Risk

Previously published as Careful! The modern world can be a dangerous place, filled with fast cars, smart phones, drugs and extreme sports. Meanwhile, we humans are as fragile as ever. In fact, after a century of decline in injuries and accidental deaths they are on the rise again. The question is - why? Steve Casner has devoted his career to studying the psychology of safety, and he knows that there's not a safety warning we won't ignore, or a fool-proof device we can't turn into an implement of disaster. Based on years of research and understanding of human behavior learnt as a research psychologist, Risk is the definitive user-guide to avoiding everyday calamity. It will help us understand why we behave in such contradictory ways - insisting on fat-free salad dressing but then texting while driving - and explain the psychological traps that can lead us to the scene of an accident. By showing us how and when injuries happen, we learn what we should really be worrying about. Helping to keep our fingers attached in the kitchen, our children afloat at the pool and teenagers safe behind the wheel, Casner shows us all the ways we can take control of our own safety and get through the day in one piece.

Steve Casner is a research psychologist who studies the accident-prone mind. A NASA scientist by day, Casner also flies jets and helicopters, rides motorcycles and skateboards, and has surprisingly few scratches on him. He lives in San Francisco with his wife and daughter.