To assume that only corporate executives, obsessive socialites, and market-crazy entrepreneurs feel anxiety is simply incorrect. The fact is, with all the pressures and concerns in the world today, even what was once considered sacred or stress-free has become proof of Darwinian evolution. The fact that a book like “Perfect Madness: Motherhood In The Age Of Anxiety” and psycho-emotional conditions like test anxiety serve as ample proof that even mothers and kids have to suffer through the effects of anxiety and fear.
Perfect Madness: Motherhood In The Age Of Anxiety is actually a good book, even if it does have a rather stern academic-looking cover. Provided that the reader has enough time to spare at home during the weekends, the book will give the reader plenty of details about anxiety attacks, a condition common to most mothers who need to juggle the demands at the office and at home. To some degree, most mothers would be able to relate to the contents of the book, specifically those that appear to be well-researched items and and anecdotal evidence that support the entire thesis of the publication.
Moreover, Perfect Madness: Motherhood In The Age Of Anxiety can also serve as an excellent window to the world of a typical mother for those who haven't experienced the joys, and yes, the occasional frustrations of motherhood. While much of the book will likely require first-hand experience to be more fully appreciated, the pages of “Perfect Madness: Motherhood In The Age Of Anxiety” simply can't be dismissed even by the most skeptical of people. The book also takes a jab at what might have caused the “über parenting” phenomenon that is now prevalent among next-generation parents. There might be some statements in Perfect Madness: Motherhood In The Age Of Anxiety that can offend the traditionalists in parenting. Ultimately, the book does make some decent argument about how parenting styles, principles and techniques have changed, or, more appropriately, how it needs to change.
The book, unfortunately, makes a poor introduction to another related problem --- test anxiety. Perfect Madness: Motherhood In The Age Of Anxiety only briefly tackles stress from the perspective of the parent. The book fails to see that while the parent is under pressure, the child is also getting undue pressure from the parents in question. This pressure, when taken to the extremes, can become test anxiety. Although it is not only kids with success-obsessed parents that can develop test anxiety.
The fact is, the modern educational system has the fatal flaw of depending far too much on tests to determine a student's educational standing. Recent psychological developments indicate that there are students who have brains that, while highly intelligent, are simply not wired to learning within the context of a formal school. These students, among others, can develop undue test anxiety. Their fears of failing the test, which could lead to failing school, can put more pressure on them than is healthy.
Test anxiety, unfortunately, is not getting as much attention as performance anxiety is. There are various theories that explain this seemingly blatant ignorance, though some argue that there simply isn't enough data on test anxiety to present to the public at large. That, combined with the number of anxiety drugs that can have dangerous side effects when given to children, may limit the ability to study the phenomenon.