America The Fearful

Download America The Fearful full books in PDF, epub, and Kindle. Read online America The Fearful ebook anywhere anytime directly on your device. Fast Download speed and no annoying ads. We cannot guarantee that every ebooks is available!

Fear Itself

Author : Christopher D. Bader
Publisher : NYU Press
ISBN 13 : 1479852058
Total Pages : 196 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (798 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Fear Itself by : Christopher D. Bader

Download or read book Fear Itself written by Christopher D. Bader and published by NYU Press. This book was released on 2020-03-03 with total page 196 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An antidote to the culture of fear that dominates modern life From moral panics about immigration and gun control to anxiety about terrorism and natural disasters, Americans live in a culture of fear. While fear is typically discussed in emotional or poetic terms—as the opposite of courage, or as an obstacle to be overcome—it nevertheless has very real consequences in everyday life. Persistent fear negatively effects individuals’ decision-making abilities and causes anxiety, depression, and poor physical health. Further, fear harms communities and society by corroding social trust and civic engagement. Yet politicians often effectively leverage fears to garner votes and companies routinely market unnecessary products that promise protection from imagined or exaggerated harms. Drawing on five years of data from the Chapman Survey of American Fears—which canvasses a random, national sample of adults about a broad range of fears—Fear Itself offers new insights into what people are afraid of and how fear affects their lives. The authors also draw on participant observation with Doomsday preppers and conspiracy theorists to provide fascinating narratives about subcultures of fear. Fear Itself is a novel, wide-ranging study of the social consequences of fear, ultimately suggesting that there is good reason to be afraid of fear itself.

American Fear

Author : Peter N. Stearns
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 1135916454
Total Pages : 258 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (359 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis American Fear by : Peter N. Stearns

Download or read book American Fear written by Peter N. Stearns and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012-09-10 with total page 258 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Americans have become excessively fearful, and manipulation through fear has become a significant problem in American society, with real impact on policy. By using data from 9/11, this book makes a distinctive contribution to the exploration of recent fear, but also by developing a historical perspective, the book shows how and why distinctive American fears have emerged over the past several decades.

The World That Fear Made

Author : Jason T. Sharples
Publisher : University of Pennsylvania Press
ISBN 13 : 0812297105
Total Pages : 337 pages
Book Rating : 4.8/5 (122 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The World That Fear Made by : Jason T. Sharples

Download or read book The World That Fear Made written by Jason T. Sharples and published by University of Pennsylvania Press. This book was released on 2020-06-19 with total page 337 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A thought-provoking history of slaveholders' fear of the people they enslaved and its consequences From the Stono Rebellion in 1739 to the Haitian Revolution of 1791 to Nat Turner's Rebellion in 1831, slave insurrections have been understood as emblematic rejections of enslavement, the most powerful and, perhaps, the only way for slaves to successfully challenge the brutal system they endured. In The World That Fear Made, Jason T. Sharples orients the mirror to those in power who were preoccupied with their exposure to insurrection. Because enslavers in British North America and the Caribbean methodically terrorized slaves and anticipated just vengeance, colonial officials consolidated their regime around the dread of rebellion. As Sharples shows through a comprehensive data set, colonial officials launched investigations into dubious rumors of planned revolts twice as often as actual slave uprisings occurred. In most of these cases, magistrates believed they had discovered plans for insurrection, coordinated by a network of enslaved men, just in time to avert the uprising. Their crackdowns, known as conspiracy scares, could last for weeks and involve hundreds of suspects. They sometimes brought the execution or banishment of dozens of slaves at a time, and loss and heartbreak many times over. Mining archival records, Sharples shows how colonists from New York to Barbados tortured slaves to solicit confessions of baroque plots that were strikingly consistent across places and periods. Informants claimed that conspirators took direction from foreign agents; timed alleged rebellions for a holiday such as Easter; planned to set fires that would make it easier to ambush white people in the confusion; and coordinated the uprising with European or Native American invasion forces. Yet, as Sharples demonstrates, these scripted accounts rarely resembled what enslaved rebels actually did when they took up arms. Ultimately, he argues, conspiracy scares locked colonists and slaves into a cycle of terror that bound American society together through shared racial fear.

