The Science of Fear: Why We Fear the Things We Shouldn't--and Put Ourselves in Greater Danger
by Daniel Gardner
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Book Summary Information
Author: Daniel GardnerEdition: Hardcover
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2008-07-17
ISBN: 0525950621
Number of pages: 352
Publisher: Dutton Adult
Book Reviews of The Science of Fear: Why We Fear the Things We Shouldn't--and Put Ourselves in Greater Danger
Book Review: After a slow start, I could not put the book down
Summary: 4 Stars
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.
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