- ISBN13: 9781400065660
- Condition: NEW
- Notes: Brand New from Publisher. No Remainder Mark.
Americans are bombarded daily with mixed messages, half-truths, misleading statements, and out-and-out fabrications masquerading as facts. The news media–once the vaunted watchdogs of our republic–are often too timid or distracted to identify these deceptions.
unSpun is the secret decoder ring for the twenty-first-century world of disinformation. Written by Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson, the founders of the acclaimed website FactCheck.org, unS… More >>
unSpun: Finding Facts in a World of Disinformation
Boy oh boy, was I disappointed in Un-Spun. If I had seen the names of the people on the back who recommended it, I’d have been warned.
Come on, Mark Shields? His middle name is liberal spin!
The authors were heavy on inserting criticism of President Bush whether to do so was in context or not. Just one example….
This is a liberal’s book.
I wish I could get my money back.
Rose Marie Russell
Rating: 1 / 5
This book purports to help the reader sift the wheat from the chaff in all aspects of public diinformation, which I can agree has become a pestilence. However, I bought the book after carefully reviewing the editorial and reader commentaries on the book and its competitiors, of which there are a myriad. I bought it for ONE purpose; to enable me to sift through competing versions of the history of geological calamities and determine which were correct and which were not. I can only say that the book was of absolutely no help in this regard. Surely, it is interesting to to read how are political and marketing preferences are “guided” by a steady stream of lies and distortions, but this is a mere glimpse into the obvious. Everybody knows that such thinbg are lies from the get-go, and that only hard, independent thinking, based on ascertainble facts can solved the dilemma. I didn’t need a book to tell me that.
What I did need was a book to help me sift through competing factual claims, some based on information; some not. Despite its glowing cover appraisal, and the rafe editorial reviews, this book simply proves the difficulty lf obtaining the truth, more by its content, or should I say lack of it?
Fraud is a hard word to use, but I do feel I was deceived by what I read on here about the book. It certainly was not what I anticipated or needed when I purchased the book. I guess this whole episode proves that even when it comes to a book’s claims to help battle disinformation, that condition permeates the very product that is being sold. If you are confused by politics or what soap to buy, read the book. Otherwise, don’t bother.
Rating: 2 / 5
This is an excellent source for gaining insight into the ways in which we are misled by the media whether it is in ads or politics. This explains how to recognize it so you can make better decisions. I would recommend this as required information for anyone graduating high school or older.
Rating: 5 / 5
Have you ever seen an advertisement and wondered how truthful it was? For example, does the leading toothpaste really fight cavities, gum disease and world poverty? Is your favorite politician’s opponent actually planning to raise taxes while lowering tooth decay?
If the thought has crossed your mind, you’ll be interested in “un*Spun – finding facts in a world of disinformation” by Brooks Jackson and Kathleen Hall Jamieson. The authors run through a bunch of ways for the general public to weigh fact versus fiction in both political and commercial product marketing campaigns.
The book was loaded with laughs, and I’m still amazed at what people actually believe. The problem is that the people who believe anything probably won’t read this book, even if I tell them that their favorite soap contains arsenic. Or, as the PR guy would say, “loaded with essential earth elements.”
Rating: 5 / 5
This slim book is a great self-defense book for consumers and citizens. I use it in my First Year Writing course at the university to teach critical thinking skills. People who like the book might be interested to know that the authors offer an unbiased e-mail service that is useful especially to ferret out the truth in campaign claims. Anyone can sign up for updates at FactCheck.org.
Rating: 5 / 5