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We like to think that there is a clear distinction between true and false. Unfortunately, the reality is far murkier.
Hector Macdonald has spent his entire career exploring the ways that two completely true statements about the same thing can give wildly different impressions to the people listening. For instance, the internet can be described as a place that spreads knowledge or a place that spreads misinformation and hatred. Both statements are true, but they would paint radically different pictures of the internet for person who had never heard of it before.
Now, in Truth: A User's Guide, Macdonald explains how and why these so-called 'competing truths' are used intentionally and unintentionally by businesses, media, politicians, advertisers and even regular people having regular conversations. He shows how understanding competing truths makes us better at navigating the world and more influential within it. Combining great storytelling with practical takeaways and a litany of fascinating, funny and insightful case studies, Truth is a sobering and engaging read about how profoundly our mindsets, attitudes and actions are influenced by the truths that those around us choose to tell.
About the author
Hector Macdonald wurde 1973 in Kenia geboren, wo er auch seine Kindheit verbrachte. Nach der Schulzeit in Eton und einem freiwilligen sozialen Jahr in Brasilien studierte er in Oxford Biologie und arbeitete danach als Unternehmensberater. Seit dem Erscheinen seines gefeierten Debütromans 'Der Test' widmet sich Hector Macdonald ganz dem Schreiben.
Summary
We like to think that there is a clear distinction between true and false. Unfortunately, the reality is far murkier.
Hector Macdonald has spent his entire career exploring the ways that two completely true statements about the same thing can give wildly different impressions to the people listening. For instance, the internet can be described as a place that spreads knowledge or a place that spreads misinformation and hatred. Both statements are true, but they would paint radically different pictures of the internet for person who had never heard of it before.
Now, in Truth: A User's Guide, Macdonald explains how and why these so-called 'competing truths' are used intentionally and unintentionally by businesses, media, politicians, advertisers and even regular people having regular conversations. He shows how understanding competing truths makes us better at navigating the world and more influential within it. Combining great storytelling with practical takeaways and a litany of fascinating, funny and insightful case studies, Truth is a sobering and engaging read about how profoundly our mindsets, attitudes and actions are influenced by the truths that those around us choose to tell.
Foreword
For fans of Nudge, Blink and The Art of Thinking Clearly, a fascinating dive into the many ways in which 'competing truths' shape our opinions, behaviours and beliefs.
Report
Macdonald zeros in on the slipperiness of factuality, offering an array of case studies from the worlds of history, commerce and - of course - politics. New York Times
