BIG LIES: from Socrates to Social Media
A KIRKUS' SELECTION FOR BEST TEEN & YA NONFICTION 2022
NAMED ONE OF KIRKUS' BEST BOOKS OF THE YEAR 2022
PW HOLIDAY GIFT GUIDE 2022
In his new book for young readers Mark Kurlansky’s lens is the art of the “BIG LIE”, a term coined by Adolf Hitler. Kurlansky has written Big Lies: From Socrates to Social Media for the next stewards of our world. It is not only a history-of, but a how-to manual for seeing through Big Lies and thinking critically.
Big lies are told by governments, politicians, and corporations to avoid responsibility, cast blame on the innocent, win elections, disguise intent, create chaos, and gain power and wealth. Big lies are as old as civilization. They corrupt public understanding and discourse, turn science upside down, and reinvent history. They prevent humanity from addressing critical challenges. They perpetuate injustices. They destabilize the world.
The modern age has provided ever-more-effective ways of spreading lies, but it has also given us the scientific method, which is the most effective tool for finding what is true. In the book’s final chapter, Kurlansky reveals ways to deconstruct an allegation. A scientific theory has to be testable, and so does an allegation.
BIG LIES soars across history: alighting on the “noble lies” of Socrates and Plato; Nero blaming Christians for the burning of Rome; the great injustices of the Middle Ages; the big lies of Stalin and Hitler and their terrible consequences; the reckless lies of contemporary demagogues, which are amplified through social media; lies against women and Jews are two examples in the long history of “othering” the vulnerable for personal gain; up to the equal-opportunity spotlight in America.
“Belief is a choice,” Kurlansky writes, “and honesty begins in each of us. A lack of caring what is true or false is the undoing of democracy. The alternative to truth is a corrupt state in which the loudest voices and most seductive lies confer power and wealth on grifters and oligarchs. We cannot achieve a healthy planet for all the world’s people if we do not keep asking what is true.”
60 illustrations
Book At A Glance
# of Pages: 320
Book Binding: Paperback
Year of Publication: 2023
Publisher: Tilbury House Publishers
Language: en
ISBN: 9780884489139
Creator Bio
Mark Kurlansky is an acclaimed American journalist, historian, and author. Born in Hartford, Connecticut, he studied at Butler University and graduated from New York University. Kurlansky has written numerous books on diverse topics such as food, culture, and history. His most famous book, "Salt: A World History" has been translated into over 20 languages and was a New York Times bestseller. He has also won numerous awards for his writing, including the James Beard Award for Food Writing and the Dayton Literary Peace Prize. Eric Zelz, co-author of BIG LIES: from Socrates to Social Media, is an attorney and professor of law at the University of Iowa. He specializes in media law and has written extensively on the intersection of law and technology. Zelz's expertise in this area brings a unique perspective to the study of how falsehoods and misinformation have evolved throughout history. Together, Kurlansky and Zelz have combined their knowledge and experience to bring readers a thought-provoking exploration of the impact of lies and deceit on society.
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