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The Book of Phobias and Manias

A History of the World in 99 Obsessions

Kate Summerscale
Naming psychological fixations began in the late 1780s and a flurry of terms soon emerged to define ‘imaginary evil or an undue fear of a real one’, then prejudices (xenophobia) or fashions (tulipomania). From ablutophobia (a fear of washing), via laughing mania to zoophobia (a general fear of animals), Kate Summerscale describes 99 such obsessions, their prevalence and wider context. 
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Product information:
  • Publisher: Profile
  • Year: 2022
  • Format: Hardback
  • Pages: 256pp
  • Illustrated: Yes
  • Dimensions: 222x140mm
  • ISBN: 9781788162814
  • Condition: New
  • Weight: 0.4kg
Product code:
530043
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THE PERFECT GIFT FOR ALL BIBLIOMANES

A BOOK OF THE YEAR IN THE TIMES, FINANCIAL TIMES, SPECTATOR AND DAILY MAIL

AS HEARD ON BBC RADIO 4 WOMAN'S HOUR AND START THE WEEK

Plunge into this rich, surprising and stunningly designed A-Z compendium to discover how our fixations have taken shape, from the Middle Ages to the present day, as bestselling author Kate Summerscale deftly traces the threads between the past and present, the psychological and social, the personal and the political.

'Fascinating ... Phobias and manias create a magical space between us and the world' Malcolm Gaskill, author of the No. 1 bestseller The Ruin of All Witches

'Fascinating' Observer

'An endlessly intriguing book ... All the bibliomanes (book nutters) I know will love it' Daily Mail
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