Customer Reviews

Risk: Why We Fear the Things We Shouldn't - and Put Ourselves in Greater Danger

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Journalist author writes in the contemporary brisk reader-friendly style of popular science. Though the message has been said before, it's one that bears repeating.

(1) As explained in e.g. Predictably Irrational: The Hidden Forces That Shape Our Decisions, human psychology is "predictably irrational" when it comes contemplating risk, which involves assessing a balance of probabilities and sizes of potential effects.
(2) We are constantly exposed to fear-mongering -- deliberate exaggeration of risks and appeal to emotion rather than reason. Sometimes with profit motive -- pharmaceutical companies and restless leg syndrome, home security outfits. Sometimes from politicians, competing to be seen as "tough on crime". And from ideological interest groups. All this is amplified by feedback between media and viewers -- ``the new danger YOU need to known about" is a typical teaser for the 11 o'clock news. As the author writes, "we overestimate the likelihood of being killed by the things that make the evening news and underestimate those that don't." Three chapters deal specifically with perceptions of risk from terrorism, crime, and environmental carcinogens.

Books that argue a case can become irritatingly hectoring, but this author manages to remain cheerful. After all, we do live in an age that is more peaceful, healthy and wealthy than any previous age.

Note: book also published as The Science of Fear: Why We Fear the Things We Shouldn't--and Put Ourselves in Greater Danger.

This astounding book leads the pack of the four most important factual books you're ever likely to read this decade. If you read and properly digest its contents your experience of the world will likely be changed significantly. You will never read a newspaper, listen to the radio or watch television news in the same way again. If enough people with influence and responsibility (they know who they are) spent the twelve or so hours required to absorb this quartet's contents the world would be a measureably better place and I would be walking around wearing a permenent smile of vndication.

And the other three? Tiger That Isn't, Sway: The Irresistible Pull of Irrational Behavior, and (of course) Bad Science (Paperback) (New Edition) (Import)

In a world of media beatup and irrational fear of the trivial, Dan Gardner's Risk. Dan Gardner is a breath of fresh air and a wonderful insight into how fear can be harnessed for evil, profit and mischief. You will never again believe a report of the latest "fad" fear and you may well save you own life by flying more often!

For the professional and amateur alike, this book will help you put the real risk of everyday tasks and actions into perspective. This book will give you an insight into the need to measure or evaluate hazards rationally. Every Risk Manager, OH&S Coordinator, Engineer, Politician, and Lawyer should read this book. Your view of the world will change dramatically.

With the aid of this book identification, measurement and understanding of risk will certainly be easier. With the aid of this book you will understand how people come to misjudge the real level of risk. You will be better able to make proper assessments yourself and probably lead a happier and safer life.

The lively style makes this book hard to put down. It is one of my favourite books and I recommend it to all my friends and professional colleagues.

Erudite and well argued book on how our approach to risk developed through several 100 thousand years comes up spectacularly short in the modern world. And how these short comings kills. Read this book to increase your and your kids' odds of surviving AND live life to it's fullest.