{"product_id":"conspiracy-why-the-rational-believe-the-irrational-paperback","title":"Conspiracy: Why the Rational Believe the Irrational - Paperback","description":"\u003cdiv\u003e\u003cp style=\"text-align: right;\"\u003e\u003ca href=\"https:\/\/reportcopyrightinfringement.com\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\"\u003e\u003cb\u003eReport copyright infringement\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/a\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003c\/div\u003e\u003cp\u003eby \u003cb\u003eMichael Shermer\u003c\/b\u003e (Author)\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003e\"A well-written and essential tool for those navigating today's complicated geopolitical landscape.\"--\u003ci\u003eLibrary Journal \u003c\/i\u003eBest-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.\u003c\/b\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eNothing 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eIn \u003ci\u003eConspiracy\u003c\/i\u003e, 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. \u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003eThis engaging book will be an important read 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.\u003c\/p\u003e\u003ch3\u003eAuthor Biography\u003c\/h3\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\u003cp\u003e\u003cb\u003eMichael Sherme\u003c\/b\u003er (SANTA BARBARA, CA) is the publisher of \u003ci\u003eSkeptic\u003c\/i\u003e magazine, a Presidential Fellow at Chapman University, the host of the popular podcast \u003ci\u003eThe Michael Shermer Show, \u003c\/i\u003e and the Skeptic Substack weekly columnist. He is the author of many New York Times-bestselling books, including \u003ci\u003eWhy People Believe Weird Things: Pseudoscience, Superstition, and Other Confusions of Our Time\u003c\/i\u003e, \u003ci\u003e The Believing Brain: From Ghosts and Gods to Politics and Conspiracies--How We Construct Beliefs and Reinforce Them as Truths\u003c\/i\u003e, and \u003ci\u003eThe Moral Arc: How Science Makes Us Better People\u003c\/i\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eNumber of Pages:\u003c\/strong\u003e 376\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003eDimensions:\u003c\/strong\u003e 0.84 x 9 x 6 IN\u003c\/div\u003e\n            \u003cdiv\u003e\n\u003cstrong\u003ePublication Date:\u003c\/strong\u003e January 30, 2024\u003c\/div\u003e\n            ","brand":"BooksCloud","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":52912114532659,"sku":"9781421449074","price":29.95,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0300\/5595\/6612\/files\/WqPN5jHasK9781421449074.webp?v=1767085199","url":"https:\/\/www.vysn.com\/en-ca\/products\/conspiracy-why-the-rational-believe-the-irrational-paperback","provider":"VYSN","version":"1.0","type":"link"}