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Kurlansky, Mark,

Big lies : from Socrates to social media / From Socrates to social media Mark Kurlansky ; illustrated by Eric Zelz. - homaston, Maine : Tilbury House Publishers, [2022] - 309 pages, 2 unnumbered pages : illustrations (chiefly color) ; 24 cm

Includes bibliographic references (pages 305-309) and index.

Entreaty -- Masked revelers in a carnival of lies -- The Enlightenment and the unenlightened -- Denial: the short way around science -- Favorite lies about women -- A snowball in France: the blame game -- Soviet mathematics: 2 + 2 = 5 -- The truth about American truth -- Big dictators and big lies -- Photographic lies -- Saving children: a best-loved lie -- The golden lasso of truth.

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. The future stewards of our world require a how-to manual for seeing through big lies and thinking critically, because big lies require believers, and democracy depends on independent thought.

13+ years

ISBN: 9780884489122 0884489124

LCCN: 2022937862

Nat. Bib. No.: GBC2D0191 bnb

Nat. Bib. Agency Control No.: 020689154 Uk

Subjects--Topical Terms:
Truthfulness and falsehood.
Critical thinking.
Corruption.
Misinformation.
Disinformation.
Propaganda--History.
Honesty.
Deception.

Index Terms--Genre/Form:
Young adult literature.
Informational works.

LC Class. No.: BJ1421 / .K875 2022

Dewey Class. No.: 177.3