Scared Stiff: Everything You Need to Know About 50 Famous Phobias - Softcover

Latta, Sara

Softcover

ISBN 10: 1936976498 ISBN 13: 9781936976492

Publisher: Zest Books ™, 2013

Synopsis

Everyone knows what it is to be afraid. But phobias take the normal (and even helpful!) human emotion of fear to a much more visceral, even primal, place. For some people, it’s a spider that does it. For others it’s a clown, or a trans-Atlantic flight, or even just a puddle of water. It’s the thing that stops us in our tracks, sets our hearts racing, and stands our hairs on end. Scared Stiff takes readers on a journey through these experiences―using biology, psychology, and history (not to mention pop culture) to explain where our phobias came from, how they affect us, and how we might eventually overcome them.

About this title

About the Author

Sara Latta has a master's in immunology and an MFA in creative writing. She lives in New York City with her husband and children. Visit her online at www.saralatta.com.

Reviews

Gr 6 Up—A fun and insightful look at 50 phobias, some common like ophidiophobia (fear of snakes) and others unusual such as koumpounophobia (fear of buttons). Latta describes the biology of fear and explains that while some are beneficial for survival, they can become phobias if they are so severe as to interfere with everyday life. The phobias are arranged alphabetically and include explanations of the origins of their names and how the fears may have developed. Famous people who have suffered from them (Lincoln feared dentists), interesting sidebars ("scare quotes"), and pop-culture references make the volume accessible and appealing to a wide audience. Simple, abstract illustrations keep the pages from being cluttered. The easy-to-use index allows quick access to specific phobias, though most will want to read the book cover to cover. The author's lively style will certainly hold readers' attention. For those wanting to delve more deeply into the subject, the appendix provides print and web resources.—Sherry J. Mills, Hazelwood East High School, St. Louis, MO

Relying heavily on up-to-date research and contributions from clinical psychologists, Latta seeks to explain and demystify phobias and anxieties. Many of the 50 phobias included are familiar, such as arachnophobia and claustrophobia, but more obscure fears are also mentioned, such as pogonophobia (fear of beards), somniphobia (fear of sleep), and pediophobia (fear of dolls). Using a conversational tone and plenty of quotes from individuals with firsthand experience of specific fears, each phobia is explored in biological and historical context before possible triggers are detailed. Basic neurological causes for fear are explained in plain terms, and one broad chapter is devoted to social anxieties including agoraphobia. A heavy emphasis is placed on the potential for exposure therapy and cognitive behavior therapy to lessen or eliminate the effects of phobias. In each chapter, famous people who share individual fears are mentioned. Imparting the ideas that phobic people are in good company and that hope exists for eliminating persistent fears, this is factual, fun, and encouraging. Grades 5-8. --Erin Anderson

Edition details

• Publisher: Zest Books ™
• Publication date: 2013
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1936976498
• ISBN 13: 9781936976492
• Binding: Paperback
• Illustrator: Gallas G.E.
• Number of pages: 224