Germs on Our Mind: The Psychology of Contagion

People are intrigued by the underpinnngs of how and why germs play an exceptionally important role in our interpersonal lives. Our beliefs about contagion have the capacity to change the human condition, either for better or for worse. What if the real power of germs lay not in medical and tecnological advances, but in our attitudes about them? Will humans be able to live harmoniously with germs, or will our attempts to ameliorate them ultimately destroy us? This book explores all of these issues from the prosaic--such as handwashing--to the profound--such as germ warfare. With a multidisciplinary, empirical approach, Germs on Our Mind delves into the psychological, cultural, religious, athropological, and medical perspectives on the ubiquitous presence of germs. "Germs on Our Mind is a fascinating exploration of our attitudes toward the invisible world of microbes ad contagion, and how these beliefs were formed and are sustained. DeAngelo shows that we are hardly the rational creatures we fancy ourselves to be where germs are concerned, but are motivated by fantasy and superstition in addition to the logic of science. We should pay close attention to this important book, because our beliefs about germs are not trivial; they literally can make the differencein life and death." - Larry Dossey, MD, author of The Extraordinary Healing Power of Ordinary Things; Reinventing Medicine; and Healing Words. "This book covers a fascinating and important topic and has no real competitors. The final effect of the book is to make the reader think very differently about germs and the multiple levels, biological, psychological, and socio-cultural, in which they influence our lives." - Carol J. Nemeroff, Associate Professor of Psychology, Arizona State Universty.