Book excerpt: The bestselling workbook that has already helped more than 175,000 people loosen the grip of debilitating anxiety is now in a revised and updated second edition. It is grounded in cognitive behavior therapy (CBT), the proven treatment approach developed and tested over more than 25 years by pioneering clinician-researcher Aaron T. Beck. Now Dr. Beck and fellow expert David A. Clark put the tools and techniques of CBT at readers’ fingertips in this compassionate guide. Carefully crafted worksheets (additional copies can be downloaded and printed as needed), exercises, and examples reflect the authors' decades of experience. Readers learn practical strategies for identifying anxiety triggers, challenging the thoughts and beliefs that lead to distress, safely facing feared situations, and truly loosening anxiety's grip--one manageable step at a time. Updated throughout, the second edition includes evaluation exercises that help readers get to know their own anxiety; up-to-date information about panic attacks, social anxiety, and other topics; additional graphics; and new troubleshooting tips and tools for success.