Conspiracy
Why the Rational Believe the Irrational
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Conspiracy
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Narrated by:
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Michael Shermer
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Written by:
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Michael Shermer
About this listen
Best-selling author Michael Shermer presents an overarching theory of conspiracy theories—who believes them and why, which ones are real, and what we should do about them.
Nothing happens by accident, everything is connected, and there are no coincidences: that is the essence of conspiratorial thinking. Long a fringe part of the American political landscape, conspiracy theories are now mainstream: 147 members of Congress voted in favor of objections to the 2020 presidential election based on an unproven theory about a rigged electoral process promoted by the mysterious group QAnon. But this is only the latest example in a long history of ideas that include the satanic panics of the 1980s, the New World Order and Vatican conspiracy theories, fears about fluoridated water, speculations about President John F. Kennedy's assassination, and the notions that the Sandy Hook massacre was a false flag operation and 9/11 was an inside job.
In Conspiracy, Michael Shermer presents an overarching review of conspiracy theories—who believes them and why, which ones are real, and what we should do about them. Trust in conspiracy theories, he writes, cuts across gender, age, race, income, education level, occupational status—and even political affiliation. One reason that people believe these conspiracies, Shermer argues, is that enough of them are real that we should be constructively conspiratorial: elections have been rigged (LBJ's 1948 Senate race); medical professionals have intentionally harmed patients in their care (Tuskegee); your government does lie to you (Watergate, Iran-Contra, and Afghanistan); and, tragically, some adults do conspire to sexually abuse children. But Shermer reveals that other factors are also in play: anxiety and a sense of loss of control play a role in conspiratorial cognition patterns, as do certain personality traits.
This engaging book will be an important listen for anyone concerned about the future direction of American politics, as well as anyone who's watched friends or family fall into patterns of conspiratorial thinking.
PLEASE NOTE: When you purchase this title, the accompanying PDF will be available in your Audible Library along with the audio.
©2022 Michael Shermer (P)2022 Recorded BooksYou may also enjoy...
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What listeners say about Conspiracy
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Bruce Plante
- 2024-01-11
Read as though you've read what you've written
This review pertains to the performance aspect. Michael Shermer is a very bright and competent writer. His reading skills, though, can be grating. Shermer's oral reading often sounds as if he is seeing the material for the first time as words appear on a screen individually rather than in sentences and paragraphs; his use of emphasis, pacing, and pitch is often confusing and even misleading.
Generally, authors reading their own writing is something to be desired. They have a clear comprehension of what they have written and the intention behind their words. As a result, they know when to adjust speed, emphasis, and tone to connect the intended meaning and nuance with the written word. Shermer often seems caught by surprise to discover that there is more sentence coming after he has implied its conclusion. He also seems too eager to make the often dense wording sound light or dramatic at the expense of clarity.
Fortunately, I had a hard copy of the book to read along with while the audiobook played. This is what I often do and it helps me to get more meaning out of the content. I could not mesh the formats in this case. That's a shame because it is definitely an important book that people will benefit from hearing. Perhaps another attempt could be made to have the audiobook read by a professional reader.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance3 out of 5 stars
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Story4 out of 5 stars
- Carm
- 2022-12-16
good content
I thought it was a very good book. The subject matter is interesting and written in a way that I found engaging. The presentation was lacking in my opinion. I found it was performed like a lecture more than a reading. I also was distracted by mouth smacking and breath noise. These distractions were not frequent enough to become a deal breaker, but enough that it stood out and made the quality of the performance suffer.
I'd recommend the book.
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1 person found this helpful