"Anthrax, vaccine shortages, and SARS, oh my! Americans have been pummeled with an endless series of apparent threats. Siegel makes a passionate argument that the only thing we have to fear is, indeed, our own paranoia. Reason, he says, is the best vaccination for this epidemic." ("Psychology Today, September/October 2005) "Marc Siegel tries to reduce the hysteria quotient with a straightforward recitation of facts and statistics. Recalling the famous Orson Welles broadcast of "The War of the Worlds," Siegel tries all too sensibly (and one suspects futilely) to assess risk accurately and respond only to "plausible" threats such as the vulnerability of our container ships or "loose nukes" in former Soviet republics." (Benamin Barber, "Los Angeles Times, August 7, 2005)
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 for inoculatingourselves 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.
From the Back Cover
Chosen by Discover magazine as one of the top science books of 2005"A terrific and groundbreaking book."
?Bob Kerrey, Publishers Weekly
"Marc Siegel is an articulate voice of reason in a world beset by hype and hysteria. We would be well advised to listen closely to what he has to say."
?Jerome Groopman, M.D., staff writer, The New Yorker
"Siegel makes a passionate argument that the only thing we have to fear is, indeed, our own paranoia. Reason, he says, is the best vaccination for this epidemic."
?Psychology Today
"Siegel cuts through the hype about the 'deadly' this and the 'lethal' that, and applies reason in seeking the answers."
?John M. Barry, author of The Great Influenza: The Epic Story of the Deadliest Plague in History
"Timely and needed. At such times, we need soothsayers and explicators to redirect the ready-fire-aim mind-set. Siegel's book fulfills this role well."
?The Journal of the American Medical Association
"A color-coded burst of sanity amid the fear and frenzy of twenty-first-century America."
?Walter Shapiro, Washington Bureau Chief, Salon
About the Author
MARC SIEGEL, M.D., is a practicing internist and associate professor at the New York University School of Medicine. He is a columnist for the Los Angeles Times, a member of USA Today's board of contributors, and a frequent contributor to the Washington Post, Slate, and the New York Post. Siegel has appeared regularly on NBC's Today show, FOX News Channel, CNN, and NPR. 
