We've all seen the statistic: Most people rate their fear of public speaking higher than fear of death itself.
This commonly cited (and questionable) statement seems to have originated from The Book of Lists (1977), which got its information from an elusive 1973 study called the "Bruskin Report," a study consisting of a small sample of people who were asked to choose and rate their biggest fears from a list which also included heights, bugs, flying, and elevators.