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It was the class every psychology major waited for—abnormal psychology. This course, we thought, would answer all those questions that made us psychology majors in the first place. Why are odd people odd? Why do people kill themselves? Can unhealthy behavior really be changed? Then there was the secret set of questions rooted in our own insecurities about ourselves. Am I the only one who feels this way? Does everyone worry about his or her mental health from time to time? Is it normal to be anxious about the future? The class covered most of my questions and concerns. It helped convince me that psychologists were making important contributions and that psychology could be a meaningful career. Still, there was one important area that we never touched. I wanted to know what would possess someone to streak. It was the 1970s, and one of our generation's forms of rebellion involved removing your clothes and running through crowds. I wanted to know why people did this. Raised at the seashore, I also wanted to know why some kids would surf when a shark warning was posted. I wanted to know why crazy drivers drove the way they did. And what about those fraternity guys who sat on the roof drinking beer? Meanwhile, at the University of Delaware, Marvin Zuckerman was already 10 years into his research on sensation seeking. He was asking similar questions. He was trying to determine why some people deliberately put themselves i