In one way or another, we all need to learn to live with stress... Yet, those who can avoid the constant competition at work, the endless conflicts at home, and a high-stress, predisposed-to-heart-disease lifestyle ("Type A") are in a much better position to cope with it.

In this comprehensive overview of recent research, the authors make it absolutely clear why low levels of stress are desirable, why today’s business world and new family "models" make us all vulnerable, and why we are therefore not doomed to let stress ruin our lives.

They sensibly address the specific issues faced by women in executive positions, children of divorced parents, young people who have not yet started families, and employees working in "rigid" and outdated companies.

Finally, the authors explore the crippling cycle of stress, which ultimately leads to higher levels of stress, with no apparent way out, and they also explain how, in reality, some form of escape is always possible.