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FALSE ALARM: THE TRUTH ABOUT THE EPIDEMIC OF FEAR By: Marc Siegel
"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."
Wiley
July 2005
256 pages ISBN: 0471678694 Hardcover
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Non-Fiction
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 virusβthe 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 smallβ 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 fearβgovernment, 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 instinctsβoften without our even realizing itβto promote their political agendas, boost their ratings, and sell their products. In his role as a dedicated healer, Siegel offers his prescription for inoculating ourselves 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.
 Media BuzzDiane Rehm Show - NPR - October 11, 2006 Today - March 18, 2006 Early Show - October 12, 2005 Inside Edition - October 6, 2005 Diane Rehm Show - NPR - September 16, 2005 Daily Show with Jon Stewart on Comedy Central - September 6, 2005
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