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The Culture of Fear

Why Americans Are Afraid of the Wrong Things

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The Culture of Fear

Written by: Barry Glassner
Narrated by: William Dufris, Michael Moore - introduction
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About this listen

The best seller revealing why Americans are so fearful and why we fear the wrong things - now updated for the age of Trump.

In the age of Trump, our society is defined by fear. Indeed, three out of four Americans say they feel more fearful today than they did only a couple decades ago. But are we living in exceptionally perilous times?

In his best-selling work The Culture of Fear, sociologist Barry Glassner demonstrates 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: 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 shows that create 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.

All the while, we are distracted from the true threats, from climate change to worsening inequality. In this updated edition of a modern classic, Glassner examines the current panics over vaccination and "political correctness" and reveals why Donald Trump's fearmongering is so dangerously effective.

©1999 Barry Glassner (P)2018 Hachette Audio
Anthropology Anxiety Disorders Criminology History & Theory Media Studies Modern Popular Culture Psychology

Critic Reviews

"One of the most important sociological books you'll read this year, and certainly the most reassuring." (Kirkus Reviews)

"[The Culture of Fear] ought to be part of every savvy media-watcher's toolbox." (American Prospect)

"The Culture of Fear uses strong data and careful reasoning to calm everybody down." (Amitai Etzioni, author of The Limits of Privacy)

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