False alarm : the truth about the epidemic of fear / Marc Siegel.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Siegel, Marc (Marc K.)

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Fear--Social aspects.

Fear.

Epidemics--Social aspects.

Epidemics.

Security (Psychology).

Social control.

Physical Description:

ix, 246 pages ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

Hoboken, N.J. : John Wiley & Sons, [2005]

Summary:

Life today for citizens of the developed world is far safer, easier, and healthier than for any other people in history. Modern medicine has all but wiped out many diseases that once were common killers. Science and technology have given us countless devices that protect our bodies from injury, secure our property, and warn us of impending disaster. And modern intelligence gathering can pinpoint threats to our domestic security as they arise. So why is an epidemic of fear sweeping America?

The answer, according to nationally renowned health commentator Dr. Marc Siegel, is that we live in an artificially created culture of fear. From the anthrax panic to the SARS "epidemic," from "official" rumors of bioterror to Orange alerts to West Nile virus- the media continually bombard us with breaking news of yet another super-bug, terrorist plot, or natural disaster that's about to wreak havoc. Most of the time the disasters never materialize. But even if they did, the odds that any of us would suffer harm from them is infinitesimally small- especially when compared to the much greater risks of dying in a car accident or from coronary heart disease.

In False Alarm, Siegel identifies three major catalysts of the culture of fear- government, the media, and big pharma. And, with the help of fascinating, blow-by-blow analyses of some of the most sensational false alarms of the past few years, he shows how those big three fearmongers manipulate our most primitive instincts- often without our even realizing it- to promote their political agendas, boost their ratings, and sell their products.

In his role as a dedicated healer, Siegel offers his prescription forinoculating ourselves against fear tactics. He shows us how to look behind the hype and hysteria and helps us to develop the emotional and intellectual skills needed to take back our lives from fearmongers.

Contents:

The fear epidemic

Contemporary fear

Mechanisms of fear

The politics of danger

Fear of death

Disasters : real or imagined

The topography of worry

Profiting from fear

Anthrax

West Nile virus, smallpox, chemical weapons

SARS

Human flu

Mad cow, bird flu

The fear counselor

Treating fear.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 217-235) and index.

ISBN:

0471678694

OCLC:

56615640