing how much work Judith Hoare had done.
But thanks for the passion and persistence, a relevant subject for modern times of women forging new paths, of professional jealousy and preservation of reputations and unconventional thinking.
September 7, 2020
A really interesting woman from her earliest days to her death. A real trail blazer, whose life is revealed warts and all. Her brilliance and ability to ignore the naysayers and persevere in the face of criticism , is remarkable. I had never heard of her before reading this biography. She deserves a much higher profile in our history.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews