Why has punditry overtaken news, with so many media outlets pushing partisan agendas instead of information? Why do lies seem to linger so long in the cultural subconscious even after they've been thoroughly discredited? And why, when more people than ever before are documenting the truth with laptops and digital cameras, does fact-free spin and propaganda seem to work so well?
Comedian Stephen Colbert's catchword "truthiness" captured something essential about our age: that people are now more comfortable with ideas thatfeeltrue, even if the evidence for those beliefs is thin. In a subtle and fascinating exploration, Farhad Manjoo explains what's powering this phenomenon. He explores how new technologies that give us control over what we see and read have caused "reality" to split across political and cultural lines, allowing opposing groups to subscribe not only to different opinions from each other but also different facts.In an age of talk radio, cable television, and the blog- and YouTube-addled internet universe, it is no longer necessary for any of us to confront notions that contradict what we "know" to be true.
With brilliant insights from psychology, sociology, and economics, Manjoo explains how myths pushed by both partisans and marketers—whether about global warming, the war in Iraq, 9/11, or even the virtues of a certain candy bar—have attracted wide support in recent years. His characters include the Swift Boat veterans, Lou Dobbs, and conspiracy theorists of all varieties, all of whom prove thattruematters less, now, than trueenough.
Download and start listening now!
"Interesting information about biases in news coverage and in readers' and viewers' perception of that coverage. One study found that "presidents . . . don't matter much" when it comes to shaping public opinion about a particular issue: "For every broadcast featuring a president advocating a certain message, public opinion will move only about a third of a point in the direction the president favors. . . . Presidents with approval ratings under 50 percent have almost no effect on public opinion." So who affects public opinion? Newscasters and experts. Also, "low-feedback" topics like climate change and globalization are much easier to report on in a slanted way than objective, high-feedback topics like sports scores and weather forecasts."
— Kirsti (4 out of 5 stars)
“A perceptive analysis of the status of truth in the digital age…Manjoo has produced an engaging, illustrative look at the dangers of living in an oversaturated media world.”
— Publishers Weekly“Narrator Ray Porter maintains a respectful, even tone in describing the examples that reflect both sides of the political aisle…Listeners will be alarmed by the influence of ‘experts on the take’ doling out what Manjoo calls ‘amateur research.’”
— AudioFile" What I learned: Reality is splitting - different groups of people (FOX News viewers vs. MSNBC viewers, for example) increasingly have different versions of what they accept as real or factual. "
— Leroy, 2/19/2014" This is probably one of the most influential books I have read. Although the author is biased, he really changed the way I view the media. "
— Kristin, 2/16/2014" Simple but illuminating. 50 years ago, when there were just a handful of news sources, we all roughly agreed on the basic facts of the political world. We just argued about the implications. Now there are sources of news for every interest and bias, so we no longer agree on even the facts. We can easily see the result: polarized electorates and an inability to maintain rational discussions about politics. "
— Pete, 2/14/2014" A very important book. Vital insight into how we are becoming "informed". "
— Dave, 2/11/2014" The author presents a convincing theory about how we are creating our own versions of "truth" (reality), aided by the multiple dispersion of information on the Internet and in the media. This dispersion and repackaging of facts only adds to fragment society. This tends to conflict with our general idea that because of how readily available so much information is, we should be headed more towards a consensus of facts, of the "truth". I like this book for the idea it presents and the psychology behind it; however, I found that the author tended to drag out ideas and in fact seemed a bit subjective towards some ideas himself. Leading, of course, to the question of how much the author is creating his own truth, as well. "
— Fred, 2/6/2014" Excellent book about media bias, news-consumer bias, irrational consumption, and our addiction to slanted news coverage. "
— Kelly, 1/17/2014" Manjoo does a good job making political psychology accessible, using contemporary examples and contemporary phenomena. "
— Brad, 1/16/2014" Been a while since I read this one but I reference it fairly often esp. during political debate or conversations about mass media in general. These ideas have really stuck with me and I happy for it. "
— Gil, 12/27/2013" A very good (and scary) examination of how we select congenial 'truth' and screen out 'inconvenient' truth "
— Ian, 11/24/2013" This book was excellent! His philosophy portions were mediocre but the case studies and stories were just so unbelievable. People are just pathetically nuts...and we don't even know it! "
— Lori, 8/13/2013" interesting read. if you were not cynical before, you certainly will be after this book. causes me to question everything i'm getting on TV, radio, etc "
— br4ndy, 7/5/2013" Really interesting look at how the advance of technology has distorted over view of what is true. Filled with interesting case studies and organized to illustrate both how our own bias and how organizational bias affect how we process information. "
— Lisa, 6/15/2012" Manjoo has written a well researched little guide on how our perspectives and biases shape the way we understand news and, increasingly, the news we seek out. But I finished the book only mildly satisfied by his theories. "
— Amy, 4/21/2012" Meditation on the problems of finding truth and evaluating expertise in the Internet age, when so many people have a vested interest in spreading propaganda, disinformation and nonsense. "
— Rob, 10/29/2011" Depressing, in that those people who most need to read the book -- conspiracy theorists, political ideologues, and the people who love them -- are the least likely to do so. "
— Joe, 3/25/2011" Been a while since I read this one but I reference it fairly often esp. during political debate or conversations about mass media in general. These ideas have really stuck with me and I happy for it. "
— Gil, 12/4/2010" A lot about why-as nations and as persons-we hear what we want to hear and believe it's The Truth. The promise subtitle never quite pays off. "
— Lana, 9/22/2010" explains how the swift boat campaign against Kerry worked, fox news. "
— Andy, 8/29/2010" A disturbing analysis of not only the biases that affect how we select information sources but of how we interpret information and news and of the way lies and distortions propagate in an ever more technological information world. This is about truthiness. <br/> "
— Mark, 8/2/2010" Intriguing thesis, supported by interesting case studies.<br/><br/>Listened to the audiobook and missed hearing Manjoo's words in his own voice. "
— Stephanie, 7/6/2010" Very interesting discussion of how we consume news "facts" from the sources we hand pick. <br/> <br/>And it gave me something to consider about how scientific data is presented to support an agenda. "
— Denise, 1/13/2010Farhad Manjoo is a Senior Writer at Salon, covering politics, technology, science and pop culture. His article debunking the conspiracy theories around the 2004 presidential election (that Bush “stole” Ohio) was one of the most blogged about articles in all of 2006.
Ray Porter has garnered two Audie nominations as well as several Earphones Awards and enthusiastic reviews for his sparkling narration of audiobooks. A fifteen-year veteran of the Oregon Shakespeare Festival, he has also appeared in numerous films and television shows.