From Fearful to Fear Free

Author : Marty Becker
Publisher : Health Communications, Inc.
ISBN 13 : 0757320791
Total Pages : 226 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (573 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis From Fearful to Fear Free by : Marty Becker

Download or read book From Fearful to Fear Free written by Marty Becker and published by Health Communications, Inc.. This book was released on 2018-04-17 with total page 226 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: "Since pets communicate nonverbally, this book will help you recognize if your pet is suffering from [fear, anxiety, and stress]. By knowing your dog's body language, vocalizations, and changes in normal habits, you can make an accurate diagnosis and take action to prevent triggers or treat the fallout if they do happen"--Amazon.com.

Fear and Loathing in America

Author : Hunter S. Thompson
Publisher : Simon and Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1439126364
Total Pages : 1116 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (391 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Fear and Loathing in America by : Hunter S. Thompson

Download or read book Fear and Loathing in America written by Hunter S. Thompson and published by Simon and Schuster. This book was released on 2011-09-27 with total page 1116 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the king of “Gonzo” journalism and bestselling author who brought you Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas comes another astonishing volume of letters by Hunter S. Thompson. Brazen, incisive, and outrageous as ever, this second volume of Thompson’s private correspondence is the highly anticipated follow-up to The Proud Highway. When that first book of letters appeared in 1997, Time pronounced it "deliriously entertaining"; Rolling Stone called it "brilliant beyond description"; and The New York Times celebrated its "wicked humor and bracing political conviction." Spanning the years between 1968 and 1976, these never-before-published letters show Thompson building his legend: running for sheriff in Aspen, Colorado; creating the seminal road book Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas; twisting political reporting to new heights for Rolling Stone; and making sense of it all in the landmark Fear and Loathing on the Campaign Trail '72. To read Thompson's dispatches from these years—addressed to the author's friends, enemies, editors, and creditors, and such notables as Jimmy Carter, Tom Wolfe, and Kurt Vonnegut—is to read a raw, revolutionary eyewitness account of one of the most exciting and pivotal eras in American history.

Fear and Crime in Latin America

Author : Lucía Dammert
Publisher : Routledge
ISBN 13 : 0415522110
Total Pages : 191 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (155 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Fear and Crime in Latin America by : Lucía Dammert

Download or read book Fear and Crime in Latin America written by Lucía Dammert and published by Routledge. This book was released on 2012 with total page 191 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The feeling of insecurity is a little known phenomenon that has been only partially explored by social sciences. However, it has a deep social, cultural and economic impact and may even contribute to define the very structures of the state. In Latin America, fear of crime has become an important stumbling block in the region's process of democratization. Lucía Dammert proposes a unique theoretical perspective which includes a sociological, criminological and political analysis to understand fear of crime.

The Nature of Fear

Author : Daniel T. Blumstein
Publisher : Harvard University Press
ISBN 13 : 0674916484
Total Pages : 257 pages
Book Rating : 4.6/5 (749 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Nature of Fear by : Daniel T. Blumstein

Download or read book The Nature of Fear written by Daniel T. Blumstein and published by Harvard University Press. This book was released on 2020-09-08 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: A leading expert in animal behavior takes us into the wild to better understand and manage our fears. Fear, honed by millions of years of natural selection, kept our ancestors alive. Whether by slithering away, curling up in a ball, or standing still in the presence of a predator, humans and other animals have evolved complex behaviors in order to survive the hazards the world presents. But, despite our evolutionary endurance, we still have much to learn about how to manage our response to danger. For more than thirty years, Daniel Blumstein has been studying animals’ fear responses. His observations lead to a firm conclusion: fear preserves security, but at great cost. A foraging flock of birds expends valuable energy by quickly taking flight when a raptor appears. And though the birds might successfully escape, they leave their food source behind. Giant clams protect their valuable tissue by retracting their mantles and closing their shells when a shadow passes overhead, but then they are unable to photosynthesize, losing the capacity to grow. Among humans, fear is often an understandable and justifiable response to sources of threat, but it can exact a high toll on health and productivity. Delving into the evolutionary origins and ecological contexts of fear across species, The Nature of Fear considers what we can learn from our fellow animals—from successes and failures. By observing how animals leverage alarm to their advantage, we can develop new strategies for facing risks without panic.

