How Propaganda Works

Propaganda generally involves an emotional appeal strong enough to overcome rational thinking. People are more or less susceptible to propaganda based on the biases they acquire in life. There, now you don't have to read the book. The author makes the point that emphasizing reliance on experts can b......more

There is a ton of great ideas in this book, but it may not be quite the book you expect if you judge it by the title. “How propaganda works” is a rather misleading title as the book is both about something broader and narrower than this. The broader point is that it’s not just about propaganda, but......more

This is an academic book, written by a Yale philosopher for other philosophers and for policymakers (I presume). That said, if you are interested in the current political moment and the growing tide of demagoguery that the coming election cycle will spawn, this will reward a close reading -- but it'......more

Well it came late in life. The realization that I was duped into believing I was living and growing up in a democracy. The fact that it calls itself the greatest democracy is in fact propaganda. It is clearly an undemocratic system and it was decidedly designed so. The secondary system I was a part......more

Rather academic and corrective to start with, the author is in dialogue with a discipline, advocating some sense of interdisciplinarity, which is always commendable, but still belonging to a particular debate. The book is written in the first person, there are many references to the author's experie......more