- Paperback: 320 pages
- Publisher: Basic; Revised Edition edition (Jan 7 2010)
- Language: English
- ISBN-10: 0465003362
- ISBN-13: 978-0465003365
- Product Dimensions: 20.6 x 14 x 2.8 cm
- Shipping Weight: 363 g
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Amazon Bestsellers Rank:
#58,828 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #30 in Books > Nonfiction > Social Sciences > Sociology > Social Situations
- #91 in Books > Health, Mind & Body > Psychology & Counseling > Pathologies
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Product Details |
Product Description
Product Description
In the age of 9/11, the Iraq War, financial collapse, and Amber Alerts, our society is defined by fear. So it’s not surprising that three out of four Americans say they feel more fearful today then they did twenty years ago. But are we living in exceptionally dangerous times? In The Culture of Fear, sociologist Barry Glassner demonstrates that it is our perception of danger that has increased, not the actual level of risk. Glassner exposes the people and organizations that manipulate our perceptions and profit from our fears, including advocacy groups that raise money by exaggerating the prevalence of particular diseases and politicians who win elections by heightening concerns about crime, drug use, and terrorism. In this new edition of a classic book—more relevant now than when it was first published—Glassner exposes the price we pay for social panic.
About the Author
Barry Glassner is professor of sociology at the University of Southern California. He is the author of seven books and countless articles that have appeared in magazines and newspapers around the world. His academic research has appeared in the most prestigious journals in sociology and psychiatry. He lives in Los Angeles.
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Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2.9 out of 5 stars (7 customer reviews)
19 of 19 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Media scare tactics, Sep 10 2010
By Tinker "Bella" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Culture Of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid Of the Wrong Things: Crime, Drugs, Minorities, Teen Moms, Killer Kids, Mutant Microbes, Plane Crashes, Road Rage, & So Much More (Paperback)
I knew that the media exaggerated certain situations in the news but I had no idea how far off statistically these concerns are from the truth. What this book does is not only show what the problem isn't, but what the true problems are that we need to address. The real problems are getting lost because they are more complicated than what can be said in scary sound bites and harder to solve. This book helps to put all the, supposedly, scary things into perspective. I consider myself a skeptic but I watch alot of media and some of it got by me this book helped me to sort it out.
6 of 7 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Not perfect, but plenty of good points, Mar 16 2011
By Puffball - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Culture Of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid Of the Wrong Things: Crime, Drugs, Minorities, Teen Moms, Killer Kids, Mutant Microbes, Plane Crashes, Road Rage, & So Much More (Paperback)
I think that a lot of criticisms of this book (and maybe a lot of positive reviews as well, to be fair) are political. A 1-star review of the 2000 version cites The Economist magazine's review noting the book's "liberal-dem" leanings. Yes, a lot of fears Americans have ARE due to politics, culture, gender, etc. That doesn't make them less real to the individual, yet the likelihood of the assumed threat should be examined, as a service to the fearful as well as the rest of us. Solid statistics involving behavior are difficult to verify; even hard-science medical studies frequently rely on self-reported information.
I am often reminded of this book while reading the news, such as recent reports (Mar 2011) that some Americans are desperately trying to buy iodine pills in reaction to the nuclear crisis in Japan, in spite of the fact that there is virtually no risk to them. For me, this book was a starting point to identify things that I fear, investigate the rationality of those fears, and examine reasonable ways to protect myself. If you find something that you currently fear is remarkable unlikely, but that something you never considered could happen, you can change your priorities and possibly avert a genuine threat.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
balanced -- read the book, July 9 2011
By LTSG "larrythescienceguy" - Published on Amazon.com
This review is from: The Culture Of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid Of the Wrong Things: Crime, Drugs, Minorities, Teen Moms, Killer Kids, Mutant Microbes, Plane Crashes, Road Rage, & So Much More (Paperback)
Those who say he doesn't criticize liberals or the left haven't read the book. He devotes entire chapters to doing exactly that (read "Metaphorical Illnesses" as one example), and he's been criticized for doing so. One of the great things about this book is precisely that the author goes after anyone and everyone who propagates needless fears.
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