Book Spotlight: The Culture of Fear

The Culture of Fear was written in 1999 by Barry Glassner, a sociology professor at the University of Southern California. The book is all about why America is a country that is engrossed with fear. Glassner examines and exposes the people and organizations that manipulate Americans' perceptions and profit from the resulting anxiety. The politicians, advocacy groups, and TV newsmagazines are "peddlers of fear," according to Glassner, who weigh people down with needless worries and waste billions of dollars in the process. According to Glassner, three out of four Americans say they feel more fearful today than they did twenty years ago. He explores such questions as: Why do we have so many fears these days? Are we living in exceptionally dangerous times? Read more about The Culture of Fear and see what Glassner uncovers.