These small guides to (very) big ideas are an antidote to confusion and conspiracism, bringing clarity to the conversations we have about politics.

The world has always had its conspiracy theories. From the Knights Templar to the deep state, the JFK assassination to 9/11, there have always been those who believe that events are manipulated by shadowy forces with sinister intent. But in recent years, conspiracism has come to colonise the mainstream. These days it's both a booming industry and a sure-fire political strategy - and it's threatening the safety of liberal democracy.

Where once political battles were fought over ideas and values, it now feels as though we're fighting over the existence of a shared reality. And the problem is bigger than lizard people or the moon landing: left unchecked, conspiracy theories have the power to warp the fabric of society and justify terrible things.

In Conspiracy Theory: The Story of an Idea, Ian Dunt and Dorian Lynskey pull back the curtain on conspiracy theories: where they come from, who promotes them, how they work, and what they're doing to us. From Biblical myth to online hysteria, this book explains what happens when the human gift for storytelling goes bad - and how we might begin to turn back the tide.

Book Information
ISBN 9781399612869
Author Ian Dunt
Format Paperback
Page Count 192
Imprint Weidenfeld & Nicolson
Publisher Orion Publishing Co