Review: Trust me, I'm lying. Ryan Holiday
You can learn to fight at the gym or by joining a gang. I read the book that predicted Fake News and reviewed it. This book is part history and part timeless.
Normally you probably review newer books I guess, but this 2012 book I read just now and because Ryan Holiday took social media as a topic you might think it is outdated. It is not.
The writer took a stance from a much more eternal and moral point which gives a clear view on a moment in time but also at the underlying and durable moral patterns. Let’s dig in.
What is the book about?
"Trust Me, I'm Lying" is a book by Ryan Holiday that explores the inner workings of the media industry and the role that media manipulation plays in shaping public opinion and driving news cycles.
The book discusses how media companies and individuals use a variety of tactics, such as creating fake news stories, promoting sensational headlines, and using social media to spread misinformation, in order to grab attention and drive traffic to their websites. Holiday argues that this focus on clicks and page views has led to a decline in the quality and integrity of journalism, and has contributed to a culture of distrust and cynicism towards the media.
In addition to examining the tactics used by media manipulators, the book also provides practical advice on how to identify and avoid being duped by fake news and media manipulation. It encourages readers to be more critical and sceptical of the information they consume, and to seek out reliable sources of information.
Overall, "Trust Me, I'm Lying" is a thought-provoking and informative look at the state of the media industry and the impact that media manipulation has on society.
IN THE INTRODUCTION I EXPLAINED A SCAM I CALL “trading up the chain.” It’s a strategy I developed that manipulates the media through recursion. I can turn nothing into something by placing a story with a small blog that has very low standards, which then becomes the source for a story by a larger blog, and that, in turn, for a story by larger media outlets. I create, to use the words of one media scholar, a “self-reinforcing news wave.” People like me do this everyday.
My review
I never read a book about the media, and social media, that had such profound impact as this book. It is not just the facts that make the story so compelling, it is the personal and moral struggling that give it depth and point the punch. Why would you lye? For money and fame? How far should you slide into the mud before it is too late to crawl back out on your own.
That dilemma, next to the detailed facts and exciting and exact writing, made the book worth every minute I spend with it. And, even after all these years, it explained to me a lot about the media world we live in and the crazy years that raced by since the book was released. I recommend this book to everyone who has a professional interest in media, or who wants to be an informed media consumer.
