Phobias: Fighting the Fear
-
- $ 27.900,00
-
- $ 27.900,00
Descripción editorial
A fascinating, unbiased study of what phobias are, how they occur and how we can stop them.
Two in five people struggle through life under the burden of a phobia of some kind. Yet little has been done to help these sufferers understand their affliction and hence minimise it. Recent researches in evolutionary theory, physiology, neuroscience and genetics have begun to analyse the causes and effects of human phobia and have come up with thought-provoking, but widely differing, interpretations and prescriptions.
Why are phobias easier to cope with at night or when wearing sunglasses? How do phobias differ throughout the world and history? Are phobias biological or psychological? Is the fear of spiders, snakes and darkness an evolutionary throwback? Does aversion therapy work? Is phobia hereditary?
The first book to balance all these issues, ‘Phobias: Fighting the Fear’ is a powerful, uniquely accessible work of popular science.
About the author
Helen Saul is a freelance science writer, often contributing to New Scientist. She is married and lives in Oxford. She has never suffered from a phobia.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Combining a scholarly approach with a self-help writing style, freelance science and medical journalist Saul attempts to explain the roots of phobias. Beginning with a historical overview on how such obsessional fears were once understood, she describes theories that now sound amusing, if not downright odd fear of spiders, for example, was thought to be caused by excess fluids in the body. Mainly, however, the book seems meant to soothe those who either suffer from phobias or have someone close to them who does. Although Saul draws on academic research for background, her greatest strength is in describing the thoughts of those who have phobias and explaining why, to put it bluntly, they're not crazy. Real-life examples, such as a description of a flight taken by a group of people afraid of flying, give the kind of uplifting tone usually found in self-help volumes, but without the checklists and straightforward declarations that are common in the genre. At times, Saul's writing may be too simple and plainly crafted for readers who yearn for an in-depth exploration into phobias. Sentences like, "Genes are the template from which we develop," or "The more we understand why people become vulnerable to anxiety disorders, the better the advice will become," are frequent, but are often followed by more rigorous thought. This mix of generality, case studies and historical background make Saul's work an excellent primer for those who suffer from phobias or know someone who does.
