Book Reviews:
Daniel Gardner dials down your anxiety in 'The Science of Fear'
By
Elizabeth A. Leib, Special to the Times
In print: Sunday, August 3, 2008
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Irrational fear is on the rise in America in spite of the realities of modern life. In the past 70 years there have been significant positive gains in human safety and longevity in all parts of the world. For example, with the exception of the Middle East, terrorism worldwide is on the decline; life expectancy in the West has increased from age 59 to 78; and malnutrition in the developing world has fallen from 28 percent to 17 percent. Such positive news seldom makes its way into Americans' confused perceptions about the true nature of risk in the modern world.
In The Science of Fear, Daniel Gardner says we are easily manipulated by our fears, primarily because we are hard-wired to function in the past. Gardner's ideas rest on recent advances in neuroscience, affirmed, he believes, by the philosopher Gilbert Ryle. Whether or not you accept Gardner's assertion that the brain is nothing more than a physical organ, his analysis nevertheless helps us understand how political, marketing and media forces, to name a few, exploit human psychology to inflate our fears.
"Be fearless until you know the facts" is the message of The Science of Fear. In this lucid analysis Gardner examines how our rational minds and our intuitions are exploited for profit by those who stand to gain from our misjudgments.
Focusing on relatively minor risks, we typically ignore the dangers we genuinely face. Do you believe that there are 50,000 pedophiles on the Internet? Although widely reported by news sources, the statement is pure gossip. Did you avoid air travel in the months after 9/11 in favor of car travel? Many did in spite of the fact that the risks of car travel are many times those of flight.
Gardner's book may not cure you of all fear, but it will help you defend yourself against unnecessary anxiety. And in today's culture, we could all afford to be less frightened.
Elizabeth A. Leib is a freelance writer in Temple Terrace.
'Opting In' carries this message: Child, career — balance is key to success
By
Elizabeth A. Leib, Special to the Times
In print: Sunday, June 15, 2008
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Opting In: Having a Child Without Losing Yourself is the most sympathetic, nonjudgmental treatment of women's issues to have appeared in many months. Amy Richards' insightful examination and reconciliation of motherhood and feminism is an eye-opening departure from conventional approaches. Her feminist parenting tent is large and accommodating, offering a space within which same-sex, unmarried and single parents, along with traditional partners, can find common-sense solutions.
Richards' book was written in response to the 2003 New York Times Magazine article "The Opt-Out Revolution," about the trend of highly educated women abandoning careers for full-time parenting.
Opting In draws different conclusions. The author's research reveals that "few woman actually permanently catapult their career ambitions; some have a leisurely approach to their jobs, taking time away when their kids are young, but most stay in the paid work force for a good percentage of their adult lives."
Richards takes on the restrictive judgments we make of ourselves and others. Of gender stereotyping, she points out that avoiding rigid expectations of what is masculine or feminine can allow kids to access the best of both. And as much as she encourages a wide variety of attitudes, she expresses regret about women who lose their ambitions after becoming parents. "Staying balanced is a great example to give your children; to be consumed with your children at the expense of your own identity ends up punishing both you and them in the end."
Richards knowledgeably refers to feminist history as she explores the dilemmas contemporary mothers face in balancing family, work and friendships. And she's convincing when she asserts that women who want strong, intelligent children must be themselves equally smart and assertive.
Elizabeth A. Leib (813) 892-5704 elizabeth@raintreewriting.com