Book excerpt: Anxiety disorders are among the most prevalent forms of psychopathology across the life span. Although the onset of such disorders may occur at almost any point, in many cases they begin in childhood. In this book, the editors have brought together many of the field's most respected and innovative researchers and challenged them to take a fresh look at the major factors that contribute to the etiology and maintenance of anxiety disorders in childhood and across the life span. The result is a collection of chapters that will stimulate further theoretical and empirical efforts regarding these important issues.