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David Ropeik
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How Risky Is It, Really?: Why Our Fears Don't Always Match the Facts Hardcover – Illustrated, March 1, 2010

by David Ropeik (Author)
4.3 4.3 out of 5 stars 112 ratings
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"Clear, balanced, and lively." -- Steven Pinker, bestselling author of How the Mind Works

ARE YOU AFRAID OF THE "RIGHT" RISKS?

Do you worry more about radiation from nuclear power or from the sun?

Are you more afraid of getting cancer than heart disease?

Are you safer talking on your cell phone or using a hands-free device when you drive?

Do you think global warming is a serious threat to your health?

GET THE FACTS BEHIND YOUR FEARS―AND DISCOVER . . .HOW RISKY IS IT, REALLY?

International risk expert David Ropeik takes an in-depth look at our perceptions of risk and explains the hidden factors that make us unnecessarily afraid of relatively small threats and not afraid enough of some really big ones. This read is a comprehensive, accessible, and entertaining mixture of what's been discovered about how and why we fear―too much or too little. It brings into focus the danger of The Perception Gap: when our fears don’t match the facts, and we make choices that create additional risks.

This book will not decide for you what is really risky and what isn't. That's up to you. HOW RISKY IS IT, REALLY? will tell you how you make those decisions. Understanding how we perceive risk is the first step toward making wiser and healthier choices for ourselves as individuals and for society as a whole.

TEST YOUR OWN "RISK RESPONSE" IN DOZENS OF SELF-QUIZZES!

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  1. Part of series
    BUSINESS SKILLS AND DEVELOPMENT
  2. Print length
    288 pages
  3. Language
    English
  4. Publisher
    McGraw Hill
  5. Publication date
    March 1, 2010
  6. Dimensions
    6.3 x 0.9 x 9.2 inches
  7. ISBN-10
    0071629696
  8. ISBN-13
    978-0071629690
  9. See all details
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Customer reviews

4.3 out of 5 stars
112 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the book a good value for money and well worth reading. They appreciate the valuable insights and examples provided by the author. However, some readers report issues with readability, such as misspelled words, lack of clarity, and missing parts of the text.

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Value for moneyReadability
7 customers mention "Value for money"7 positive0 negative

Customers find the book provides valuable insights and is a good value for money. They say it's an easy read that is well worth the time spent. The author provides a good example of how people perceive risk.

"I found this an easy read, but well worth the time spent to gain valuable insight into why we believe the things we believe and act the way we do,..." Read more

"This is a wonderful, concise explanation of the risks of daily life, and lifetime risk...." Read more

"...The book was a mostly enjoyable,informative read on risk PERCEPTION...." Read more

"...It is very well written easy to understand. Ropeik give very good example of how people perceive risk and even provided the science of how the human..." Read more

8 customers mention "Readability"5 positive3 negative

Customers have different views on the book's readability. Some find it well-written and easy to understand, while others report errors like misspelled words, sentences that make no sense, and missing parts of the text.

"I found this an easy read, but well worth the time spent to gain valuable insight into why we believe the things we believe and act the way we do,..." Read more

"...Rookie errors like misspelled words, sentences that made zero sense because I think he was contrasting one idea with another but he accidentally..." Read more

"...of relevant psychology, sociology and cognitive science into an easy to read book on both the causes of our fear biases and things we can do to live..." Read more

"...It is very well written easy to understand...." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

