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The Culture of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things Paperback – March 16, 2000

by Barry Glassner (Author)
4.2 out of 5 stars 355 ratings
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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, you'd 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.
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  1. Print length
    312 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Basic Books
  4. Publication date
    March 16, 2000
  5. Dimensions
    5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0465014909
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0465014903
  8. Lexile measure
    1560L
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"A gutsy exposé of one of the most widespread delusions of our time: misplaced fear." -- The Los Angeles Times Book Review

"Lucidly exposes how the media and politicians play to Americans' fears, presenting anomalous incidents as rampant dangers." -- Entertainment Weekly

"[Glassner] is a sharp critic of the hypocrisies that compose much of American political discourse." -- LA Weekly

"[Glassner] wields an impressive body of research and consequently enjoys the power of redefining reality for a moment in history." -- Salon

About the Author

Barry Glassner is Professor of Sociology at the University of Southern California. He is the author of seven books, including Career Crash and Bodies. He has been quoted extensively or profiled in articles in dozens of newspapers and magazines. His own articles and reviews have appeared in the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, Chicago Tribune, and The London Review of Books.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Basic Books; Later Printing edition (March 16, 2000)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 312 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0465014909
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0465014903
  • Lexile measure ‏ : ‎ 1560L
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 11.2 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 5.5 x 1 x 8.25 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.2 out of 5 stars 355 ratings

About the author

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Barry Glassner

Barry Glassner

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The author of seven books on contemporary social issues, sociologist Barry Glassner has been described by The New York Times as "a master at the art of dissecting research." He has published research studies in The American Sociological Review, American Journal of Psychiatry, and other leading journals in the social sciences. His articles and commentaries have appeared in newspapers including The New York Times, The Wall Street Journal, The Los Angeles Times, The Washington Post, and The Chronicle of Higher Education, and he is the recipient of several honors, including an "outstanding book of the year" award from Choice magazine.

Glassner's book, The Culture of Fear: Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things (Basic Books, 2010), is a national bestseller that was named a "Best Book of the Year" by Knight-Ridder newspapers and by the Los Angeles Times Book Review.

In his The Gospel of Food (Ecco/HarperCollins, 2007), Glassner argues that by abandoning food fads and mythical beliefs about diet, Americans will eat better and lead happier lives. "Glassner exposes the strained interpretations, 'prejudices dressed up as science,' and pure fabrications behind much received wisdom," The New York Times wrote of The Gospel of Food, a book that The Los Angeles Times described as "pure fun to read."

Find more about him at www.barryglassner.com

Customer reviews

4.2 out of 5 stars
355 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book well researched and enjoyable to read, with good value for money. However, the content receives mixed reactions, with some finding it insightful while others note factual inaccuracies. Moreover, the political content draws criticism for being very political, and several customers mention that the pacing becomes repetitive.

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19 customers mention "Readability"19 positive0 negative

Customers find the book readable and well-written, with one mentioning it was required reading for a Writing 121 class.

"This book is crucial. Great look at the distractions and fears in our Sunday papers...." Read more

"The Cultue of Fear was very well written with excellent real life examples...." Read more

"...This is a good read, if only for the reassurance in the validity of statistics...." Read more

"...Good to have in your library." Read more

8 customers mention "Value for money"8 positive0 negative

Customers find the book offers good value for money.

"A good buy. Came in great condition and on time. The book itself is useful--dated now, but things go so fast! Good to have in your library." Read more

"Great book that points out some fairly obvious things, but it was a good reminder to not get sucked into the wrong things." Read more

"Great book! We buy things we don't need out of fear, fear inspired by the media and our government. A frightened populace is easier to govern...." Read more

"Quick delivery, good price & product as described" Read more

33 customers mention "Content"23 positive10 negative

Customers have mixed opinions about the content of the book, with some finding it well-researched while others point out factual inaccuracies.

"This book is crucial. Great look at the distractions and fears in our Sunday papers...." Read more

"The Cultue of Fear was very well written with excellent real life examples...." Read more

"...Only anecdotal evidence and misleading statistics typically support the latest report on the newest "national menace"...." Read more

"A good buy. Came in great condition and on time. The book itself is useful--dated now, but things go so fast! Good to have in your library." Read more

6 customers mention "Political content"0 positive6 negative

Customers have mixed views on the book's political content, with several finding it very political, while one customer describes it as leftist propaganda.

"...This book is much more politically tilted than the others I'd read...." Read more

"...It is clear that this author has a political adgenda...." Read more

"...as the title and the book's categorization would suggest, but a political diatribe...." Read more

"Lots of hype and very political." Read more

3 customers mention "Pacing"0 positive3 negative

Customers find the pacing of the book repetitive.

