It is a fear all too many people are familiar with. First, your heart starts beating hard and fast, then your face feels hot and flushed and you have difficulty catching your breath. A gripping fear seizes you and you start to have a feeling of impending doom. For those afraid of speaking or performing in public, these symptoms are all too real. Fear of public speaking is reported to be the number one fear of American adults, with many experiencing tremendous suffering because of it. This fear takes a huge toll on peoples’ lives as it stops them from fully expressing themselves in front of others. It afflicts not only the timid, but also those who are otherwise seen as outgoing and highly capable. Many professional people report engaging in tactics to avoid speaking in public or they find themselves far less effective when they do speak due to their high anxiety level. Many have given up professional opportunities for advancement to avoid facing their fear of being asked to do more presenting at work. There is clearly much lost potential in the workplace due to this fear and most companies are unaware of the hidden cost of stage fright in the workplace. Janet Esposito’s book, In The SpotLight: Overcome Your Fear of Public Speaking and Performing, offers a unique approach to the age-old problem of stage-fright for speakers and performers. In The SpotLight goes right to the heart of the matter and focuses exclusively on how to reduce, master, and ultimately move beyond the fear. In The SpotLight has been a top seller on Amazon.com within the first year it was published (under the subject of Public Speaking) and has remained that way ever since, with many glowing reviews. The author herself once suffered from a severe case of stage fright that had limited her professional aspirations. After overcoming her own problems in this arena, and as a trained psychotherapist whose expertise is working with people who suffer from fear of public speaking, performing, or other social anxiety, she can fully understand the dread, panic, and self-doubt that fuel the problem of stage fright for so many otherwise talented and successful people.