  • webed
    5.0 out of 5 stars Reveals why we believe and act the way we do.
    Reviewed in the United States on March 10, 2014
    Verified Purchase
    I found this an easy read, but well worth the time spent to gain valuable insight into why we believe the things we believe and act the way we do, especially about serious things. The book lays out the scientific basis for risk perception but does not dwell on the difficult to understand brain function. Instead the author leads by example after example of human response to various "risky" situations - some of which we perceive as being more or less risky based on specific risk perception factors that he identifies. When you are through with this book, no only will you understand risk perception much better, but also you will understand how and why the media presents situations to you in a manner that strongly influences your perception of the risk involved.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • Michelle Cheatham
    4.0 out of 5 stars An interesting book by a somewhat questionable source
    Reviewed in the United States on October 31, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    I have read several books on the subject of how we perceive risks, and this one was fairly standard -- it discusses the general shortcuts we take in the absence of perfect information, such as fearing things more if we don't have control over them (so we're ok with deciding to smoke ourselves but not ok with being exposed to carcinogens at work, for example), if they are man-made rather than natural (we fear terrorists more than a tornado), if the risk affects children, etc. The thing that concerns me is that the beginning of the book discusses risk response at the biological level (related to the amygdala, a part of the brain). The author disagrees with the standard System 1/System 2 view that we have a biological-level risk response and a cognitive-level risk response, saying they are both part of a single continuous system. Which is fine, except that the author is not a scientist but rather a journalist -- an extremely well-respected journalist, but still I'm not sure he has the background to make such a claim.
    5 people found this helpful
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  • David J. Aldous
    5.0 out of 5 stars Lively analysis of the misperception of risks
    Reviewed in the United States on June 5, 2011
    Verified Purchase
    This book focuses on the psychology of how we perceive risk, complementing an earlier book Risk: A Practical Guide for Deciding What's Really Safe and What's Really Dangerous in the World Around You giving hard data on what is actually risky. The author, who lectures on risk communication, knows how to hold an audience's attention, and succeeds admirably in conveying serious content in popular style and language. To me, the central feature is a list of 13 factors which can make a risk seem more threatening or less threatening than it really is (Trust; Risk vs benefit; Control; Choice; Natural vs human-made; Pain and suffering; Uncertainty; Catastrophic vs chronic; Can it happen to me? New vs familiar? Risks to children; Personification; Fairness). Also noteworthy is his discussion of the role of the media in making the world seem scarier than it really is -- a well-informed discussion, because the author worked as a TV reporter for 20+ years.

    The book points out how the "perception gap" can be harmful: individuals continue risky behavior unaware, while over-worrying about the
    wrong things; public policy is shaped by self-interested or ideological pressure groups, or by public opinion driven by scaremongering media.
    There are suggestions for you as an individual on how to identify and counteract these psychological risk factors. The book concludes with a
    discussion of the public policy aspect of risk communication. It is hopeless to try to impose some purely rational cost-benefit analysis on
    the public, rather one should start by taking these predictable psychological factors into account.

    All these points are discussed via entertaining real examples. So the book deserves 5 stars for significant interesting content not readily
    found elsewhere. My only quibble is that the people who will read this book are probably those predisposed to rational analysis, not the ones who might benefit most.
    35 people found this helpful
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  • LeeAnne S
    5.0 out of 5 stars Great book especially considering the Corona Virus panic
    Reviewed in the United States on March 14, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    The author ties together a lot of relevant psychology, sociology and cognitive science into an easy to read book on both the causes of our fear biases and things we can do to live in a world with danger while avoiding anxiety and actually being safer AND achieving the improvements we want.

    His work aligns well with the studies of other heavy weights like Antonio Damasio, Jonathan Haidt, etc.
    6 people found this helpful
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Top reviews from other countries

  • greg
    3.0 out of 5 stars Three Stars
    Reviewed in Canada on February 11, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    Everything on schedule, as defined
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  • Rhys M Watkins
    5.0 out of 5 stars How risky not to read this book?
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on January 17, 2017
    Verified Purchase
    A tour de force through the mine field of risk, our emotional response to perceived threats or benefits and largely our failures to communicate risk well enough to secure sensible outcomes on both personal and policy levels. Hugely readable and a humane approach to human dilemmas. Everyone can benefit from what is explained here. Try it, it will change your thinking!
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  • MMurphy
    5.0 out of 5 stars Informative in these times
    Reviewed in Japan on May 24, 2020
    Verified Purchase
    Good reality check for those with anxiety.
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  • J Garstang
    3.0 out of 5 stars soft back please
    Reviewed in the United Kingdom on September 27, 2018
    Verified Purchase
    not enough real life examples
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