The Science of Fear: Why We Fear the Things We Shouldn't--and Put Ourselves in Greater Danger | 
| Author: Daniel Gardner
Publisher: Dutton Adult
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
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Avg. Customer Rating:  10 reviews
Sales Rank: 12554
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 1.2
Dimensions (in): 9.5 x 6.3 x 1.1
ISBN: 0525950621
Dewey Decimal Number: 152.46
EAN: 9780525950622
Publication Date: July 17, 2008
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Product Description
From terror attacks to the war on terror, real estate bubbles to the price of oil, sexual predators to poisoned food from China, our list of fears is ever-growing. And yet, we are the safest and healthiest humans in history. Irrational fear seems to be taking over, often with tragic results. For example, in the months after 9/11, when people decided to drive instead of flybelieving they were avoiding riskroad deaths rose by more than 1,500.
In this fascinating, lucid, and thoroughly entertaining examination of how humans process risk, journalist Dan Gardner had the exclusive cooperation of Paul Slovic, the world renowned risk-science pioneer, as he reveals how our hunter gatherer brains struggle to make sense of a world utterly unlike the one that made them. Filled with illuminating real world examples, interviews with experts, and fast-paced, lean storytelling, The Science of Fear shows why it is truer than ever that the worst thing we have to fear is fear itself.
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| Customer Reviews: Read 5 more reviews...
Great read that allows the reader to question its own perceptions December 2, 2008
I enjoyed this book quite a bit. It was a easy read, the text flows well and the author knows how to use statistics to reinforce his writing.
This book makes the reader wonder about the fear that itself has and how irrational we are at times; Gardner explains the root of those fears and how we are influenced by society and the world that surrounds us.
The author uses some economic theory in his writing but does not make it a technical book, it is very much a layman's book.
 Great for everyone, activists and change makers November 20, 2008
This book is very interesting and I would recommend it not only to all fearful people who have stopped enjoying life because of all their worries, but also to the activist and change maker that uses information gathered by the experts.
Even the experts tend to misuse the statistics and numbers they read to reinforce their messages for change, and I think that the use of fear, even with the best of intentions, can create long term ill effects and mitigate one's expertise.
This book will make you realize how society has become the victim of distorted news and is an eye opener for everyone. It will help you use more critical thinking when you listen to the gloomy and depressing news permeating our papers and TV channels, and make you challenge the information that we receive.
Moreover, if you are an activist, or someone working for change, like I do, it'll make you wary of the stats provided even by people with the best of intentions.
I often read that fear is a short-term trigger for action, but then will live you in despair and depleted of hope in the long term. This book will confirm that.
After a slow start, I could not put the book down November 7, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
This book really grew on me. It started slow -- the writing early on seemed disorganized and less than captivating. Then I got into the book, to the point where I could not put it down. Too interested in what was coming next, in looking at different examples of how fear in the Gut overwhelms thinking in the Head. Toward the end of the book, things got a bit slow again, as Gardner got repetitive. All in all, though, a very interesting read.
The premise of The Science of Fear is simple -- fear comes from the Gut, not the Head. Sometimes the Head can overrule the Gut, sometimes not. Snakes, for example. Most people fear snakes. It has nothing to do with reason or experience. It's ingrained. Even if we try to get used to being around snakes -- which would normally work to eliminate a fear like this -- nothing we do or think can overcome the fear of snakes.
Gardner gives lots of examples of how fear works. But he is a newspaper journalist, and the writing shows that. Despite the title, this is not a science book. And the organization is not tight. The book seems less a book and more a collection of articles. That's what kept me from giving it five stars.
Another weakness, for me -- I had hoped that Gardner would cover a couple of topics that ended up with just a brief mention. Global warming, which seems a fear driven by Gut more than Head. And the Y2K computer bug. Talk about not being able to properly evaluate risk. Billions wasted to combat a false fear. Both topics interest me.
Like most books, The Science of Fear could have been better. But it's still a very good book, well worth reading. I enjoyed it and learned from it. In both cases, a lot.
 no monkeys in my family tree September 28, 2008
4 out of 38 found this review helpful
I was very intrigued by this book and enjoyed it thoroughly until I got to Chapter 2... As a Christian I am insulted by this chapter and recommend against anyone else buying it, unless you truly believe we share a line with apes and that God did not in fact create all beings. I couldn't get through ch.2 due to the amount of misleading statements and opinions stated as facts by the author. I took it back for a full refund within 2 hours of purchasing it.
Required reading for all policymakers, journalists, and citizens September 15, 2008
5 out of 5 found this review helpful
If I were a rich man, I'd buy thousands of copies of this book, and send one to every member of Congress, along with the president, the vice president, every cabinet secretary, every governor and state legislator, and every journalist in America. This book ought to be required reading for every student of political science and public policy, as well as every student of journalism. In fact, it ought to be required reading for every student in every high school and university in the country. This book is really that important; especially now, as our nation is sinking deeper and deeper into a culture of pervasive, irrational fear. We, as a society, are afraid. And we're mainly afraid of things that, by any objective measure, do not pose significant threats to our safety and well-being; while virtually ignoring the real dangers that lurk all around us. We panic at the very thought of terrorism, airplane crashes, exotic diseases, serial killers, school shootings, sexual predators, and the like -- dangers that are extremely rare, and are responsible for relatively few deaths worldwide each year -- while being totally blase about more common dangers such as automobile accidents, unhealthy lifestyle choices (e.g. smoking, poor diet, lack of exercise), and inadequate health care, which are responsible for the lion's share of deaths worldwide each year. People tend to exaggerate the dangers posed by things they don't understand very well, such as weapons of mass destruction, nuclear power, chemicals in the environment, and genetically modified foods; but downplay the dangers posed by things they encounter every day, such as cars, swimming pools, ladders, and junk food. This book explains why it is that we fear things we probably shouldn't, but don't fear things we probably should. The explanation has a lot to do with how our brains work. It also has a lot to do with the fact that some people have a vested interest in feeding and exploiting our irrational fears for their own ends -- including terrorists, politicians, lobbyists, business leaders, advertisers, and (perhaps most egregiously) the media. This book is a much-needed antidote to the toxic effects of the culture of fear we now live in. Everyone needs to read this.
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