Fortress America

Author : Elaine Tyler May
Publisher : Basic Books
ISBN 13 : 0465093000
Total Pages : 250 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (65 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Fortress America by : Elaine Tyler May

Download or read book Fortress America written by Elaine Tyler May and published by Basic Books. This book was released on 2017-12-12 with total page 250 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: An award-winning historian argues that America's obsession with security imperils our democracy in this "compelling" portrait of cultural anxiety (Mary L. Dudziak, author of War Time). For the last sixty years, fear has seeped into every area of American life: Americans own more guns than citizens of any other country, sequester themselves in gated communities, and retreat from public spaces. And yet, crime rates have plummeted, making life in America safer than ever. Why, then, are Americans so afraid-and where does this fear lead to? In this remarkable work of social history, Elaine Tyler May demonstrates how our obsession with security has made citizens fear each other and distrust the government, making America less safe and less democratic. Fortress America charts the rise of a muscular national culture, undercutting the common good. Instead of a thriving democracy of engaged citizens, we have become a paranoid, bunkered, militarized, and divided vigilante nation.

Fearful Odds

Author : Charles W Newhall
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781633931343
Total Pages : 262 pages
Book Rating : 4.9/5 (313 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Fearful Odds by : Charles W Newhall

Download or read book Fearful Odds written by Charles W Newhall and published by . This book was released on 2015-10-01 with total page 262 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fearful Odds is a no holds barred narrative told in three parts. It is the true story of a young Army officer, groomed for command and assigned to lead a platoon on a reconnaissance mission in the A Shau Valley, Vietnam in 1968. An otherwise routine mission is complicated by the contradiction of an inept chain of command. The resulting casualties devastate the platoon and the graphic images and memories of the action and the grueling months that follow, lead Chuck Newhall to a lifetime of severe trauma, guilt, grief and anger. Returning home, Newhall embarks on an extraordinary entrepreneurial career bringing great wealth, prestige and security, despite severe episodes of depression and anxiety which would hobble others from achieving such levels of success. And yet a few years later, and seemingly without warning, the family that he had worked so hard to create and support is suddenly ripped apart by tragedy intensifying an emotional upheaval that revisits the pain and anguish he first felt during his time in Vietnam. After decades of experience in managing the long-term effects of trauma and with the support of his family, Chuck Newhall has successfully come to terms with his past and the effects of PTSD. Fearful Odds offers hope, inspiration and valuable coping tools for anyone, or their families, who has been affected by post-traumatic stress, depression, mild traumatic brain disorder or the suicide of a loved one. Fearful Odds is a story of perseverance in the face of insurmountable odds and will offer a guiding hand to others who are facing challenges on the battlefield, boardroom or back at home. "Chuck Newhall's compelling narrative account of combat action in Vietnam takes you to one of the darkest hellholes on earth -- the A Shau Valley in 1968. Just when you thought that the war was over, Fearful Odds packs a punch in the gut you will be feeling for a long time." Joseph L. Galloway, author of We Were Soldiers Once...and Young "If you care about America's warriors, and about how we as a society can help them come home after war, then you should read this book." Nathaniel Fick, author of One Bullet Away "The illuminating depictions of sessions with your phychiatrist Dr. Kaiser can be regarded as almost a manual for understanding PTSD and learning how to overcome it. However, unlike the majority of books on the subject, you explain how PTSD can be addressed via depictions of how your own efforts have succeeded to varying extents. Readers will learn far more from your book, which is "real life," than from others." Solomon H. Snyder, M.D. Distinguished Service Professor of Neuroscience, Pharmacology and Psychiatry, Johns Hopkins University

Christ in Crisis?

