There has never been another era in modern history, even during wartime or the Great Depression, when so many people have feared so much. Three out of four Americans say they feel more fearful today then they did twenty years ago. The Culture of Fear describes the high costs of living in a fear-ridden environment where realism has become rarer than doors without deadbolts. Why do we have so many fears these days? Are we living in exceptionally dangerous times? To watch the news, youd certainly think so, but Glassner demonstrates that it is our perception of danger that has increased, not the actual level of risk. The Culture of Fear is an expose of the people and organizations that manipulate our perceptions and profit from our fears: politicians who win elections by heightening concerns about crime and drug use even as rates for both are declining; advocacy groups that raise money by exaggerating the prevalence of particular diseases; TV newsmagazines that monger a new scare every week to garner ratings. Glassner spells out the prices we pay for social panics: the huge sums of money that go to waste on unnecessary programs and products as well as time and energy spent worrying about our fears.
The Culture of Fear
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
10 of 10 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
Mr. Glassner has renewed my enthusiasm for sociology as an academic discipline and has confirmed what I have long known about the media, as well as many forums of public discourse -- pseudoscares and fear mongering often dominate discussion at the expense of real issues of importance to the American public.
Although some chapters were more convincing than others and some potentially frightening topics (Y2K, global warming) noticably absent from his critique, Glassner's research is exhaustive and, despite what some of the reviews below have to say, extremely well documented.
To me, the most fascinating point raised by the book is Glassner's suggestion that America's obsession with hype and scary pseudodangers is really a kind of collective defense mechanism (my words) that keeps us from acknowledging the poor choices society as a whole has made in dealing with a multitude of issues ranging from social and economic disparity to parental responsibility for the welfare of our children.
To be blunt, if you have a thing for finger pointing and scapegoating, you won't enjoy this book. But, if you enjoy delving deeper into social issues than the superficial explanations proffered by the media and other sources of popular "knowledge," read The Culture of Fear.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
I ordered The Culture of Fear after reading a favorable review of it in the Washington Post. This book is worth it just for the parts about "killer kids." With all of the media going insane about school shooting and the like, Glassner's calm and research-oriented approach is very welcome. I see that someone sent in a comment that the book will appeal only to leftists, but I don't know what they're talking about. Glassner's book is about as balanced as anything I've ever seen. He takes out after liberals, conservatives and in-between whenever they inflict useless fears on the population. Read it and decide for yourself! As for me, I think The Culture of Fear is a really important book.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Hardcover
I wish I had taken a sociology course from this man. I always thought that sociology and media studies sounded dull. Not this book. He is extremely convincing about which things we fear that we shouldn't, and he doesn't sugar-coat things, either, or blame one group (the media). Instead, Glassner talks about what we SHOULD be afraid of as well as what we should not, and he explains how all kinds of special interest groups and people selling products are behind what he calls the culture of fear. Amazingly, he has a wonderful sense of humor, too.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
Good topic, lame book
Where are the facts in this book? This guy says that a major problem we should be worried about accidental gun deaths and accessibility of guns for young children. Read more
Published on 18 Aug 1999
2.0 out of 5 stars
Important topic, flawed study
Glassner addresses an important topic: US media makes a big deal out of, probabilistically speaking, unlikely dangers, while largely ignoring much more likely ones. Read more
Published on 12 Aug 1999
5.0 out of 5 stars
A thoughtful, encouraging book.
Mr. Glassner writes well and carefully, a rare combination these days, imho. Reading this book left me feeling ecnouraged because I had long suspected that some of the myths he... Read more
Published on 29 July 1999
2.0 out of 5 stars
A rather disappointing, one-sided polemic.
This book is very uneven. The author has his own very strong political agenda and, while he does a good job of debunking those irrational fears that impede his agenda, he... Read more
Published on 27 July 1999
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fascinating and Wonderfully-Written
This is a wonderful expose of the profiteers of fear in our society.
Published on 20 July 1999
5.0 out of 5 stars
It explains so much so cleary.
I instinctively knew that what was being described night after night on the TV news and week after week in the news journals couldn't be as bad as they were making it. Read more
Published on 16 July 1999
5.0 out of 5 stars
Brilliant, very impressive.
Glassner has an uncanny ability to make a person see things in a different way. I suppose that people with closed-minds, be they lefties or rightwingers, won't like this book,... Read more
Published on 14 July 1999
1.0 out of 5 stars
A terrible disappointment
The book is not at all what it pretends to be. A more appropriate title would be " My political agenda that will eliminate all your fears. Read more
Published on 9 July 1999
5.0 out of 5 stars
great jury reading
Spent hours waiting for jury duty but the time went by so quickly while reading this important book. Read more
Published on 2 July 1999
5.0 out of 5 stars
I recommend this book to everyone.
I cannot recall a book that had greater breadth and as much information and was also so entertaining. Read more
Published on 1 July 1999
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