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Of Fear and Strangers: A History of Xenophobia

Author(s) : George Makari

Reviews and Endorsements

Drawing on philosophy, psychology, sociology, and other disciplines, George Makari's beautiful writing delivers a strikingly original history using words and phrases as clues to be examined: xenophobia, stranger-anxiety, fear of others, and so on. A sheer delight to read, this book is a gift for all.' - Zia Haider Rahman, author of In the Light of What We Know

'George Makari shows that xenophobia is as relevant today as it was when this word first originated, and that so much of our hatred is often rooted in fear of outsiders, this notion of inside and outside groups that we create. As we see a rise of identity politics across the world, it becomes imperative to understand this fear, how political discourses and agendas feed into it, and what we can do about it. This insightful, timely and cogently argued book puts current global politics into perspective.' - Pragya Agarwal, author of Sway: Unravelling Unconscious Bias

'With elegance and passionate conviction, George Makari deconstructs one of the ugliest problems of our time: a fear and hatred of strangers, foreigners, anyone perceived to place his loyalties with another group. 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, former president of PEN, and author of Far From the Tree

'[With] astonishing range and lucid erudition, George Makari has again given us an intellectual history that illustrates how little we know about the ideas that animate and rule our world.' - Anthony Walton, author of Mississippi: An American Journey