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The Book of Phobias and Manias: A History of the World in 99 Obsessions

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Phobien und Manien möchte Kate Summerscale uns in ihrem spannenden A-Z-Kompendium näherbringen. Und das tut sie auf sehr informative und vor allem unterhaltsame und spannende Weise. Mrs. A was terrified of cats. She couldn’t bear the sight of them. The feeling of fur on her clothing caused her anxiety—pictures of cats, even toys that resembled felines (like her daughter’s stuffed koala) upset her. And then let’s not forget about the mania - we all remember beatlemania in the 60s bit what about oniomania (shopping), nymphomania (sex), plutomania (riches) and of course something we could all identify with - bibliomania (books)!

Ok so let's just start with the most absurd phobia (and one I do not have) just to get into the mood: In einigen der beschriebenen ObsessBonus phobia: koumpounophobia-fear of buttons Steve Jobs had this couldn’t stand keyboards and dress shirts Acrophobia - Fear of heights. A lot of people I know have this, though they might overstate it. I thought I had this until I met actual people with actual fear of heights.

Informative, witty, and unique . . . Summerscale, author of The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher and other well-regarded books, lists 99 fears and compulsions, and the result is a peculiarly engaging book.” — Kirkus The entries in The Book of Phobias and Manias are arranged alphabetically, from Ablutophobia to Zoophobia. The length of each varies but in most instances Summerscale defines the phobia, or mania, and offers some historical, cultural and scientific context as well as an anecdote or case study. I found the entries to be very readable and the language is accessible, but there is some repetition that is noticeable if you read through the book in one sitting. Summerscale’s research seems to be sound, though Freud was cited uncomfortably often. The sources she provides are quite extensive and a good source of further reading. This fascinating compendium traces phobias and manias through their rich social, cultural and medical history. We learn that in the US, a third of all people with phobias suffer from a terror of cats (ailurophobia) or dogs (cynophobia). As well as well-known behaviours, Summerscale highlights less obvious fears such as hippophobia (fear of horses, made famous in Freud’s “Little Hans” case study) and coulrophobia (a morbid fear of clowns). The FellIn einigen der beschriebenen Obsessionen habe ich mich persönlich wiedererkannt. Das Buch konnte mir dabei helfen, nicht nur meine eigenen Ängste besser zu verstehen, sondern auch die Ängste anderer. Summerscale, author of The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher and other well-regarded books, lists 99 fears and compulsions, and the result is a peculiarly engaging book. Phobias are more common than one might think, with surveys suggesting that more than 7% of people will experience a phobia at some point. Phobias are often hard to define, although most medical researchers characterize it as an irrational fear that affects a person’s daily life. Some phobias have an evolutionary component. The fear of snakes, called ophidiophobia, makes sense given that many are poisonous. Much the same can be said for spiders and rats. However, the fears of feathers, popcorn, and balloons are odd. The fear of the number four, tetraphobia, is so deeply embedded in various Asian cultures that some hotels do not have floors or rooms with the number, apparently because in some of the region’s languages the word four sounds like the word death. As the author shows, the other side of the coin, manias, or the compulsion to act, can be just as disturbing. Hoarding falls into this category, but there are also communal manias. For example, Summerscale recounts the tale of “tulip mania” in Holland in the 1630s, when a collective obsession with tulip bulbs sent prices soaring to insane levels before crashing and ruining the economy. The author sometimes writes with her tongue in her cheek—e.g., in her descriptions of aibohphobia, the fear of palindromes, and nomophobia, the fear of losing one’s mobile phone—but she is clearly aware that phobias and manias can be serious psychological conditions. The author carefully treads the line between the oddness of her subject and sympathy for the people affected, and she notes that many phobias can be treated, usually by controlled doses of exposure. Aibophobia - Fear of palindromes. Yes, it might seem jokey to you, but now it's spoken into existence, and it might become a real problem, just you wait and see. Ophidiophobia - Fear of snakes. Recently found out one of my cousins has this. Pretty understandable as far as phobias go. Public urination phobia - Speaks for itself. I think the term 'shy bladder syndrome' is more friendly- and much cuter-sounding.

Claustrophobia - Fear of enclosed spaces. This is possibly the only one I actually really suffer from. Not extremely, but I have been in situations where I broke out in cold sweats and tears when I was in a small space. Ovophobia - Fear of/aversion to eggs. This seems like a rare one and yet I know someone who likely has it: they can't even stand the smell of them! Phobias and manias are a great way to investigate the weirdness that is the human mind. Where do they come from? Why do they infect us so thoroughly? I can't say that I know the answer to these questions any better after reading this book, but I do have some interesting factoids that I can share at dinner parties (like I attend those . . .). Die Aufmachung vom Buch durch die Bindung und der Goldfolierung ist wahnsinnig hübsch und die kleinen Bilder liefern noch dazu eine schöne Veranschaulichung mancher Ängste! Batrachophobia - Fear of frogs/toads. I know not one, but two people with this! Both say the same thing: they're terrified of the sudden movements of these animals, that they never know where they might end up.Personally, I don’t care much for heights (acrophobia) though I’m fine if I’m in a fully enclosed area like a building or a plane. I am also afraid of sharks (galeophobia) and by extension I don’t like being in deep water (thalassophobia). My fears aren’t quite severe enough to warrant diagnosis as a phobia though.

This handy sized book covers them all, it was enlightening and very eye opening. What I especially loved was the wealth of research that was clearly done to create this encyclopaedic compendium - each phobia or mania gives examples in history of each affliction, which was utterly fascinating to read about. Blood-injection-injury-phobia - This also seems pretty common around me. A mouthful, though. They should come up with a fancy Greekish or Latiny name instead. The people who have this will long have fainted away before they get the chance to explain their fear.BEATLEMANIA: yes that's in the book. Although it typically comprises those teeny bloopers from the '60s it can also include the criers. I am that crier. That is all. Here's my very professional assessment of the phobias and manias I, my friends, and/or family might have - and the ones I definitely don't have. Inspired by another reviewer: Emetophobia - Fear of vomiting. Had a classmate who suffered from this, and they weren't able to go on school trips because of it.

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