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

Fear is a primal human emotion, and it often does play an important role in keeping us safe from threats. It’s part of our evolutionary makeup, after all. But fears can also spiral out of control, and if your perfectly reasonable fear of snakes has metastasized to the point that you run screaming from every uncoiled hose, then (news flash!) you’ve got yourself a phobia. Human phobias are strange, diverse, and actually have the power to teach us a lot about who we are and where we came from. And in this book, author Sarah Latta blends biology, psychology, history, and pop culture to provide a comprehensive account of 50 essential fears, from arachnophobia to zoophobia.

Additionally, the book includes:
- An explanation of the history behind each phobia, and a discussion of notable people who have suffered from the fear
- Sidebars that highlight famous phobic moments from history and pop culture
- Updates on how successful various phobia treatments have been

Phobias are no laughing matter if you’ve got one, but sometimes the first step to overcoming your fear is understanding that sometimes we’re afraid of a lot of really weird things. So whether you’re looking for perspective, information, or just want to know what Madonna and David Beckham are afraid of, this is the book for you. (Bibliophobes, however, should probably keep their distance.)