MOST NOTORIOUS SUPERSTITION
by
Nathaniel Lachenmeyer
on the 13 superstition in Russia's
Pravda Online, which draws on 13:
The Story of the World's Most
Notorious Superstition.
Plume (ISBN: 0452284961). Translated into Chinese,
Japanese, Korean, and Russian, 13 has been published in
eight countries.
Triskaidekaphobia: Fear of the Number 13
13 brings together forgotten history and unknown facts
about unlucky 13 to create the compelling story of the rise
and fall of a single belief. 13 gets to the root of how one
superstition—the fear of the number 13—developed
among wildly divergent societies. 13 is also a book about
superstition and mythmaking in general—why people
believe what they believe and why they stop believing
when they do.
1/13/06 interview on Coast to
Coast AM about Unlucky 13.
11/13/05 interview on NPR's
Weekend Edition Sunday about
Unlucky 13.
bookviews.com:
"How and why did the number
thirteen become synonymous
with bad luck? The answers can
be found in a book, 13: The Story
of the World’s Most Notorious
Superstition by Nathaniel
Lachenmeyer ($14.00, Plume
softcover). The history,
psychology, and evolution of
unlucky 13 in the US and around
the world is thoroughly
researched and revealed. I’m not
superstitious, but I was greatly
entertained by this book."
the author methodically dissects triskaidekaphobia
(and its counterpart, triskaidekaphilia), while also
framing it in cultural terms."
--Chicago Tribune
"Intriguing."
--Boston Globe
"An amusing exposé."
--London Times
"Fast-moving and entertaining."
--Kirkus Reviews
The Millions (A Blog About Books)
13 List from the book.