Overview

A startling work of historical sleuthing and synthesis, Of Fear and Strangers reveals the forgotten histories of xenophobia--and what they mean for us today. By 2016, it was impossible to ignore an international resurgence of xenophobia. What had happened? Looking for clues, psychiatrist and historian George Makari started out in search of the idea's origins. To his astonishment, he discovered an unfolding series of never-told stories. While a fear and hatred of strangers may be ancient, he found that the notion of a dangerous bias called ""xenophobia"" arose not so long ago. Coined by late nineteenth-century doctors and political commentators and popularized by an eccentric stenographer, xenophobia emerged alongside Western nationalism, colonialism, mass migration, and genocide. In this groundbreaking work, the author investigates these forces alongside the writings of figures such as Joseph Conrad, Albert Camus, and Richard Wright, and innovators like Walter Lippmann, Sigmund Freud, Jean-Paul Sartre, Simone de Beauvoir, and Frantz Fanon. In the end, Of Fear and Strangers pulls together the most critical contributions, to help us comprehend the ""New Xenophobia"" we now face.

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9798200715701

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Reviews

[A] historical investigation of how the hatred of others blights society...The author focuses less on its origins than on when the concept was labeled 'phobic'--that is, when it became widely condemned...A timely and thorough investigation of a cultural plague. -- Kirkus Reviews (starred review) Elegantly written, erudite, and often intriguing., -- Publishers Weekly Examines xenophobia from ancient times to the present...as he moves toward his goal of analyzing the use of the word 'xenophobia' in today's public life. -- Library Journal Makari makes an airtight case that an enhanced understanding of the concept 'xenophobia' can serve as a skeleton key that will help unlock many of the psychic terrors currently haunting our cognitive processes and social worlds. -- Anthony Walton, author of Mississippi: An American Journey With penetrating insight, he reveals the history of a grave weakness that is one of the wildest threats against coherent democracy and human kindness. -- Andrew Solomon, New York Times bestselling author

Author Information

George Makari is a psychiatrist, historian, and author of the award-winning book Of Fear and Strangers, as well as Revolution in Mind: The Creation of Psychoanalysis. He is director of the DeWitt Wallace Institute and professor of psychiatry at Weill Cornell Medical College. Paul Heitsch has been narrating audiobooks since 2011, after having worked as a pianist, composer, recording engineer, producer, and sound designer for many years. His work is often cited for the authenticity he brings to the narrative and characters he portrays, as well as his versatility, and clear, smooth delivery.

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