Scream: Chilling Adventures in the Science of Fear

When not teaching at the University of Pittsburgh, sociologist and debut author Kerr collects data on how the brain and body responds to fear. Here, Kerr takes readers on a journey on which they will experience the world's most frightening and terrifying places firsthand, including Fuji-Q Highland in Japan, an amusement park that boasts extreme roller coasters; Eastern State Penitentiary in Philadelphia; and the CN Tower Edge Walk in Toronto. While the author delves into the physical response to anxiety, she also investigates what drives people to pay to have others scare them. As Kerr explores places that make people tremble, she shares her personal dread on each of these destinations, which makes the book even more captivating. In addition to the data revealing our body and mind's reaction to fear, this account could almost be used as a travel guide to the globe's most chilling places.