Author: Lee Daniel Kravetz
Publisher: Harper Wave
Date of publication: June 2017
Picking up where The Tipping Point leaves
off, respected journalist Lee Daniel Kravetz’s Strange Contagion is
a provocative look at both the science and lived experience of social
contagion.
In 2009, tragedy struck the town of Palo Alto: A student
from the local high school had died by suicide by stepping in front of an
oncoming train. Grief-stricken, the community mourned what they thought was an
isolated loss. Until, a few weeks later, it happened again. And again. And
again. In six months, the high school lost five students to suicide at those
train tracks.
A recent transplant to the community and a new father
himself, Lee Daniel Kravetz’s experience as a science journalist kicked in:
what was causing this tragedy? More important, how was it possible that a
suicide cluster could develop in a community of concerned, aware,
hyper-vigilant adults?
The answer? Social contagion. We all know that ideas,
emotions, and actions are communicable—from mirroring someone’s posture to
mimicking their speech patterns, we are all driven by unconscious motivations
triggered by our environment. But when just the right physiological,
psychological, and social factors come together, we get what Kravetz calls a
“strange contagion:” a perfect storm of highly common social viruses that,
combined, form a highly volatile condition.
Strange Contagion is simultaneously a moving
account of one community’s tragedy and a rigorous investigation of social
phenomenon, as Kravetz draws on research and insights from experts worldwide to
unlock the mystery of how ideas spread, why they take hold, and offer thoughts
on our responsibility to one another as citizens of a globally and perpetually
connected world.
Purchase Links
About Lee Daniel Kravetz
Lee Daniel Kravetz has a master’s degree in counseling
psychology and is a graduate of the University of Missouri–Columbia School of
Journalism. He has written for Psychology Today, the Huffington
Post, and the New York Times, among other publications. He
lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with his wife and children.
Tour Stops
Tuesday, June 27th: A
Bookish Affair
Wednesday, June 28th: Book
Hooked Blog
Thursday, June 29th: A
Lovely Bookshelf on the Wall
Friday, June 30th: Books & Tea
Tuesday, July 4th: Wining
Wife
Wednesday, July 5th: Based on a True Story
Thursday, July 6th: Readaholic Zone
Thursday, July 6th: she treads softly
Friday, July 7th: Much
Madness is Divinest Sense
Monday, July 10th: StephTheBookworm
Tuesday, July 11th: Kahakai Kitchen
Wednesday, July 12th: Books on the Table
Thursday, July 13th: Library of Clean Reads
TBD: Sapphire
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2 comments:
This is such an interesting premise. I'll definitely be keeping my eyes out for this one!
Thanks for featuring this book for the tour!
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