A collection of personal essays on the author’s daily-life sources of anxiety. But it wasn’t insightful, or amusing, or a source of recognition, and I grew annoyed at the chattery voice better left on a blog. I DNF’d it early on.

Based on Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs, Lancaster explores the needs of the modern American and why these are making us unhappy. Topics are personal appearance, parenting, crime and police, politics and division, and the internet, which figures prominently in many of the other topics. The author looks at the differences between what used to be a situation that only a few people would know about and would be forgotten, versus now, when a stranger can take a pic or video, post it, and your mistake will live forever.
Most surprising to me, as this is the first I've read by the author so knew nothing about her personal life, was the author's discussion about cutting her parents out of her life because of her mother's outlandish and manipulative behavior, which included contacting the author's publisher to make claims of libel.
An interesting and often humorous look at modern life, and sometimes she has advice for lessening stress. ( )