Worried?: Science investigates some of life's common concerns
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- $21.99
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- $21.99
Publisher Description
How scientific reasoning explains our most common daily fears—from germs to natural disasters and everything in between.
Quick--what do you worry about most? Your cell phone giving you cancer? The public bathroom you’re using being dirty? GMOs in your food? An asteroid strike? Something else?
In this witty and evidenced-based book, Lise Johnson and Eric Chudler get to the root of our worries, all the while using science to help tame the anxiety beast.
News media, social media, and every mom blog in the world are continuously flagging new things for you to worry about. From obsessing over Lyme disease-infested ticks to worrying about amusement park safety, no-one is immune to the pervasive effects of anxiety brought on by normal, everyday activity. Each topic in this wide-ranging book is subjected to scientific scrutiny, and assigned a place on the “worry index,” with the authors concluding the only things worth worrying about are those those that can cause significant harm, are likely to happen, and are (somewhat) preventable.
Whether you are a constant worrier or a stick-your-head-in-the-sand-and-hope-for-the best sort of person, you’ll find something to love in this witty and informative book.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Biomedical engineer Johnson and neuroscientist Chudler, who previously cowrote Brain Bytes: Quick Answers to Quirky Questions About the Brain, team up again for a cleverly conceived and well-executed examination of a host of common sources of worry: foods, medicines, the environment, chemicals, animals, and travel. For each topic, they evaluate the danger's preventability, consequences, and likelihood, combining the results on an easy-to-read grid divided into four categories: "don't worry; unlikely and preventable," "don't worry; unpreventable but unlikely," a fatalistic "don't worry; likely but unpreventable," and an unequivocal "worry about this." The medical worries range from the common the health risks of using acetaminophen and oral contraception to the rare brain-eating amoeba and Ebola. Similarly, the animals evaluated include both everyday pets such as dogs and exotic predators such as sharks. The authors' selections also include, for food, caffeine, gluten, and salt; for environment, mobile phones and microwave ovens; and for travel, airport scanners and cruise ships. Their analyses are short but thorough, scientifically grounded with appropriate citations, and candid about when the science is still uncertain. Those already convinced that to name three topics fluoride, DEET, and GMOs are highly dangerous may balk at the contrary conclusions, but the open-minded will find a resource that is both useful and enjoyable.