Simon & Schuster Ltd The Irrational Ape: Why We Fall for Disinformation, Conspiracy Theory and Propaganda

This book primarily appeals to those who already agree with its perspectives, making it unlikely to reach those who might benefit the most. The grandiloquent language makes it difficult to read and understand, while the mocking and condescending tone may put off, offend, or even anger potential readers, ultimately defeating its purpose

Boring

Daniel Patrick Moynihan once said "Everyone is entitled to their own opinions, but they are not entitled to their own facts.". A book review is, by definition, an opinion. That is why, having read and greatly enjoyed this book, I'm happy to share my opinion and fiercely disagree with the negative reviews here. To my mind, these appear to be blatant attempts to discredit the review section on Amazon just because they don't happen to agree with Dr Grimes' view of the world.Thankfully, using skills outlined and encouraged throughout the book it's relatively easy to scrutinise these negative reviews and understand the motivations of the people making them - they are anti-science and have their own agendas, prejudices and misconceptions about his intentions. Such people may find it hard to reason their way out of false beliefs that they hold, as they are so entrenched. Surprisingly, Dr Grimes does not give up on such people and details how it is possible for anyone to overcome their own inherent irrationality with a little training.Perhaps you remember before the Internet that people thought that the cause of stupidity was the lack of access to information. Yeah. It wasn't that! As Dr Grimes points out, the Internet has a lot to answer for: "The Internet has put the entirety of the world's information at our very fingertips. But this same freedom also allows dubious information to propagate at dizzying speeds. And often people lack the requisite skills to differentiate between reliable sources and those of dubious merit."Whilst Dr Grimes is an academic and science communicator, don't go away thinking that this book will be hard-going for the casual reader, it's wonderfully written and is frequently beautifully poetic in places - I often found myself re-reading a paragraph a few times because it was so imaginatively written. In short, it's accessible! Dr Grimes writing style is charming and personable, holding the readers' hand to help them navigate through the misinformation and conspiracy thinking of the modern world. On this journey you will certainly learn a great deal too. Some of the footnotes in the book are genuinely hilarious. The references and further reading section at the end of the book is wonderful too.Throughout the book, Dr Grimes encourages the reader to form their beliefs and views of the world when the claims made about it have first been subjected to some critical thought. The whole book is geared towards helping the reader achieve this and not to be misled by the ubiquity of misinformation in today's information age.One might glibly think that critical thinking is not particularly important. You would be wrong! By means of numerous well-referenced examples throughout history, Dr Grimes shows how critical thinking can literally help prevent injustice, save lives and avoid future disaster.In the final chapter of the book, "A Healthy Scepticism", Dr Grimes provides a condensed checklist of things to help scrutinise and assess a claim that is being made. I am convinced that the world would be a better place if more people applied this checklist to their daily lives before just automatically accepting a claim as true.After reading The Irrational Ape, the reader will emerge much more educated in how to think critically and to avoid being swayed by dodgy claims. In a nutshell, the book is an inoculation against fake news and misinformation. It will help you make better decisions in life.Easily the best book I've read this year.

Well written, researched and articulated insight into how seemingly harmless misinformation can lead those that become part of certain echo chambers down a dangerous path that affects us all.If you value science and what the weight of evidence reflects, this book clearly outlines the crucial factors to consider when forming educated and informed opinions surrounding important issues in a day an age where the most misinformed sometimes have the loudest voices.A thought provoking and essential read for all that wish to challenge their own biases and combat the most easily bought thoughts when it comes to buying into fake news and dangerous disinformation.

One of the best and most important books I’ve read recently. Explains why science, statistics, philosophy and critical thinking in general are so important, describes the dangers we face if we neglect them and highlights some of the most common or consequential examples of human irrationality. Discusses formal and informal logical fallacies, statistical errors, the danger of following dogma not evidence and much more. The world would be a better place if this was read by as many people as possible.