13: THE STORY OF THE WORLD'S MOST NOTORIOUS SUPERSTITION

Triskaidekaphobia [tris-kahy-dek-uh-foh-bee-uh, tris-kuh-]: Fear of the number 13
If thirteen people sit down at a table, will one die within a year? Why did five U.S. presidents join the Thirteen Club? What is the only major New York hotel that has a thirteenth floor?
In '13', a fascinating cultural history-cum-detective story, Lachenmeyer gets to the root of how one superstition - the fear of the number 13 - developed among wildly divergent societies. A book about mythmaking, '13' explores why people believe what they believe and the real reason Friday the 13th is the most unlucky day in the world. 240 Pgs. 2005