Rating: 
Summary: A big long string of stats
Review: Although I'm nominally on the same side of the issues as Mr. Glassner, I'm afraid this book is only mildy interesting. He dutifully sets up his straw men, and dutifully knocks them down. While criticizing the media for making trends out of isolated incidents, he does pretty much the same thing -- selecting statistics from mainstream media and then showing how they are wrong or misinterpreted. But he succumbs to the same laziness he criticizes others for: he pulls together isolated incidents with the intimation that they constitute a trend, but provides very little context for the contents of that trend.The books consists of a long collection of statistics and incidents, and, sadly, doesn't provide much insight into the real machinations behind the irrationality and short-sightedness of the American public. This orgy of debunking gets kind of tiresome after a while. Mr. Glassner does his best to give it some pace, and it is a fairly quick read, but eventually I was glad to reach the end. If you're looking for a casual introduction to how the mainstream media chooses to portray the world, then this is the book for you. Just don't expect any earth-shattering insights at the end.
Rating: 
Summary: Amazing but overwhelming
Review: I have to say at some point I could not finish the book because I was not really in the right place. You just get to the point where you want to shout OK! OK! OK! so politicians, news papers and television completely overwhelm us with things that we really should not be afraid of in the first place as a clever ruse pointing us away from the truly damaging things in society. Unless I am going to be a social researcher, like mister glassman I have to confess I am going to be in the dark the vast majority of the time. Brilliant but hard to not walk away from it feeling somewhat helpless.
Rating: 
Summary: Excellent book for those that abhor media hype!
Review: In today's age of media we get to see lots of stories that tell us to be afraid of this person or that movie, this contraption, that baby toy, this "epidemic", that virus, Etc. Are you tired of it? Well I am. This book lays it all out for you. Facts, figures, numbers, theories. It debunks many of the last 10 years' biggest "stories" that have been over-hyped. I can only imagine how this book would have turned out had it been written after 9/11 and out new "Terror scare". My one and only complaint: Its anti-gun stance. The author seeks to blame most crimes committed with guns on the fact that we're so "lenient" with our gun laws(Britain, with laws preventing the ownership of guns has a very healthy gun violence problem). Other than that, it's a terriffic book. I recommend this book for any healthy skeptic.
Rating:
Summary: incredible
Review: i am not done reading this book yet(i'm through the first 100 pages), but i couldn't wait to share my thoughts about it. this book is beautiful-- i sit there reading it, boiling with anger at our sensationalist news media and conservative columnists who are constantly lying to us. I am never going to take the mainstream media seriously ever again. I particularly enjoyed the several pages in this book where Glassner bashes the Conservative anti-P.C. movement. That is one thing that i did not expect from this book but still welcome nonetheless: lots of references to conservatives and their part in fear-mongering. This is not to say that he lets liberals off the hook, however. Also, as a result of reading this book, I shall never pick up a copy of Time magazine as long as I live. It is by no means an intellectual, muckracking journal. It does not deserve the prestigious position that it holds in our society. It is just as sensationalist as the rest of the corporate news media. This book is sure to disillusion many Americans.. it should be required reading in all sociology classrooms. This book should also contribute greatly to the independent media movement. Hopefully, after reading this book, people will want to continue to be given doses of reality, thereby abandoning their dependence on corporate america.
Rating:
Summary: Soothed my fears about my evening walk
Review: I think this book is an excellent read for anyone who is afraid of what they see on the news every night. I purchased this book to review for a class, and I can honestly say that I feel safer in my home as a result of reading this. Glassner does an excellent job of putting some "risks" in perspective, and completely debunking others. I often walk in the evenings near my home, but have been nervous to leave too close to dusk. This book has made me realize how unliklely it is that I might be at danger in my middle-class suburb. At the same time, it has made me more aware of how much riskier it is to make budget cuts in early childhood education and food programs for the elderly. Food for thought!
Rating:
Summary: Thought Provoking and Calming
Review: An exhaustively researched book, Barry Glassner works to reveal the facts behind the fiction the media has created in regards to such topics as plane crashes, mutant diseases, African Americans, and violent teens. Glassner is featured in the Michael Moore documentary, "Bowling for Columbine" and what he had to say in the film prompted me to buy the book. Although some chapters were definitely more interesting than others, overall the book is a wonderful educational tool in learning not to take everything we're spoon fed by politicians and the media at face value. That sometimes logic before emotion can help elimainate the very thing we've been taught to fear.
Rating:
Summary: Eye-opener
Review: 42,000 people die in car crashes every year in the US. That's roughly 800 a week, a death toll equivalent of that of a (hypothetical) jumbo jet crash every 3 days. Yet a plane crash would certainly make it to the headline news all over the world, while car crashes hardly ever feature outside of local news, if at all. Because of the news outlets' definition of what constitutes "news" and what doesn't, the average American watching TV news or reading the newspaper is mostly exposed to "freak incidents" and is hardly ever made aware of more mundane risks whose prevalence makes them much more of a threat. This book's aim is to provide a (partial) remedy to the heavily distorted image that the average American has of the dangers lurking around him (her). I found this book to be very informative and a pleasure to read. A must-get companion for those who like being well-informed about what's going on around them.
Rating: 
Summary: Um...
Review: True, I do have to admit that Mr. Glassner provides more than enough sources form which he has researched for this book but that wasn't enough to win me over. I do agree that all the subjects that he brought up were valid, but he had no knew way of saying that "This is something that shouldn't be feared." And his tone came off as extremely biased to me. And I found that I could not sit and read his book for too long without getting bored. Since this was for a sociology class I had to endure reading his reiterations why everything in this world that is feared shouldn't be. This entire book could have been summed up in a two page listing of all the different subjects that are feared for the wrong reasons.
Rating:
Summary: What should you REALLY be afraid of?
Review: Glassner explains why many common fears (airplane accidents, homicidal children, etc) are misguided. I found this to be pretty interesting. I also found it to be a sad commentary on the gullibility of Americans and the media's interest in exploiting it. There's something to fear.
Rating:
Summary: This could be life altering
Review: This book was refreshing. Barry Glassner, a sociologist, debunks many of the myths of our time. I was horrified by how duped we have all been about subjects such as illness and crime, especially by the media and politicians. One wonderful thing about this book is that it can alleviate your anxiety level about the world and make you see that life is safer than you thought. However, Glassner also points out there are areas Americans do not even consider which should really trouble us. Overall, I found this balanced and fair, not to mention interesting. This is one of those books you will find recommending to friends and then discussing. A fine work.
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