Fear Itself

The Causes and Consequences of Fear in America

By: Ann Gordon, Joseph O. Baker, Christopher D. Bader, L. Edward Day

Narrated by: Walter Dixon

From moral panics about immigration and gun control to anxiety about terrorism and natural disasters, Americans live in a culture of fear. While fear is typically discussed in emotional or poetic terms‚ as the opposite of courage or an obstacle to be overcome‚ it nevertheless has very real consequences in everyday life. Persistent fear negatively affects individuals' decision-making abilities and causes anxiety, depression, and poor physical health. Furthermore, fear harms communities and society by corroding social trust and civic engagement. Yet politicians often effectively leverage fears to garner votes, and companies routinely market unnecessary products that promise protection from imagined or exaggerated harms.

Drawing on five years of data from the Chapman Survey of American Fears‚ which canvasses a random national sample of adults about a broad range of fears‚ Fear Itself offers new insights into what people are afraid of and how fear affects their lives. The authors also draw on participant observation with Doomsday preppers and conspiracy theorists to provide fascinating narratives about subcultures of fear. Fear Itself is a novel, wide-ranging study of the social consequences of fear, ultimately suggesting that there is good reason to be afraid of fear itself.

©2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC (P)2020 Dreamscape Media, LLC

I Would Like More

Assuming the survey the book is based around has continued, I would love to hear an updated version on where things stand today. Also, it would be nice to have a PDF containing the tables that were cited in the recording. That is a pet peeve of mine with many Audible works.

That said? I found this book to be excellent. So much of what goes on in our society is driven by our fears, and having a sense of what those are, and which fears are common to which groups, I find to be very useful. Perhaps people would , hold back a little on their vitriol if they understood that the people who they disagree with may very well be afraid.

worst book on the subject

Authors grossly inaccurate in their analysis of the data they attempt to present. The narrator takes a very condescending tone. If you don't mind being gas lit or ticked off while you read, or in this case listen, then go for it. but don't waste your money buying it. It was a painful book to finish. I want my money back. The mentality, the wrong thinking, of the authors of this book is a prime example of what is wrong with this country.