How Risky Is It, Really?
Why Our Fears Don't Always Match the Facts
The psychology of risk perception, and the danger of the gap between what frightens us and what harms us.
Ropeik works through the psychology of risk perception: why we fear what is unfamiliar, dreadful or imposed on us, and discount what is common and chosen. The gap between the two is itself dangerous, he argues, with the driving deaths after September 11 the standard example. The book is written for readers with no technical background.
Recommended by 1 Person
David Spiegelhalter
Yes, this is a completely non-technical book, which is looking at things from the point of view of psychology. It is essentially a review of the recent research on risk perception. He is looking at how dangerous it is if we get our interpretations wrong. He uses our response to 9/11 quite a lot as an example, but he has also recently written about the response to Fukushima and nuclear risk.
Interview · September 2011
As an Amazon Associate, bookstoread.org earns from qualifying purchases. Links to Amazon on this page may earn us a commission at no extra cost to you. Spotted an error on this page? Tell us and we will fix it.