ABSTRACT

Americans have become excessively fearful, and manipulation through fear has become a significant problem in American society, with real impact on policy. By using data from 9/11, this book makes a distinctive contribution to the exploration of recent fear, but also by developing a historical perspective, the book shows how and why distinctive American fears have emerged over the past several decades.

part |52 pages

Establishing the Cause for Fear Excess

chapter |17 pages

Introducing Fear

part |37 pages

Causes and Contexts

chapter |8 pages

Searching for Causes

chapter |12 pages

The Roots of American Fear

Traditions

chapter |15 pages

From Science Fiction to Real Death

New Contexts for Fear

part |70 pages

The Decisive Changes

chapter |22 pages

Fearing Fear

A New Socialization

chapter |25 pages

New Approaches to Risk

Lawyers and Bicycle Helmets

chapter |20 pages

Self-Scaring and Advertising

The Commerce Factor

part |38 pages

The Exhaustion of War

chapter |5 pages

At your own Risk

chapter |30 pages

A Deluge of Crises

Foreign Fears in the Past Century

part |26 pages

Consequences and remedies

chapter |24 pages

Conclusion

The Lessons of American Fear