Author : Jim Wallis
Publisher : HarperCollins
ISBN 13 : 0062914782
Total Pages : 336 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (629 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Christ in Crisis? by : Jim Wallis

Download or read book Christ in Crisis? written by Jim Wallis and published by HarperCollins. This book was released on 2019-09-24 with total page 336 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Writing in response to our current “constitutional crisis,” New York Times bestselling author and Christian activist Jim Wallis urges America to return to the tenets of Jesus once again as the means to save us from the polarizing bitterness and anger of our tribal nation. In Christ in Crisis Jim Wallis provides a path of spiritual healing and solidarity to help us heal the divide separating Americans today. Building on “Reclaiming Jesus”—the declaration he and other church leaders wrote in May 2018 to address America’s current crisis—Wallis argues that Christians have become disconnected from Jesus and need to revisit their spiritual foundations. By pointing to eight questions Jesus asked or is asked, Wallis provides a means to measure whether we are truly aligned with the moral and spiritual foundations of our Christian faith. “Christians have often remembered, re-discovered, and returned to their obedient discipleship of Jesus Christ—both personal and public—in times of trouble. It’s called coming home,” Wallis reminds us. While he addresses the dividing lines and dangers facing our nation, the religious and cultural commentator’s focus isn’t politics; it’s faith. As he has done throughout his career, Wallis offers comfort, empathy, and a practical roadmap. Christ in Crisis is a constructive field guide for all those involved in resistance and renewal initiatives in faith communities in the post-2016 political context.

The Monarchy of Fear

Author : Martha C. Nussbaum
Publisher : Simon & Schuster
ISBN 13 : 1501172514
Total Pages : 272 pages
Book Rating : 4.5/5 (11 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Monarchy of Fear by : Martha C. Nussbaum

Download or read book The Monarchy of Fear written by Martha C. Nussbaum and published by Simon & Schuster. This book was released on 2019-07-30 with total page 272 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From one of the world’s most celebrated moral philosophers comes a thorough examination of the current political crisis and recommendations for how to mend our divided country. For decades Martha C. Nussbaum has been an acclaimed scholar and humanist, earning dozens of honors for her books and essays. In The Monarchy of Fear she turns her attention to the current political crisis that has polarized American since the 2016 election. Although today’s atmosphere is marked by partisanship, divisive rhetoric, and the inability of two halves of the country to communicate with one another, Nussbaum focuses on what so many pollsters and pundits have overlooked. She sees a simple truth at the heart of the problem: the political is always emotional. Globalization has produced feelings of powerlessness in millions of people in the West. That sense of powerlessness bubbles into resentment and blame. Blame of immigrants. Blame of Muslims. Blame of other races. Blame of cultural elites. While this politics of blame is exemplified by the election of Donald Trump and the vote for Brexit, Nussbaum argues it can be found on all sides of the political spectrum, left or right. Drawing on a mix of historical and contemporary examples, from classical Athens to the musical Hamilton, The Monarchy of Fear untangles this web of feelings and provides a roadmap of where to go next.

The Fearful Dental Patient

Author : Arthur A. Weiner
Publisher : John Wiley & Sons
ISBN 13 : 1119949831
Total Pages : 327 pages
Book Rating : 4.1/5 (199 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Fearful Dental Patient by : Arthur A. Weiner

Download or read book The Fearful Dental Patient written by Arthur A. Weiner and published by John Wiley & Sons. This book was released on 2011-09-15 with total page 327 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: The Fearful Dental Patient: A Guide to Understanding and Managing helps dental professionals understand the basics of fear, anxiety and phobias and the role these emotions play in creating negative behavior within the dental environment. The text contains a variety of modalities that help identify dental fear and phobia, as well as chair-side techniques and practical advice aimed at improving patient cooperation and ensuring treatment compliance. Chapter topics include the basic origins of patient fear and anxiety, how to indentify dental anxiety and varied approaches to managing fearful patients of any age. Approaches discussed employ behavioral, pharmacological, sedation and even hypnotic techniques, specifying combinations where required. Chapters also include coverage of a wide range of patients, including those with psychiatric comorbidities and special healthcare needs. The entire dental team will greatly benefit from the proven methods and practical guidance presented to better understand and treat fearful dental patients.

Aren't You Afraid?

