My interest in the subject has mostly to do with the Conspiracists. This is a general reference book, and gives the author's opinion as to why people engage and join these groups and ideas. This is NOT Hunter Thompson embedding himself in the Hell's Angels. This is a good fun read, but not scholarly and while you may get cocktail party chatter with it, you certainly won't get enough fodder to really disprove any conspiracy theorist out there. It also lacks an index, which made it infuriating at times. I would just really like to know where all this information came from-and that makes this book frustrating. The real problem with the book is the dangerous lack of any sources and citations. Yes, I realize that some attribute nefarious motives to Kiwanis and Rotary members, but really? If your badge is on the town sign, how secret are you? This seemed more a discussion of fringe groups mixed with old men groups. The discussion of secret societies was the weakest link in the book. It is a case of "none being as blind as those who will not see." It is a willful, and thus complete, lack of critical thinking. They start from their belief and work outward, discounting anything that doesn't fit, and searching (maniacally at times) for the barest shreds of information and calculation and numerology to support it. He points out that the true believers of conspiracy theories come from a very one-track thought process. However the author discusses this as well. And some of the explanations and rewriting of the world to make the theory work seemed just really exhausting. I can see where you'd have a lot of people with two of those attribute, but I seriously doubt all three. Conspiracies assume you have a lot people that are in power, evil, and can keep a secret. My guy jokes that I hate conspiracy theories so much that I think they are a conspiracy. You'd be really amazed how many cult leaders were one (or both) of the two witnesses to the Revelation-and even more have been the Messiah.Ĭonspiracies were just as engrossing. Some of them were so nutso that the idea that people would believe it is even crazier. The discussion of how cults arise and how many are out there was fascinating. I almost hated giving this three stars-because it really was interesting.
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