The Culture of Fear: The Assault on Optimism in America

"The Culture of Fear" has truly hit a nerve in the national consciousness. Sociologist Barry Glassner examines how fear is provoked in the public and the consequences of living in an environment where realism has become rarer than doors without deadbolts. He exposes the people and organizations that manipulate our perceptions and profit from our fear: politicians who win elections by heightening concerns about crime and drug use even as both are declining; advocacy groups that raise money by exaggerating the prevalence of particular diseases; TV and news magazines that monger a new scare every week to garner ratings and newsstand sales. 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.