Eva Holland in Conversation With Ferris Jabr

Award-winning long-form journalist Eva Holland had always understood that her deepest fears were the death of her mother and falling from heights. She spends the majority of her life avoiding heights when possible, and managing exposure when necessary; but when her mother suddenly passes away, Holland is sent spiraling into a period of deep grief. When, months later, she begins to resurface, the realization that she has survived her worst fear emboldens her to begin an odyssey of confronting fear itself.

Nerve: Adventures in the Science of Fear (The Experiment) chronicles Holland’s investigation of the science of fear, trauma, and anxiety. Using herself as a test subject, she jumps out of airplanes, ice climbs to nerve wreaking heights, and delves into her fears of loss to better understand what her research in the science, medicine, and history of fear reveals. Along the way, Holland meets the scientists who are developing a pill to leech the fear and horror from traumatic memories, and seeks out the sufferers of a rare disease that prevents them from ever feeling fear. And as she goes, she applies her research and experiences towards managing her own fears in order to have a more fulfilled life.

In the vein of Mary Roach, Holland thrusts herself to the front lines of daring adventure and cutting-edge research as she explores the universal human questions: Why and how do we feel fear? Why does fear seem to spread through groups and crowds like an airborne virus? Most importantly: Is there a cure for fear — and if so, is “facing our fears” really that cure?

Holland will be joined in conversation by Ferris Jabr, contributing writer for The New York Times Magazine and Scientific American.

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