The Fear Factor cover art

The Fear Factor

From Altruists to Psychopaths and Everyone in Between

Preview
Try Premium Plus free
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection - including bestsellers and new releases.
Unlimited access to our all-you-can-listen catalogue of 15K+ audiobooks and podcasts
Access exclusive sales and deals.
£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically.

The Fear Factor

By: Abigail Marsh
Narrated by: Laurel Lefkow
Try Premium Plus free

£8.99/month after 30 days. Renews automatically. See here for eligibility.

Buy Now for £12.99

Buy Now for £12.99

About this listen

If humans are fundamentally good, why do we engage in acts of great cruelty? If we are evil, why do we sometimes help others at a cost to ourselves?

Whether humans are good or evil is a question that has plagued philosophers and scientists for as long as there have been philosophers and scientists. Many argue that we are fundamentally selfish, and only the rules and laws of our societies and our own relentless efforts of will can save us from ourselves. But is this really true?

Abigail Marsh is a social neuroscientist who has closely studied the brains of both the worst and the best among us - from children with psychopathic traits whose families live in fear of them, to adult altruists who have given their own kidneys to strangers. Her groundbreaking findings suggest a possibility that is more optimistic than the dominant view. Humans are not good or evil, but are equally (and fundamentally) capable of good and evil.

In The Fear Factor Marsh explores the human capacity for caring, drawing on cutting edge research findings from clinical, translational and brain imaging investigations on the nature of empathy, altruism and aggression, bringing us closer to understanding the basis of humans' social nature.

©2017 Abigail Marsh (P)2017 Audible, Ltd
Mental Health Neuroscience & Neuropsychology Personality Disorders Psychology Psychology & Mental Health
All stars
Most relevant
The science supporting the book is well selected, clearly explained and integrated into the main narrative.

This is a wonderfully written and narrated.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

Really engaging book to listen to, also very interesting and thought provoking, well worth a go

Fantastic

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.