- Author uses the word "probability" incorrectly and inconsistently (The stats presented were minimally conditioned historical frequencies as opposed to inferential probabilities but the author did little to point that out).
- Writing wouldn't have held up on its own. Were it not for the politically charged topics the book would have been difficult to finish.
- With science in the title I expected to see more researchers than Paul Slovic, Daniel Kahneman, Gerd Gigerenzer, and Baruch Fischhoff. Only a thin and superficial set of studies were covered in the book. Use of a university library would have gone a long way.
- I appreciated the use of frequency formats when describing statistics but more audiences could have been reached by providing more number translation.
- Sewing doubt in fear messaging is laudable, especially in 2008.

Overall I think the book could have been excellent and timeless but gives the impression of being rushed. I hope Gardner rewrites The Science of Fear because his writing has improve significantly since its release. ( )

Man, it took me forever to read this book. I would read for a while, get sick of it, pick it up, stop, reread, and finally, finally, I was able to get through it. Now, don't get me wrong, I found this book to be VERY interesting and informative, but it was way to muddled down by examples and studies supporting the authors points. Every so often there would be an interesting annecdote about something, and an interesting study or fact to back it up, which was then followed by 5 other different studies and quotes, it just got to be to much for me. I feel that if there were a cliff notes version of this book, it could be incredible. It was worth a read for all the valuable information it provides, but man, just be prepared to push yourself through some of the weightier parts. ( )

I am giving this book 5 stars because it has helped me tremendously during these uncertain times amidst the COVID-19 pandemic. The Science of Fear is all about risk assessment and critical thinking. It offers the reader a multi-disciplinary approach to considering why we fear what we fear, and why what we fear changes over time. Research from psychology and sociology, as well as history and media communications study, gives author Dan Gardner a wide range of information and perspectives to draw from. The book is objective and educational but also filled with just enough personality to keep it interesting without ever seeming flippant or questioning the seriousness of the subject matter. I loved it, and it has helped me stay calm during this whole coronavirus thing by encouraging me to assess the actual risk of getting infected and taking smart, necessary precautions while not wasting energy on emotional, overblown worries of extremely unlikely scenarios. ( )

An interesting book that uses statistics to show how the things commonly feared in society are out of proportion with how often they actually happen. ( )

Review: The Science of Fear by Daniel Gardner.

This book is based on psychological research. The authors writing style requires some editing. The chapters are somewhat long not really that well organized and repetitive throughout. There were a few topics as; cancer risk, media distortion and crime content that interested me but overall I didn’t feel it was that educating. The book was published in 2008 so a lot of the information on fear topics I already assumed or was a matter of logic. The veracity of the research has been proven time and again and the author is just confirming how a lot of people fall for the risk and attention it offers.

Science of Fear is a rational, well discussion of why we fear the things we should not, and why we don’t fear the things we should. Daniel Gardner explains how fear in the gut overwhelms thinking in head. There are a few times when the head can over rule the gut but not to often. He also gives examples of how fear works and how we are influenced by society and the world that surrounds us. We pay to much attention to the media reports, or the stories from politicians, advocates, and action groups even our neighbor’s fears. We need to look at our fears with reason and understanding watch out for the everyday fears we obtain and don’t even give a second thought about. The fears we sense once are usually the fears that will hurt us…..

The books main flaw is it a bit dry and isn’t an easy read as far as laymen terms. I thought it was more a technical book then a book of general informative discussion about human fear.
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