The Fear Factor by Abigail Marsh

The Fear Factor by Abigail Marsh

In this "compelling scientific detective story," a leading neuroscientist looks for the nature of human kindness in the brains of heroes and psychopaths (Wall Street Journal).

At fourteen, Amber could boast of killing her guinea pig, threatening to burn down her home, and seducing men in exchange for gifts. She used the tools she had available to get what she wanted, and, she didn't care about the damage she inflicted. A few miles away, Lenny Skutnik was so concerned about the life of a drowning woman that he jumped into the ice-cold river to save her. How could Amber care so little about others' lives, while Lenny cared so much?
Abigail Marsh studied the brains of both psychopathic children and extreme altruists and found that the answer lies in our ability to recognize others' fear. And as The Fear Factor argues, by studying people who demonstrate heroic and evil behaviors, we can learn more about how human morality is coded in the brain.
A path-breaking read, The Fear Factor is essential for anyone seeking to understand the heights and depths of human nature.

Marsh is an associate professor of psychology at Georgetown University, where she directs the Laboratory on Social & Affective Neuroscience. She received her PhD in social psychology from Harvard University. Her work has been covered in The Times, Slate, The Huffington Post, NPR, The Economist and New York Magazine and she writes a blog for Psychology Today. Her lab's work on extraordinary altruism was awarded the Cozzarelli Prize by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences. She lives in Washington, DC.

SKU	Unavailable
ISBN 13	9781541697195
ISBN 10	1541697197
Title	The Fear Factor
Author	Abigail Marsh
Condition	Unavailable
Binding Type	Hardback
Publisher	Basic Books
Year published	2017-10-10
Number of pages	320
Cover note	Book picture is for illustrative purposes only, actual binding, cover or edition may vary.