The Fear Factor

[Marsh's] book is deft enough to be chilling at times, infectiously optimistic at others - The Daily Telegraph

A brilliant, beautiful, and important book about the things that make some of us angels, some of us devils, and all of us human. You won't be able to put it down - Daniel Gilbert, Harvard University

Reads like a thriller. Abigail Marsh takes us through the groundbreaking research that has thrown light on two of the most fundamental traits of human beings: extreme selfishness and extreme altruism. Page after page, she shows convincingly that the capacity to perceive and identify fear and, consequently, to feel empathy as one would for a child in danger, is the key factor that makes us behave as a psychopath or as someone who joyfully gives a kidney to a stranger. One of the most mind-opening books I have read in years - Matthieu Ricard, Author of Altruism: The Power of Compassion to Change Yourself and the World

Beautifully and engagingly written, yet not compromising on science. Abigail Marsh has written a page-turner that takes you meticulously through the scientific evidence for why altruism exists, while fooling you into thinking that you are reading a detective novel. This is essential reading for anyone interested in why people vary in their capacity for empathy and love - Essi Viding PhD, Professor of Developmental Psychopathology at UCL

Let Abigail Marsh guide you on a riveting ride through your own brain. With lively writing and an impressive command of science, she shows how sensitivity to fear can be both a weapon of evil and a force for good - Adam Grant, New York Times bestselling author of Originals, Give and Take, and Option B (with Sheryl Sandberg)

The combination of thorough investigation and personal research experiences creates a volume far more engaging than those typically written by academics...Those who seek to comprehend the origin of fear, altruism, and elements of human nature will find this book a key factor in their increased understanding - Science

The book is overall a model of careful popular science writing, rebutting common oversimplifications... Best of all, her writing style is vivid and personable... And despite the book's optimistic message, there are moments-as when she describes a psychopathic teenage girl she tested as someone "with whom I would have been unwilling to spend a night alone in a house"-that send a chill down the spine. - The Wall Street Journal

Recommend this fascinating text to readers of pop psychology and true crime fans who wish to better understand the minds of potential criminals - Booklist