Author : Mary E. Davison
Publisher :
ISBN 13 : 9781735417417
Total Pages : pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (174 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Aren't You Afraid? by : Mary E. Davison

Download or read book Aren't You Afraid? written by Mary E. Davison and published by . This book was released on 2020-09-11 with total page pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: 79-year-old Mary-Triple Crown long-distance hiker-Hikes Again!The American Discovery Trail is a trail for discovery. It's different kind of trail. And a different kind of hike. And this is a different kind of book. Mary holds nothing back as she pours onto the page rich narrative of life experiences and her reflections on fear and overcoming fear. Up close and colorful, she recounts her solo-hike along the ADT from the Atlantic Ocean to Omaha, Nebraska.What makes this trail so different?The ADT is not all wilderness trail, though it does cross through some wilderness areas. There's no long string of mountain ranges to follow like on the National Scenic Trails. A walk across the middle of the USA requires meeting people, interacting with strangers to find resources: campsites (sometimes in people's yards), water (when natural sources contain possible chemical contamination), and other necessities of life.As on any long-section hike, there are challenges, new sights, and tons of beauty. One mile at a time, Mary discovers America, and shines a mellow, engaging light on its real people and its delight-for-the-senses scenery. Sometimes Mary Feels AfraidMary reflects on fear, her own and others' fears for her. She often challenges the fear-no matter whose it is.Mary may challenge you too: what you think about hiking and your assumptions and fear of other people, who may be different from you. She may even challenge you to think about faith and what that word means to you.So, come along with Mary for the hike through Delaware, Maryland, Washington DC, West Virginia, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Iowa. Discover this trail across America, ponder your own thoughts on fear while reading hers, and, possibly, even consider your own faith, whatever it may be.

The Terror Dream

Author : Susan Faludi
Publisher : Macmillan + ORM
ISBN 13 : 1429922125
Total Pages : 484 pages
Book Rating : 4.4/5 (299 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis The Terror Dream by : Susan Faludi

Download or read book The Terror Dream written by Susan Faludi and published by Macmillan + ORM. This book was released on 2007-10-02 with total page 484 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: From the Pulitzer Prize–winning journalist and bestselling author of Backlash—an unflinching dissection of the mind of America after 9/11. In this most original examination of America’s post-9/11 culture, Susan Faludi shines a light on the country’s psychological response to the attacks on that terrible day. Turning her acute observational powers on the media, popular culture, and political life, Faludi unearths a barely acknowledged but bedrock societal drama shot through with baffling contradictions. Why, she asks, did our culture respond to an assault against American global dominance with a frenzied summons to restore “traditional” manhood, marriage, and maternity? Why did we react as if the hijackers had targeted not a commercial and military edifice but the family home and nursery? Why did an attack fueled by hatred of Western emancipation lead us to a regressive fixation on Doris Day womanhood and John Wayne masculinity, with trembling “security moms,” swaggering presidential gunslingers, and the “rescue” of a female soldier cast as a “helpless little girl?” The answer, Faludi finds, lies in a historical anomaly unique to the American experience: the nation that in recent memory has been least vulnerable to domestic attack was forged in traumatizing assaults by nonwhite “barbarians” on town and village. That humiliation lies concealed under a myth of cowboy bluster and feminine frailty, which is reanimated whenever threat and shame looms. In The Terror Dream, “Faludi provides stunning and depressing evidence of a concerted effort to silence women and roll back women’s rights in the wake of 9/11 . . . She brings in a Mack truck’s worth of testimony and proof” (Amy Wilentz, Los Angeles Times).

Fear Not

Author : Max Lucado
Publisher : Thomas Nelson
ISBN 13 : 0718018907
Total Pages : 257 pages
Book Rating : 4.7/5 (18 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Fear Not by : Max Lucado

Download or read book Fear Not written by Max Lucado and published by Thomas Nelson. This book was released on 2015-01-06 with total page 257 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Although fear fills ours world, it doesn’t have to fill our hearts. No one likes living in a world filled with fear and uncertainty, but God does some of His most important work during challenging times. In Fear Not, New York Times bestselling author Max Lucado provides comfort, encouragement, and truth by addressing six major topics related to fear. Fear Not helps readers identify the fear they are facing and how God can help them. The top six fear related topics discussed are: If You Are Afraid of Failure If You Are Afraid of the Unknown If You Are Afraid of Financial Difficulties If You Are Afraid of People If You Are Afraid of Death If You Are Afraid for the Welfare of a Loved One With over 200 powerful Bible verses and teachings from America’s pastor, Max Lucado, this luxurious leathersoft edition is great for men and women: dealing with fear caused by anxiety and grief needing a gift of encouragement to lift their spirits and recreate joy needing a morale boost to rebuild confidence and live boldly looking for a daily devotional or a meaningful resource to ease fear

