This entertaining and educational book applies the tools of critical thinking to identify the common features and trends among misinformation campaigns. With illustrations drawn from conspiracy theorists and deniers of every stripe, the author teaches readers how rumors are started, and the rhetorical techniques and logical fallacies often found in misleading or outright false claims.
What distinguishes real conspiracies from conspiracy theories, real science from pseudoscience, and actual history from bogus accounts purporting to be history? How does one evaluate the credibility of rumors and quotes or judge the soundness of legal arguments advanced by tax deniers? Readers will learn how to make these critical distinctions and also how to spot “evidence” that’s been manufactured or manipulated.
At a time when average citizens are bombarded with false information every day, this entertaining book will prove to be not only a great read but also an indispensable resource.
“This is a book that everyone should take to heart. It reminds us that the human intellectual capacity for self-deception is infinite. A great read!”
– Nicholas Capaldi, director, Center for Spiritual Capital, Loyola University New Orleans, and author of The Art of Deception“This highly readable and entertaining book is full of wonderful examples of BS. It also provides a very useful compendium of the warning signs of BS. We all need to build some immunity to BS – especially youngsters. This book is a good place to start.”
– Dr. Stephen Law, philosopher and author of Believing Bullshit