"...My one disappointment about the book is that it starts to get repetitive, falling back frequently to the issue of gun control...." Read more

"...For me it grew a bit tiresome and drawn out. Not what I expected, but I don't regret reading it either." Read more

"Too repetitive and too political..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • Bucherwurm
    5.0 out of 5 stars The Phantom Menaces of The Media
    Reviewed in the United States on January 26, 2000
    Verified Purchase
    Actual newspaper headline: The number of homicides committed by children age 12 and under grew by 125%! Should we be afraid of being done in by tiny tots? Well, the 125% increase brings the annual total up to about 40 per year. I would guess that means there are 40 bad eggs in a population of about 40 million little guys.
    The misleading reporting just recounted is what this book is all about. Only anecdotal evidence and misleading statistics typically support the latest report on the newest "national menace". Then, to really convince you that you should be frightened out of your wits, some second rate professional or scholar is quoted saying that things are just awful. A prominent west coast newspaper declared that the Pacific Northwest was a region particularly "plagued by a rise in road rage", and then after 22 paragraphs of anecdotes and warnings, informed the reader that 5 people had died in road rage incidents in the region in the last five years. "One death a year constitutes a plague?" asks the author.
    In my own experience I am frequently frustrated by these kinds of stories which are often found in the nation's two major newsweeklies (which publications come under frequent attack by Glassner). I am repeatedly asked to believe in some new horror for which only a few anecdotes are presented as support.
    The sad thing is that this unfortunate reporting has resulted in unnecessary laws; corporate bankruptcies; misapplication of scarce resources; and the ignoring of true problems and their causes. You may disagree with some of the author's views, but hopefully reading the book will make you more skeptical the next time a news anchor tries to inform you of the national danger brought about by the increasing number of people bludgeoned to death with a frozen leg of lamb.
    17 people found this helpful
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  • Megan Corey
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great read. Big fan of this book
    Reviewed in the United States on July 23, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    This book is crucial. Great look at the distractions and fears in our Sunday papers. I had just read Chomsky - manufacturing consent, now this gem to follow it up. Honestly don’t think I can read the paper anymore. ‘You don’t read your uninformed- you do your misinformed’- Denzel
    One person found this helpful
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  • Richard Joltes
    4.0 out of 5 stars Showcases the dangers of blindly accepting media judgements
    Reviewed in the United States on August 9, 2001
    Verified Purchase
    This handy book brings it all out into the open: Americans and others are being manipulated by a mass media organization that thrives on hype, sensationalism, and poor research. And we allow it to happen because we're largely too lazy to cross-check the facts for ourselves; many people have the attitude that "it must be true, I read it in a book" (or "I saw it on the news") and don't bother to evaluate the data for themselves.
    Glassner defuses several classic scare-myths of our times, revealing the hard facts and numbers behind them. Often the results are diametrically opposed to the hype-driven "facts" we've been fed by the media. This is not to say that the media are involved in some sort of conspiracy to defraud the public; instead their reporting is largely driven by the need to sell their product, i.e. the "news" itself. Reporting standards suffer badly when media organizations are solely driven by the need to be the "first to market" with a new story. Or the publisher wants a particular "spin" thrown at a story to match his or her own personal viewpoint. Or the reporter doesn't care. In any case, the result is sensationalized reporting and, frequently, a hysterical public.
    The only real flaw apparent in the book is Glassner's apparent hatred for firearms, and even he falls for the gun control myths that the media have perpetuated. Otherwise he does a stellar job; this book should be required reading for reporters as well as public officials, but every citizen can benefit from the basic ideas, which effectively boil down to "don't trust everything you read; learn how to be critical of the data, and look for the ulterior motive."
    22 people found this helpful
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  • Rick T.
    5.0 out of 5 stars Eye Opener
    Reviewed in the United States on March 24, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    The Cultue of Fear was very well written with excellent real life examples. I had an understanding of why media drives fear into the hearts of the masses, but fear is derivative in so many aspects of our lives. If everyone reads this book, maybe society has a chance of becoming a better community, and not hide away in their homes, fearing to open the door.
    3 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

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  • Maxime Renaud
    5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely recommend this book to anyone who watches the news.
    Reviewed in Canada on December 12, 2015
    Verified Purchase
    Amazing work. Mostly covers issues that were important in the 1990s, but the same Fear recipe is used by today's media. Extremely eye-opening, and reassuring, since it puts everything into context: life is not dangerous, taking the plane is extremely safe, driving your car is more dangerous than terrorism. So full of truth, I love it.
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  • garbrex
    5.0 out of 5 stars Don't Fear This
    Reviewed in Japan on September 24, 2003
    Verified Purchase
    Barry Glassner's 'The Culture of Fear' ranks right up there with Michael Moore's 'Downsize This' for putting the current trends in American media, politics, and thoughts into perspective. This book is a must-read for the ease with which it confronts popular myths played up by the American media, politicians, and non-profit groups. I highly recommend this book.
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  • S B 37
    5.0 out of 5 stars Pour rester critique
    Reviewed in France on March 20, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    J'ai découvert ce livre il y a quelques années, et les thèses argumentées que l'on y trouve offrent une chance de rester lucide sur la construction médiatique et politique du monde.
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  • wontonwoo
    5.0 out of 5 stars アメリカでも日本でも同じ所ありますね
    Reviewed in Japan on November 11, 2004
    Verified Purchase
    They(Media) invite us to redirect (more accurately, misdirect) our self-doubts. 自分より極端な例をあげつらって、自分てこんなに普通なんだと自己不信を取り除いてくれるニュースを見せられていると言っています。西尾幹二氏の「確信の喪失」に繋がるように思います。アメリカについて書かれていますが、流される情報の正確さを確認する術を持たない我々は、少なくとも「結局本当はどうであったのかを見せられるまで」情報はあくまで疑いとして扱う態度であるべきと思いました。「バイオインフォマティクスで100匹のマウスを使い確認しました」と言っても「100匹のマウスの仕入先が同じで、偏った遺伝子配列を基に実験した」こともありでしょう。サンプルのサイズ、確立分布における歪度など統計を勉強しないと簡単に騙されるなと思いました。
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