The Watercooler Effect: A Psychologist Explores the Extraordinary Power of Rumors.(Brief article)(Book review)

The Watercooler Effect: A Psychologist Explores the Extraordinary Power of Rumors Nicholas DiFonzo. Avery, $24.95 (304p)ISBN 978-1-58333-325-9

DiFonzo, a professor of psychology at the Rochester Institute of Technology whose work on rumors was featured in the New York Times Magazine's 2006 "Year in Ideas" issue, uncovers some surprising facts about rumors: what they are and why we spread them, listen to them and believe them. Drawing on a host of studies, DiFonzo illustrates how rumors are "a fundamental phenomenon of social beings." Rumors are created by people who are in unclear or confusing situations and want desperately to find an explanation. There are …