Fear and the Shaping of Early American Societies

Author : Lauric Henneton
Publisher : BRILL
ISBN 13 : 9004314741
Total Pages : 323 pages
Book Rating : 4.0/5 (43 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Fear and the Shaping of Early American Societies by : Lauric Henneton

Download or read book Fear and the Shaping of Early American Societies written by Lauric Henneton and published by BRILL. This book was released on 2016-04-08 with total page 323 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: Fear and the Shaping of Early American Societies is the first collection of essays to argue that fear permeated the colonial societies of 17th- and 18th-century America and to analyse its impact on the political decision-making processes from a variety of angles and locations. Indeed, the thirteen essays range from Canada to the Chesapeake, from New England to the Caribbean and from the Carolina Backcountry to Dutch Brazil. This volume assesses the typically American nature of fear factors and the responses they elicited in a transatlantic context. The essays further explore how the European colonists handled such challenges as Indian conspiracies, slave revolts, famine, “popery” and tyranny as well as werewolves and a dragon to build cohesive societies far from the metropolis. Contributors are: Sarah Barber, Benjamin Carp, Leslie Choquette, Anne-Claire Faucquez, Lauric Henneton, Elodie Peyrol-Kleiber, Susanne Lachenicht, Bertie Mandelblatt, Mark Meuwese, L. H. Roper, David L. Smith, Bertrand Van Ruymbeke, Christopher Vernon, and David Voorhees.

Squeeze This!

Author : Marion Jacobson
Publisher : University of Illinois Press
ISBN 13 : 0252093852
Total Pages : 294 pages
Book Rating : 4.2/5 (52 download)

DOWNLOAD NOW!

Book Synopsis Squeeze This! by : Marion Jacobson

Download or read book Squeeze This! written by Marion Jacobson and published by University of Illinois Press. This book was released on 2012-03-15 with total page 294 pages. Available in PDF, EPUB and Kindle. Book excerpt: No other instrument has witnessed such a dramatic rise to popularity--and precipitous decline--as the accordion. Squeeze This! is the first history of the piano accordion and the first book-length study of the accordion as a uniquely American musical and cultural phenomenon. Ethnomusicologist and accordion enthusiast Marion Jacobson traces the changing idea of the accordion in the United States and its cultural significance over the course of the twentieth century. From the introduction of elaborately decorated European models imported onto the American vaudeville stage and the instrument's celebration by ethnic musical communities and mainstream audiences alike, to the accordion-infused pop parodies by "Weird Al" Yankovic, Jacobson considers the accordion's contradictory status as both an "outsider" instrument and as a major force in popular music in the twentieth century. Drawing on interviews and archival investigations with instrument builders and retailers, artists and audiences, professionals and amateurs, Squeeze This! explores the piano accordion's role as an instrument of community identity and its varied musical and cultural environments. Jacobson concentrates on six key moments of transition: the Americanization of the piano accordion, originally produced and marketed by sales-savvy Italian immigrants; the transformation of the accordion in the 1920s from an exotic, expensive vaudeville instrument to a mass-marketable product; the emergence of the accordion craze in the 1930s and 1940s, when a highly organized "accordion industrial complex" cultivated a white, middle-class market; the peak of its popularity in the 1950s, exemplified by Lawrence Welk and Dick Contino; the instrument's marginalization in the 1960s and a brief, ill-fated effort to promote the accordion to teen rock 'n' roll musicians; and the revival beginning in the 1980s of the accordion as a "world music instrument" and a key component for cabaret and burlesque revivals and pop groups such as alternative experimenters They Might Be Giants and polka rockers Brave Combo. Loaded with dozens of images of gorgeous instruments and enthusiastic performers and fans, Squeeze This! A Cultural History of the Accordion in America represents the accordion in a wide range of popular and traditional musical styles, revealing the richness and diversity of accordion culture in America.