Denial, Jared Del Rosso
Denial, Jared Del Rosso
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Denial
How We Hide, Ignore, and Explain Away Problems

Author: Jared Del Rosso

Narrator: James R. Cheatham

Unabridged: 7 hr 33 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Publisher: Tantor Media

Published: 07/12/2022


Synopsis

Donald Trump won the election; climate change isn't real; America is a color-blind country. Despite overwhelming evidence to the contrary, why do so many of us refuse to admit the truth? Denial is so much a part of our lives that we deny its existence all the time.

In an easy-listening style that draws on examples from current events, politics, and pop culture, Del Rosso teases out the complexities of denial, from "not noticing" that someone has food stuck in their teeth, to companies that engage in widespread fraud, like Enron and Wells Fargo, to the much larger-scale denials of climate change or systemic racism. Del Rosso builds a fascinating typology of the forms and meanings of denial, exploring the behavior of those who refuse to acknowledge their actions, and what it means to live in a society where such lying, fraud, and corruption is commonplace.

In wide-ranging examples, Del Rosso explores the causes, strategies, and consequences of denial. When scandal hits and accusations of misconduct are made, he argues that individuals like Harvey Weinstein or Brett Kavanaugh, or organizations like the Catholic Church or Penn State, go through a series of moves to try to avoid accountability. He effectively argues that recognizing what denial looks like is the crucial first step in mitigating its effects on us and society as a whole.

About Jared Del Rosso

Jared Del Rosso is associate professor in the Department of Sociology and Criminology at the University of Denver. He is the author of Talking About Torture: How Political Discourse Shapes the Debate.


Reviews

Goodreads review by David on June 12, 2022

A book called Denial has the potential to explain a lot of things, particularly about modern society, cancel culture, fake news and newspeak. Unfortunately, Jared Del Rosso’s book doesn’t so much explain as list. It is a disappointment. There is a small corner of sociology where denial has carved out......more

Goodreads review by Chris on April 19, 2022

This was a fantastic book and a fresh perspective on denial. I love reading books about self-deception, but some get repetitive. Jared Del Rosso took a variety of different angles when it comes to denial. Aside from topics about how we deceive ourselves, he also discusses what happens when public fi......more

Goodreads review by Ray on December 04, 2022

More of an analysis on denial on a macro sociopolitical scale rather than the more interpersonal perspective I thought it was going to give, however, I was enthralled anyways.......more

Goodreads review by Briony on May 04, 2022

A super interesting take on the topic of denial. This book offers a unique and fresh perspective about denial as a society. The book highlights how as individuals and society we are unaware of how present this concept is. It was an easy read for someone who is not a specialist. I have not read previ......more

Goodreads review by Stephanie on January 21, 2022

I read Denial just after reading Useful Delusions: The Power and Paradox of the Self-Deceiving by Shankar Vedantam and the two books were quite interesting in tandem - almost like reading two sides of the same coin. The role and pervasiveness of denial throughout society as presented in this book is......more